A 4th of July Vanilla Poke Cake with Kool-Aid Fruit Juice
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Can you believe how close 4th of July is? It seems like only yesterday that 2014 started. I, for one, am excited for the holiday because I plan on bringing this Vanilla Poke Cake, made with Kool-Aid Fruit Juice, to a party and I know everyone will love it.
Anytime I plan on making something for a gathering, I test the recipe so I can make adjustments if necessary and in general, just to make sure everything tastes fantastic and something that I’m not at all concerned about sharing with my fellow party guests. Fortunately, this is a cake I’ve made a dozen times. My one dozen and one time had to be before 4th of July. I just couldn’t wait until the holiday to enjoy this dessert, so off to Walmart we went over the weekend.
I’m so happy to have a full-time job that allows us the federal holidays off so I can throughly enjoy my time outdoors with fun people and this cake! Everything will be red, white, and blue and I was more than happy to oblige with this themed cake. Too bad I can’t make a big enough cake to actually fit 50 “stars”, or blueberries. 🙂
The thing about outdoor parties is that you can pretty much eat all day long. (Please tell me it’s not just me who does this.) Seems like the combination of the heat and swimming, which is always inevitable with any party here in Florida, makes it so you end up with an appetite that never ceases.
At the parties I plan, we usually go for BBQ favorites and sides. As you can imagine, there is always some pork products, burgers, hot dogs, lots and lots of Doritos, macaroni salad, baked beans, and more. It’s an all out binge fest and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We are celebrating independence day, and the day I can independence myself from my semi diet to enjoy a vanilla poke cake, too!
With strawberry Kool-Aid drizzled on top (before the icing), it’s the perfect cake to #KoolOff with. Creamy and indulgent, it’s still not one to make you feel full, or like you did anything except enjoy a cake that also provided you with some delicious fruit!
While this cake is optimal for any 4th of July shenanigans, you can really make the base any time of the year and just have a blast changing out the toppings. It’s a dessert that you’ll want to make over and over again, with all different flavors and combinations.
Enjoy 4th of July, folks. I know I will!
A 4th of July Vanilla Poke Cake with Kool-Aid Fruit Juice
Ingredients:
- 1 box white cake mix
- Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
- 1 1/2 cups Kool-Aid Strawberry fruit juice
- 3 containers pre-made Jello vanilla pudding
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, or enough to fill out the strips of the flag cake
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or about 25)
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely in pan, about 1 hour.
- Pierce cooled cake with fork at 1/2-inch intervals. Pour Kool-Aid over entire surface of cake. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until serving time.
- Spread vanilla pudding over cake. Arrange strawberries and blueberries on top of cake to look like flag. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
I have never heard of a “poke” cake before. Around here we just call it a cake LOL, but either way, it sounds AWESOME.
HAha, I didn’t know what a poke cake really was until I started making this cake. It’s just from poking holes in your cake to allow juice, or whatever, to seep it. Genius!
Kool-Aid in cake? What a fascinating idea! And with real fruit as well. I think the blog world has improved our eating with ideas like this!
Mitch
That looks so darn good and super festive! The idea of using Kool-Aid is excellent!
Yummy that cake looks amazing.i would love to make this wonder if i could do it with a union Jack on the top lol.
You did a great job with this and I have to say that I am so going to try this. I’m loving the fruits. The kids would really enjoy it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks, Amanda! Enjoy. 🙂
I’ve never heard of “poke cake” before! This is a great recipe, it’s so pretty! I think I’d personally double up on the berries though so they’re completely covering the surface—I love my fruit, and my toddler does, too :). Thank you so much for sharing your recipe for this sweet treat!
That’s a great idea! I love fruit too and found myself eating those off the cake more than anything (although the cake is delicious!).
I will have to try this. I have had variations of this but never with koolaid. I hear on summer heat and swimming here in Florida. This cake is a lighter cake that doesn’t weight you down much!
YUM! That cake looks and sounds delicious! I will definitely be making this for our Independence Day celebration!
omg. i love this idea. what a fabulous idea!
I want to try this for sure! We are hosting a fourth of July party and this will obviously be perfect! Thanks for the great recipe!
I hope you try it and love it!
The cake looks absolutely delicious! I really want to go and make myself some right now.
that looks great. Like little stripes on the inside!
I love fresh berry season! Your poke cake looks so yummy and perfect for the 4th…I’ll have to try it!
This looks really yummy. We have a party the day after the Fourth of July. I might just make this cake! (THanks for sharing the recipe!!)
That 4th of July cake looks really good. I should try to make this. I have a ton of fresh berries I just picked. Thanks for sharing such a pretty and patriotic dessert.
I hope you make it and love it!
I had never heard of a poke cake before this post. What a clever idea to put the Kool Aid over the cake sort of like a sweet glaze!
my mom used to do this with jello. kool aid looks like it works perfectly too
Brilliant! Seriously this has to be one of the best Kool-Aid recipes I have ever seen. It looks delicious and also super patriotic for the holiday.
Thanks so much, Jessica!
What a fun cake! I love making poke cakes. I learned a trick about 14 years ago in Weight Watchers to use diet coke and the batter. Of course, those are all over pinterest now. So, I make my poke cake that way and then use sugar free pudding for my holes. Delish! I love the addition of the strawberries on top. I am not too sure about the Kool Aid. We dont use it in the house. But looks like fun.
Oooo, that’s awesome!!
That looks awesome! Your flag of fruit on top looks great too!
Oh my! I love this! I will be making a raw version!
I’d never even heard of a poke cake before this. I like the idea to create the base and change out the topping based on the occasion.
Love having good gatherings with great food. That sounds like a great cake.
I’ve made poke cake, but never with Kool Aid- great idea! Keeps it nice a moist.
This looks so delicious! I am so making this for the 4th.
I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
This cake is adorable! I have pinned with high hopes of making it next Friday.
I have high hopes that you do too. It really is great!!
Gosh, I’ve never heard of poke cake. But the color came out fantastic with the Kool Aid!
Ooooh, so that’s why it is called a “poke cake!” That is ridiculously simple and sounds yummy! Pinning it =)
Yeah, I didn’t know that at first!! It’s brilliant, the way the juices just seep in the cake and makes it even more moist than it already was. Yum!
Aweeee! Poke cake is my favorite!! I have never seen a recipe for poke cake that I haven’t tried and this looks really good! Pinning for later!
Thanks, Bekki! Poke cake is a new thing for me, and I love it!
I love the 4th of July. Love the fireworks and the food. Too bad I work on the 5th and 6th. Would love to have had the whole weekend off.
I’m lucky enough to have off 4th of July and the weekend. I work for a credit union. I would be upset by having to work the weekend, too, but I hope it goes by fast for you!
That cake is so cute! My daughter would probably sneak in the kitchen and eat all the berries off!
OMG your cake pictures are so beautiful…it looks super delish! Yet another usage for Kool-aid other than for drinking! cool!
Thanks! I really loved the way this cake turned out.
That looks amazing! I’m going to try making it this weekend!
Thanks, Carly! 🙂
That cake with fruit looks delicious! Yummy goodness! I love adding something healthy to my desserts makes me feel a little less guilty
Ha! Me too. I’m like, this is FRUIT! Fruit is healthy and therefore, this cake is healthy.
Your pictures are great and the cake looks delicious!
Thanks, Laura!
These flag cakes are always so fun and festive! AND, I love poke cake. There is something so wonderful about it. Mmmm!!! The moistness, and the texture. sigh.
I have to agree! Poke cake is awesome. A lot of people don’t know what it is.
That cake is so pretty! I love all the fruit on it.
This cake looks so delicious and fun to make. I know my kids would really enjoy it.
The patriotic cake is so cute! It’s perfect to bring to a 4th of July get together!
This looks absolutely delicious. I can’t wait until I can get my hands on some fresh blueberries!
Happy 4th! You did a great job with this recipe and it looks tasty!
Jello copied me.
Wow that cake looks amazing! I’d like some right now!
Trust me, I would too. (I’m at work, haha.)
I’ve never seen anything like this, how cool! Thanks for sharing this really neat recipe, makes me hungry.
Thanks!!
I haven’t made one of these in years. I’m so doing it this year.
Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve never made or ate a poke cake before. It looks delicious, I’ll have to give it a try.
That’s what a lot of people are saying! I hadn’t either, but it’s literally just poking the cake to allow the juices to seep in, haha.
Yummy looking design. I love strawberries but not so much blueberries. Sounds delicious too!
I say you just put sliced strawberries over the entire top. 🙂
This is so festive and when I see a cake every year decorated like this, I always say I am going to make it and don’t. This year I am going to do it. No excuses or reasons not to!
This is true! And I promise, it takes no time at all. The longest time is letting it cool. 🙂
Yum, all of the fresh fruit looks great 🙂 thanks for the recipe.
Wow, that’s one yummy looking cake. I always plan on making a flag design for our 4th of July party and I chicken out every year. You made it look easy.
I just can’t get over how cute this is!! Perfect for the 4th of July!