This easy strawberry poke cake is made with all-natural mixes and fresh berries! The recipe was sponsored by Pillsbury, but the content and opinions are my own.
Do you usually make your own cakes for birthday parties or buy them from a bakery? The fun colors, characters, and decorations available at grocery store bakeries are hard to pass up, but don’t you wonder what they are actually made of? I’m never very proud of serving up plates or artificial colors and who knows what else to the guests at birthday parties no matter how festive the cake looks. It always feels better to serve homemade cake.
Take this pretty pink strawberry cake for example. It’s so moist and full of sweet frosting and strawberry flavor. Would you believe it’s made with cake and frosting mix but has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives? I made it with Pillsbury’s new Purely Simple white cake and buttercream frosting mixes (available at Target) plus fresh strawberries. This icebox cake would be perfect for any birthday party or potluck.
Sadly, I couldn’t eat more than a couple bites of this delicious strawberry cake since it’s made with wheat. (That witch doctor treatment to “cure” my gluten intolerance didn’t really work…) My boys (including my husband) weren’t complaining since that meant more for them! Believe me when I say that I savored the luscious bites of cake that I did have. So flippin’ good! This easy dessert bursting with REAL strawberry flavor is better than any artificially-flavored cake mix you might have tried. Plus, it’s just as easy with just one extra step of pureeing the berries.
Puree a couple dozen fresh or thawed frozen strawberries. Stir half into the cake mix and save the other half for the frosting. Once your cake has baked and cooled, poke holes all over it.
Spread the frosting/strawberry mixture over the top, and spread the rest of the frosting on top. Easy. Natural. Scrumptious!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 box Pillsbury Purely Simple white cake mix
- 2 sticks butter softened (divided)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk (note this amount is different than package instructions)
- 24 strawberries fresh or thawed from frozen
- 1 package Pillsbury Purely Simple buttercream frosting mix
- 1/4 cup water
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray. Blend strawberries in blender or food processor until liquified.
- Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, but reduce the milk to 3/4 cup. Add half of the pureed strawberries when you add the milk.
- Allow cake to cool in pan. With the handle of a thick wooden spoon or spatula, poke 1/2" holes all over the cooled cake.
- Prepare frosting according to package instructions. Whisk together the remaining strawberry puree and half of the prepared frosting until smooth.
- Spread the strawberry frosting over the top of the prepared cake, pressing it into all the holes and allowing it to drizzle over the edges of the cake. Spread the white buttercream frosting over the top of the cake. (The strawberry frosting will be a bit slippery, but just keep spreading until the cake is evenly covered.) Loosely cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Want more cake recipes? Ok, if you insist!
Cherry Limeade Poke Cake
Mocha Poke Cake
Thanks again to Pillsbury for sponsoring this fun recipe.
Laura O| Petite Allergy Treats says
Whaat? I didn’t know there’s a Pillsbury has gone dye-free and preservative free! I love hearing of more natural products to feed families. This cake looks so easy and pretty!
Andi Gleeson says
I know! Isn’t it great?? I need to tweet to them daily asking them to make a gluten-free version. I’m sure they’ll love that ;) Thank you, Laura!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
I need to give these mixes a try because this cake would totally be devoured at my house!
Andi Gleeson says
Yes do try them! They are as good as homemade!
Michelle @ Blackberry Babe says
I’m a cake mix kind of girl, and was so excited to see this new natural option for cake mix! And the poke cake, yum!
Andi Gleeson says
You can’t beat cake mix for an easy recipe, and they are even better now that they are all natural! Thank you, Michelle!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
What a fresh and delicious cake for summer, Andi! So sorry you weren’t able to enjoy more than a couple of bites!
Andi Gleeson says
It was so hard to resist, Melanie! Thank you :)
Justine | Cooking and Beer says
Poke cake is one of my favorites ever. Maybe this is because I’m a totally horrible baker and poke cake is one thing I can handle! Andi, yours likes AMAZING. Love love love the strawberry! Pinned!
Andi Gleeson says
I’m not much of a baker either. That’s why I usually make sheet cakes because they don’t require much layering or frosting skill. Poke cakes are a good way to make something exciting that’s still super easy! Thank you, Justine!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
I’m with you on those bright artificial grocery store cakes! This looks like a much nicer alternative…loving all those strawberries, looks absolutely delicious!
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you so much, Denise!
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
Andi, I am in love with this! I love using fresh puree as it tastes great and lends a beautiful colour to the cake. I love baking and yet somehow I have never made a poke cake…
Andi Gleeson says
You should make one, Kacey! You can use so many different kinds of fillings, and they are so fun and easy to make! Thank you!
Michelle says
Oooo that looks delicious! I love how you changed up a tried and true favorite. Your family is lucky you’re sharing “extra” with them. #client
Andi Gleeson says
Thanks so much, Michelle!
Joanne says
Hi Andi! This cake looks so moist and delicious! I have seen these cake mixes in a few stores, and will probably buy one to try out. Do these cake mixes have the same amount of sugar?
Andi Gleeson says
Thanks, Joanne! They aren’t lower in sugar, but if you’re going to eat a sweet dessert, these seem better since they are real ingredients (not corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc). They are basically the same ingredients you’d use in a made-from-scratch cake but all in one box without measuring :)