Cool, light, and refreshing Patriotic Poke Cake is great for summer holidays! It’s sure to be a tasty hit with the whole family!

We love making red, white and blue desserts, like this Patriotic Poke Cake, that are cool and simple for summer holidays. For more favorites, check out Our Classic Poke Cake, 4th of July Rice Krispie treats and Fruit Pizza.

Patriotic poke cake slice on a white plate.

4th of July Cake (Or Memorial Day or Labor Day)

We LOVE jello poke cake! It’s one of the easiest and yummiest treats that you can make for any holiday, get together, or party.

We especially love to make it during the summer months when it’s hot outside because the cake is so light and cool.

We tend to use strawberry or cherry jellos more than the other flavors, but love to add blue raspberry jello for patriotic holidays like Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day.

With the red and blue jello poked through out, this Patriotic Poke Cake looks just that – PATRIOTIC! But, you have to be a little careful when making it so that the red and blue don’t mix to make purple.

We will show you what we did below to make sure the colors stay separate. 😉

How to Make Patriotic Poke Cake

There needs to be a little time for the cake to chill and for the JELLO to set up, but otherwise, it is quick to make and very simple!

CAKE. Prepare boxed cake mix as directed and bake in a 9×13 pan. Let cool for an hour.

POKE. Poke holes into the cake with the end of a knife or handle of a wooden spoon at 1 inch intervals.

JELLO. Prepare the two jell-o’s separately as directed on box (but only add ½ cup cold water after adding jello mix to the 1 cup boiling water). Pour jello into a two tall glasses. Using a straw, fill it with the liquid JELLO and place in every other hole in the cake. Do this with both the red and blue jello.

REFRIGERATE + SERVE. Chill 3 to 4 hours and top with whipped cream (or Cool Whip). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Adding red and blue jello to 4th of July poke cake using a straw.

Shortcut + Variations

Make this quicker: The jello in this poke cake does not set up like regular jello and won’t need nearly as much time. You will still need a few hours for the jello to soak into the cake and chill. To speed up the overall time it takes to make this cake, you can:

First, you can buy a pre-made, unfrosted white cake at a local bakery.
Second, stick the cake in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. Long enough to set the jello, but not freeze the cake.

Make this patriotic cake into cupcakes. Divide the batter into about 24 cupcake tins and bake according to directions on the box. Once they have cooled poke them with a fork or skewer, use a soup spoon to drizzle jello into the holes and chill.

Make two round cakes. These would be very pretty when stacked. Bake cakes according to package directions. Cool then poke holes, add jello and chill.

Add toppings: I love the simplicity of the whipped cream on top, but you can add some toppings for extra flare. Here are some ideas.

Red White and Blue Sprinkles
Fresh berries: blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries
Swap the whipped topping for cream cheese frosting or buttercream

Adding cool whip to the top of the holiday poke cake.

FAQ + More Red, White + Blue Treats

How to store? Store tightly covered cake in the fridge for 2-3 days.

How to freeze? To freeze, wrap cake with plastic wrap, then again with aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

Note: If the cake has the whipped topping already, then you’ll need to flash freeze it first. You do this by placing individual pieces on a baking sheet, making sure they are not touching. Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until the outside is frozen, then wrap in plastic and foil, label and return to the freezer.

More Patriotic Treats:

4th of July Poke cake recipe on a white plate.

For more Poke Cakes, try: