If you liked strawberry shortcake ice cream bars growing up, then you’ll love this strawberry crunch poke cake. The ice cream truck treat took its cues from classic strawberry shortcake, but then added what we all know is the best part: that crunchy coating. Here we start with a boxed cake mix, infuse it with strawberry flavor, top it with fluffy cream cheese frosting, then finish it off with a strawberry-and-cookie topping. It’s the perfect summer dessert.
Unfamiliar with poke cakes? Now’s your chance to get on board with the easiest, most delicious desserts ever. They start with a cake mix (see, simple!), then once the cake is cool, the fun begins—adding your flavors. Using a bamboo skewer or a chopstick, poke holes all over the cake. To keep the flavor inside the cake, don’t go all the way down to the bottom of the pan.
Now, add your filling. For this dessert, we’re using strawberry Jell-O. All you have to do is heat up water, mix in the Jell-O powder, and pour that into the holes. Let the cake chill out in the fridge for at least a couple of hours or up to overnight. This soaking time will help make sure that you get pretty white and pink swirls when you cut into the cake.
We love this dessert with cream cheese frosting, but you can go with straight up whipped cream if you want things less sweet. Finish it all off with the crunch, which starts with vanilla sandwich cookies (such as Golden Oreos). Just grind them up in the food processor or put them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Toss with more strawberry Jell-O powder for a pretty pink color and a hit of nostalgic berry flavor.
Want even more strawberry crunch inspired desserts? Check out our strawberry crunch cake, our strawberry shortcake ice cream cake, or our no-churn strawberry shortcake vegan ice cream.
Did you make this treat? Tell us all about it in the comments section below!
Nonstick cooking spray
(15.25-oz.) box white cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
(3-oz.) box strawberry Jell-O
heavy cream
(8-oz.) block cream cheese, room temperature
(75 g.) confectioners' sugar
pure vanilla extract
kosher salt
vanilla sandwich cookies, such as Golden Oreos
(1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
(3-oz.) box strawberry Jell-O
Fresh strawberries, halved lengthwise, for serving
Mary Rupp is a food writer and recipe developer who contributes, tests, and styles recipes for Delish. After graduating from the International Culinary Center in New York, she earned her stripes at restaurants like Per Se and The NoMad. When she’s not cooking Caramel Pecan Pie and Creamy Corn Pasta in the Delish test kitchens, you can find her traveling abroad and hunting for the next great food trend.
