Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake

Sunday, March 1, 2015
Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake is a favorite Spring and Summer cake recipe when fresh strawberries are at their peak! Homemade light yellow cake is filled with fresh strawberry filling for a delicious make ahead dessert.

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake slice photo on a white plate.

I've been dreaming of Strawberry Shortcake all winter, so when I finally found really ripe amazing smelling strawberries at the market I decided to make this  Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake because I wasn't in the mood to make traditional biscuits and roll them out.

I made a moist and light yellow lemon buttermilk cake for the base because I knew it would be the perfect flavor combo.Then filled it with fresh strawberry puree, diced strawberries and smothered it in freshly whipped cream.

My Dad who never eats dessert decided to have a slice and said it was the best ever. He even wanted to have a piece for breakfast the next morning and let me tell you that is way out of his normal. I don't think I've ever seen him eat sweets for breakfast, the man even drinks his morning coffee black! 

So I know if he loves it as much as the rest of the family you'll love it too! 

A stainless steel mixing bowl with butter, sugar, and lemon zest.

To make the cake layer in a large mixing bowl cream together:
  • 3/4 cup Butter
  • 1 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest 
Until mixture is light and fluffy.

Eggs added to creamed butter mixture in a stainless steel mixing bowl.

Add 3 whole Eggs, 1 at a time beating well between each addition.

Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt added to creamed butter in mixing bowl.

Add:
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Mix until well combined.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and Buttermilk added to creamed butter.

Add:
  • 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk

Yellow Cake batter being mixed in a stainless steel mixing bowl.

Mix until combined being careful not to over mix, scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Yellow Cake batter in a parchment lined rectangular cake pan.

Butter a 9"x13" pan and line with parchment paper and butter parchment paper.

Pour cake batter into prepared pan.

Holes poked into baked yellow cake.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until a tooth pick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. 

Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes and then use a 1/4" round handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.

Gelatin and water in a small saucepan.

To make the strawberry filling in a small saucepan combine:
  • 1/3 cup Water
  • 1 package Unflavored Gelatin
Heat over low heat until gelatin dissolves and becomes clear. Watch closely.

Diced strawberries in a blender.

Place 2 cups Diced Strawberries in blender. 
Add:
  • Gelatin mixture
  • 3 tablespoons Sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
 Puree until smooth. Taste puree and add additional sugar if needed.

Diced strawberries and strawberry puree being mixed together in a stainless steel mixing bowl.

Stir in 2 cups Diced Strawberries into strawberry puree.

Strawberry mixture spread across top of yellow cake.

Spread strawberry mixture evenly over cake, work into holes and gentle shake pan to work strawberry mixture into holes.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Whipped Cream in a mixing bowl.

Whip:
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 tablespoons Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Taste whipping cream and add additional sugar to taste.

A down  shot of Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake in a white pan covered with whipped cream and whole strawberries.

Spread Whipped Cream evenly over cake.

Garnish with a whole strawberry if desired when serving.

A slice of Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake on a white plate with a fork full missing.

I promise you this will knock your socks off! 

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Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake
Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake is a light homemade lemon buttermilk yellow cake filled with pureed and chopped strawberries then covered in whip cream from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcigP95uHXZ9DH5Rm5NvkhymlToyLc9OOvF-efkpl6C8HFrw6tKdjHZ9y9QFBJfpdjNHEVsU9seXZEpKJodBibYDApOuVq8l2ASS3c20mY_mMxb0bW_lu3Q764SFiELXLIHh59ATqdvaK/s16000/Strawberry+Shortcake+Poke+Cake+%252813+of+1%2529-2.jpg2019-03-19
Yield: 16
Author: Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake is a light homemade lemon buttermilk yellow cake filled with pureed and chopped strawberries then covered in whip cream from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch.
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 45 Mininactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 4 H & 10 M

Ingredients

Lemon Yellow Cake
  • 3/4 cup Cold Butter Plus Soft Butter For Greasing Pan
  • 1 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 3 whole Eggs
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 1/4 cup All-Purpose or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
Strawberry Filling
  • 1/3 cup Water
  • 1 packet Unflavored Gelatin
  • 4 cups Strawberries, Finely Chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Sugar Or To Taste
  • 1/2 whole Large Lemon, Juiced
Whipping Cream
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 tablespoon Sugar Or To Taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Butter a 9"x13" pan and line with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper well, set aside.
Lemon Yellow Cake
  1. Cream together butter, sugar, and lemon zest.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl until light and fluffy.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well combined.
  4. Add flour and buttermilk. Stir until just combined.
  5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.
  6. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes and then use 1/4 inch wooden cooking handle to poke holes all over cake.
Strawberry Filling
  1. In a small pan combine water and unflavored gelatin. Cook over low heat until clear.
  2. In a blender combined 2 cups chopped strawberries, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons sugar, and cooked gelatin. Puree until smooth.
  3. Stir in remaining 2 cups chopped strawberries into the pureed berries and spread over the top of cake pushing strawberry mixture into holes.
  4. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve.
Whipping Cream
  1. When ready to serve make whip cream. Beat heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Taste whipping cream and add additional sugar if desired.
  2. Spread whip cream over the top of strawberries.
Serving
  1. Garnish cake slices with whole strawberries if desired.

Calories

345.23

Fat (grams)

17.03

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.25

Carbs (grams)

44.58

Fiber (grams)

2.75

Net carbs

41.83

Sugar (grams)

27.57

Protein (grams)

5.41

Sodium (milligrams)

279.68

Cholesterol (grams)

79.13

The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favorite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

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A slice of Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake with white text at top Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake.


47 comments

  1. This looks so delicious, I could eat a slice right now!

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  2. Your desserts are always so awesome. Love the poke part.

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  3. sounds absolutely perfect! I love a good cake recipe with strawberries!!

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  4. What a gorgeous recipe! I love that the sauce is homemade and doesn't use jello (which is hard to get in the UK and really expensive). As soon as I can get some nice strawberries I want to give this lovely cake a try!

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  5. This sounds wonderful and it's so pretty too!

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  6. This looks like a taste of springtime!

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  7. Tried this cake last weekend for a family gathering and it was pretty much all gone by the end of the evening. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. One comment though. The ingredient list mentions "the juice of half a lemon" and "three tablespoons of sugar" but the directions don't say when to add them in. I added them to the strawberry mixture and I'm assuming that's correct, since the cake was amazing.

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    Replies
    1. Hi! I'm so glad that your family loved this recipe as much as mine! You are correct the lemon juice and sugar are to be mixed into the strawberries! I'm so sorry I missed that in my steps but will be going back to correct the recipe! Have a wonderful evening!

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  8. Would this cake keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of days without the whipped cream or would it get too soggy? It looks fabulous!

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    Replies
    1. It will store in the refrigerator for a couple of days without becoming overly soggy. The gelatin added to the strawberries seems to help it hold up well. This photo was actually taken 24 hours after it was assembled.

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  9. I made this cake today, and my family and I will be having it tomorrow. I did a few things differently...I substituted strawberry Jello (with 1/3 cup of water) instead of 1 package unflavoured gelatin with 1/3 cup water. I also found that it took more whipping cream to cover the cake than the 1 cup that the recipe called for. I needed 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream. I also added only 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar to the strawberry puree, rather than 3 tablespoons + additional sugar, to account for the sugar in the Jello. The cake looks amazing, and I can't wait to try it!

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    1. The cake turned out beautifully. The only comment I have is that a lot of the strawberries/Jello seemed to end up on the corner and side pieces of the cake. I am not sure if this is due to me using a disposable foil pan. Otherwise, my family and I was thrilled with the cake.

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  10. Do you think two of these stacked on each other would hold up?

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    1. My first thought made me cringe that it would fall apart but the cake does slice really nicely. It probably would hold but would be really thick. I don't think it would transport well due to it being so thick and I think my biggest worry would be the top layer trying to slide off the bottom layer due to filling. If you decide to try it I would love to hear how it turns out. I'm sure it would be possible and maybe a few skewers to try and hold the layers in place.

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  11. Hi-great recipe. I wanted to serve this as a birthday cake. Do you know if I can add the whip cream a couple of hours before the party starts? Also, can I substitute the sugar for honey or maple syrup? Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. Hi! I wouldn't substitute the sugar in the cake because it would significantly change the texture but you could use honey or maple syrup in the strawberries and whip cream for a sweetener. You can add the whip cream ahead of time if it's really a long time it might weep a little one way to get around this is to stabilize it by 1 tablespoon Water and 1/2 teaspoon Gelatin in a small saucepan until gelatin turns clear. It's a small amount of liquid so you will need to make sure it doesn't burn. When you beat the whip cream slowly pour in the gelatin mixture once the whipping cream starts to get volume and then beat until desired consistency being careful not to over beat.

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  12. This takes me back to being a child. My mother made poke cakes all the time. Each one was a surprise. I had forgot all about them. Thanks for the delicious reminder. I've printed out your recipe to give it a whirl. I would need to change up the flour to my gluten-free flour mix I make and then I think I'll keep the first one made for me...*evil grin* and then share the next one! :)

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  13. I love strawberry cake! This looks delish!

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  14. This beautiful cake screams "Welcome Spring." Looks so delish!

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  15. This looks gorgeous! I've always wanted to try making a poke cake! Love the strawberry shortcake flavors!

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  16. Looks so amazing. I can't wait to grab some fresh berries and make this. Pinned for later. Thanks for the recipe Serena!

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  17. It is so delicious! Thank you for this recipe, my new favorite with strawberries

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  18. Hello is the all purpose flour you use just regular or is it pastry flour. Just a asking cause want sure and not rising agent used. Can't wait to make!

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    Replies
    1. Hi! Just regular, no rising agent. Make sure to fluff the flour before measuring! Have a great weekend! Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is a softer wheat then whole wheat but the flour has no additional additives and is close to regular flour.

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  19. Hi Serena,
    This cake looks so good and I'm going to make it soon. You say to use a 9"x13" pan but the one in the photo looks like a 9"x9" square pan. Is the photo deceiving or is it 9"x9"?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sherry, The pictures desceiving it is a 9x13 pan. Thanks, Serena

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  20. This was absolutely delicious. I put blueberries on top, too, to have a red, white, and blue 4th of July cake. Unbelievable!

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  21. Holy Strawberries! This Cake looks amazing, I can't wait to try it! Strawberries are everything!

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  22. I have been looking for a good from scratch poke cake!! I knew when I saw your FB post I could count on this being just the recipe I needed!

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  23. This is so lovely! And from scratch-just perfect!

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  24. Do you think you could use frozen strawberries?

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  25. Your recipe calls for cold butter to begin the cake. Usually butter should be room temp. Is there a reason you specify cold.

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    Replies
    1. This was also my question. How do you get the butter to cream if it's cold? Thank you!

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    2. As the butter starts to be mixed it will warm up from the air temperature. Starting with colder butter helps the butter maintain more air as it's beaten and helps with the structure of the cake.

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  26. I won a bake off competition with this recipe! Was really yummy. Wasn't sure what a packet of gelatin was equivalent to as we don't have this in New Zealand so used 2 teaspoons of plain gelatine and it set perfectly. Used plain whipping cream too. Was worried that it may be soggy after pouring the strawberry sauce on the cake but it wasn't. Put it in the fridge overnight to set. Thanks for the recipe 😊

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  27. I made this cake per your ingredients and instructions with only one alteration. For the topping, I combined 5ozs. of mascarpone cream cheese with about 1-1/4 cups of whipping cream, whipped them together with 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla exreact. I wanted the whipped cream topping to remain stable because there are only 2 of us in our household. We love this cake, it tastes exactly like strawberry shortcake! The cake recipe itself is just the taste and texture I was looking for. Winner!!! I made this cake on Sunday, today is Tuesday and the topping is holding up beautifully. Thanks for a great recipe without Jello.

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  28. I'm about to try this recipe, and I'm wondering if you remove the cake from the pan when it is baked or do you keep it in the same pan to serve it? Birthday is tomorrow so I'd appreciate it if you could respond quickly...it looks delicious!

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    1. I usually leave it in the pan because it's easier to store and sometimes the strawberries stay a little loose. Happy Birthday! -Serena

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  29. Approx how much juice from half a lemom? I used your recipe and while some enjoyed it...others commented that it was too tart. Maybe the lemon from my tree was too big?

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    1. Hi Sheryll, It's probably close to a tablespoon. Your lemons might be larger or be a lot better then the lemons from the store.. You could always start with 1-2 teaspoons taste it and add more if needed. It shouldn't over power the strawberries. Thanks, Serena

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  30. This looks great, and I would love to try it. In the pictures you posted, it shows a metal pan lined with parchment paper for most of the recipe, but at the end, it shows a white pan with no parchment paper. Did you transfer the cake to a different, better looking pan at some point? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Hi! I had someone make a video for the recipe 2 years ago. She also took a few additional photos of the finished cake so I added them to the post. She didn't use the parchment paper when she made the cake.. The ugly pans mine and the pretty white pan is hers... I always use parchment for cake because I hate when it sticks and falls apart. She didn't seem to have an issue removing it from the pan.. I hope that helps! -Serena

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  31. Simply wonderful cake Serena! Everyone went back for seconds and it lasted 3 days in the fridge. Followed directions as indicated. But I had trouble poking the holes in the cake to look like yours. Outside edge of cake was done and had no trouble but the closer I got to center the cake was still a little undone. I used a ceramic cake pan so maybe that was the problem? In any case it still turned out great and will definitely make this again. The recipe is a keeper!

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  32. I have homemade strawberry jam, do you think that would work for filling?

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure it would but I wouldn't add any additional sugar and you wouldn't need the gelatin.

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