This Jello Cake recipe is super easy to make and just right for birthdays, potlucks, or BBQs! It is loaded with sweet cherry and tart lime flavor, and the color makes it extra fun.
Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Eighteen years! We started dating when I was in high school, so we’ve actually been a couple for over 20 years. Basically, we’ve been together forever, or at least it feels like it. (I mean that in a good way.) There is only one way to celebrate such an occasion, and that is with cake, this Lime Cherry Jello Cake to be exact.
I was going to call this a poke cake, because that’s what it was intended to be. You see those holes? That’s where I expected the Jello to go. Instead, it’s more of a soak cake because the Jello just went pretty much everywhere. The holes were still good to have though because then the icing could fill them!
Marriage is all about compromise and working together, and this cake really sums that up. In the pie vs. cake debate, I choose cake, and Matt picks pie. His favorite is key lime pie, so I made this cake with a tart lime frosting to make us both happy. The kids are just happy to get dessert, so they’ll take whatever is offered. This one was definitely especially popular though. My oldest has asked me to make it again several times. I think it will be making another appearance at our house very soon.
While this was an anniversary cake for us, it would be perfect for a birthday, potluck, or summer BBQ. It’s a sweet, tart, creamy, and satisfying crowd pleaser!
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Cherry Limeade Jello Cake
This colorful cake made with jello is super easy to make and just right for birthdays, potlucks, or BBQs!
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 1 yellow sheet cake bake according to package directions or recipe
- 3 ounces cherry Jello
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 lime (will need about 2 tablespoons juice)
- 12 ounces white frosting
- 3 drops green food coloring
- 2 drops yellow food coloring
Instructions
- When cake is baked and cooled, use the end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick to poke holes all over the cake about an inch apart.
- Add Jello powder to boiling water, and stir for about two minutes until dissolved completely. Stir in cold water and juice of half the lime (about a tablespoon). Evenly pour liquid Jello mixture all over cake. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Stir together frosting, juice of the other half of lime (about a tablespoon), and food coloring. First, spread a small amount of frosting over the cake, pressing it into all the holes. Evenly spread the remaining frosting over the cake, and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to use homemade cake and a basic buttercream frosting instead if you prefer.
- I used gluten-free cake mix, which makes a 9″ cake. If using a standard cake mix, this recipe will work with a 9 x 13″ cake as well.
- Prep Time: 20
- Passive Time: 240
- Cook Time: 40
Don’t miss these other poke cake recipes!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
It’s so fun how poke cakes came back into fashion. Love the flavors of this one.
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
I love a good poke cake! And seriously? How could you ever go wrong with a cherry limeade one? ;)
eat good 4 life says
Holy smokes. This looks so fun. I need to make something like this over the weekend. I have been craving cake for quite sometime :-)
Megan says
This has always been a favorite cake to me!
Megan Keno says
This sounds so great! I’ve never made a poke cake, but I’ll have to try this, it sounds interesting!
Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says
Jello cakes are the best
Liz says
Thanks Andi. Have a wonderful weekend.
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you so much, Liz! I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
donna mcfarland says
On the Cherry Limeade jello cake after reading recipe I don’t understand what the 2 drops of yellow food coloring is for? Thank you I’m making this cake for tomorrow.
Andi says
Hi, Donna! Adding the yellow just makes the green the shade pictured. You could leave the food coloring out completely if you prefer. It just for decoration and of course doesn’t change the flavor. I hope you love the cake as much as I did. Thank you!
Carla (@charliesue) says
OOOOH, this looks amazing! I love the flavor combo of cherry and lime, plus it’s so pretty!!
Andi says
Thank you so much, Carla! I just ate the last piece of this cake tonight. I’m a little sad, but it’s probably for the best ;)
Laura O| Petite Allergy Treats says
Aww, you guys are just too adorable. 18 years is an amazing amount of years working together as a team in marriage. Congrats!
Andi says
We’re fortunate that we get along so well. Parenting is definitely the biggest challenge, but we’re all hanging in there :) Thank you, Laura!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
This sounds like the perfect cake to celebrate with! Hope you had a wonderful day!
Andi says
Thank you, Nancy. It was a fun day!
Beth says
Poke cake or soak cake, doesn’t matter to me, I just want a piece! Happy Anniversary!
Andi says
Haha, thank you, Beth!
Kristin Bergthold says
Cherry and lime is one of my very favorite combos, and this looks so good!!
Andi says
Thanks so much, Kristin!
tanya says
Happy Anniversary! You really know how to compromise. I too love cake, and my husband loves key lime pie, I may have to borrow this idea for our anniversary.
Andi says
You definitely should! Thank you, Tanya :)
Kelley says
Happy 18 years Andi! Crazy how time flies, huh?? And oh my gosh this cake! Its beautiful!
Andi says
Thanks so much, Kelley!! The time definitely does fly!
Marsha says
Awww, happy anniversary Andi. The recipe looks great. I may make it on Thursday night for our small group bible study!
Andi says
Thank you, Marsha. I think the cake will be a hit! I’ve been taste testing every night since Sunday, so I can say that with confidence ;)
Liz says
Looks so good and Happy Anniversary! It’s not easy and you did a good job, Andi.
Andi says
Thank you so much, Liz! That is sweet :)
Carol at wild goose tea says
Funny you mention pot lucks. As soon as I saw the picture, I thought of pot lucks. I was at one yesterday. The color is perfect for Eat Me Eat Me
pot luck food. Plus a sheet cake does the trick for easy and serving a number of people. Great taste too. It has it all.
Andi says
Ha! I have never thought of a potluck dish needing to say “eat me eat me!” but you are so right! This one would be perfect. Thank you, Carol!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
Aaaw so sweet! Happy Happy Anniversary, Andi! This festive cake is such a great way to celebrate! I love the cherry and lime combo!
Andi says
Thanks so much, Kelly! Cake is always good for any occasion (or no occasion)!