Cranberry Poke Cake Recipe

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This Cranberry Poke Cake is an easy Christmas dessert made with fluffy white cake, cranberry Jello, and a creamy cranberry whipped topping.

Every slice has a sweet and tart cranberry flavor, with pretty red swirls that make it perfect for the holiday dessert table.

Made with boxed cake mix and just a handful of ingredients, this cake recipe is simple to prepare ahead of time for holiday parties, potlucks, or Christmas dinner.

If you enjoy easy desserts like this one, check out these Holiday Poke Cakes for more festive cake ideas.

Collage featuring cranberry poke cake: a frosted sheet cake with cranberry sauce inside, a slice on a spatula, and a plated serving topped with whipped cream and cranberries. Text reads “Cranberry Poke Cake.”.

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How to Make Cranberry Poke Cake

This easy poke cake recipe starts with a boxed cake mix, so there’s no need to make a cake from scratch. The cranberry Jello soaks into the cake, while the whipped cranberry topping adds a creamy finish.

Prepare the white cake mixes with the eggs, oil, milk, and cold water. Pour into a greased deep 9×13-inch baking dish and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes. While it’s still warm, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes evenly across the top.
Dissolve the cranberry gelatin in boiling water, then slowly pour it over the cake, making sure to fill the holes.
Mix the cranberry sauce with Cool Whip until combined, then spread evenly over the cake.
Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before slicing. Garnish with sugared cranberries or fresh cranberries for a festive finishing touch.

Four-step collage for cranberry poke cake: 1) Flour in a mixing bowl with eggs nearby. 2) Oil being poured into the bowl. 3) Milk added into the mixture. 4) Water joins other wet ingredients—perfect prep for a delicious cake batter.

A four-step collage shows: 1) cranberry poke cake batter with eggs being mixed, 2) batter poured into a rectangular pan, 3) baked cake poked with holes, 4) finished cranberry poke cake in the pan with holes across the surface.

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Tips for the Best Cranberry Poke Cake

Use a deep baking dish. This recipe uses two boxes of cake mix, so make sure your 9×13-inch pan is deep enough to hold the batter without overflowing.
Space the holes evenly. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make holes across the cake so every slice gets plenty of cranberry flavor.
Give it time to chill. Refrigerating the cake for at least 2 hours helps the gelatin set and makes the cake easier to slice.
Make it ahead. This is a great Christmas dessert to prepare the day before a holiday party.
Add festive garnishes. Top with sugared cranberries, whipped cream, or a little fresh mint just before serving.

How far in advance should you make a poke cake?

You can make cranberry poke cake 1–2 days ahead of time. In fact, letting it sit overnight in the refrigerator gives the cranberry flavor time to soak into the cake. Keep it covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.

What is the best cake mix for poke cake?

White cake mix is a great choice for cranberry poke cake because its mild flavor lets the cranberry filling stand out. Yellow cake mix also works well and gives the dessert a slightly richer flavor.

Do you poke holes in a cake when it’s hot or cold?

For this cranberry poke cake recipe, let the cake cool for about 20 minutes before poking the holes. The cake should still be warm, but not piping hot. This helps the cranberry Jello soak into the cake without making it fall apart.

What can you fill a poke cake with?

Poke cakes can be filled with Jello, pudding, sweetened condensed milk, fruit sauces, or caramel. This recipe uses cranberry Jello for a sweet and tart flavor that’s especially good for Christmas. The cranberry whipped topping adds even more flavor.

A square slice of cranberry poke cake with red swirls and pink frosting sits on a white plate, topped with whipped cream and cranberries. A fork holds a bite of cake. Decorative greenery and cranberries are in the background.

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A slice of poke cake with red and white swirls, topped with pink whipped cream, two cranberries, and a swirl of white cream, served on a white plate with a piece cut out.

More Holiday Desserts to Try

Looking for more easy desserts to make for the holidays? Here are a few festive recipes to add to your Christmas baking list!

Christmas Dessert Recipes include plenty of sweet treats for your holiday dessert table.
Cranberry Layer Cake is another delicious way to enjoy the sweet and tart flavor of cranberries.
Cranberry Recipes include more ways to use this seasonal favorite beyond traditional cranberry sauce.

A slice of poke cake with red swirls, topped with pink whipped frosting, a dollop of whipped cream, and whole cranberries, sits on a white plate with a forkful removed; fresh cranberries and greenery surround the plate.

A close-up of a slice of Christmas poke cake with red gelatin swirls and pink whipped topping, lifted on a spatula above a pan of the same cake, against a white tiled background. Perfect inspiration for Christmas poke cake recipes.

This easy Cranberry Poke Cake is made with fluffy white cake soaked in cranberry Jello and topped with a creamy cranberry whipped topping. It's a sweet and tart, festive Christmas dessert that's easy to make ahead for holiday parties and family gatherings.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cake, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Christmas Cranberry Poke Cake, cranberry poke cake, Cranberry Poke Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 5

Servings:

Author: momma lew

Ingredients

2 White Cake Mixes 15.25 ounces each
6 Large Eggs
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Cold Water + 1 Cup Boiling Water
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 Box Cranberry Jello 3 ounces
1 Can of Cranberry Sauce whole berry, 15 ounces
1 Tub Cool Whip 8 ounces

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a deep 9×13 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the two cake mixes, eggs, oil, milk, and 1 cup of cold water.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until no lumps appear.
The cake batter will seem thin, but this is what you want.
Pour into your prepared baking dish and bake cake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
Add the jello and boiling water to a medium mixing bowl and stir until the jello is dissolved.
Place the jello in a pourable container (I use a glass measuring cup).
Use the end of a wooden spoon or a similar tool to poke holes in the baked cake while it's still warm.
Poking the holes allows the cranberry syrup to penetrate and infuse the cake with flavor.
Slowly pour the jello over the top of the cake, first covering the holes and then any surface of the cake left after that.
Mix together cranberry sauce & cool whip.
Frost the top of the cake and place in the refridgerator.

Notes

Keep the cake covered in the fridge. It stays fresh for 3–5 days in an airtight container.

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Cranberry Poke Cake