When it comes to dessert, some people love chocolate and only chocolate, but I will always take the strawberry cake. Pair shortcake or pound cake or vanilla cake or yellow cake with some fresh strawberries and simple whipped cream, and you pretty much have perfection. This Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake takes that irresistible combo and brings it all together in simple 9×13 form: a soft, fluffy cake soaked through with a creamy strawberry cheesecake filling, topped with a cloud of whipped topping and fresh strawberries. What’s not to love? It’s impressive enough to bring to a summer gathering but easy enough that you’ll be making it on a random Tuesday just because you can.

What Ingredients Do You Need for Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake?

Short list, big payoff. You’ll need:

• A box of white cake mix, plus whatever the box calls for. (Sometimes you need a shortcut!)
• Fresh strawberries.
• Granulated sugar.
• Cream cheese.
• Milk.
• And a container of frozen whipped topping, like Cool Whip.

I said it was a short list! (And yes, you can always make your own whipped cream. Here’s a great recipe for Stabilized Whipped Cream.)

What is a poke cake? Great question! It’s exactly what it sounds like — you bake a cake, poke holes all over the top, and pour a filling over it so it soaks down into every bite. The result is an incredibly moist, flavor-packed cake that’s much easier than a layered cake and a little more “extra” than a regular sheet cake.

How Do You Make Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake?

Most of the time on this recipe is hands-off chilling time, which makes it the perfect make-ahead dessert for a party or potluck. The actual work takes just a few minutes, and the refrigerator does the rest.

Here’s how it all comes together:
Bake your cake according to the box directions in a 9×13-inch baking pan and then let it cool. While the cake bakes, toss the chopped strawberries with sugar and let them sit so they can release all their juices. Then mash them up and beat in the cream cheese and milk until you have a smooth, creamy, pink filling that you will definitely want to eat with a spoon.

Once the cake is cool, take the end of a wooden spoon and poke holes all over the top. Work in neat lines or go haphazard with it, up to you! It helps to wait until the cake is cool so you get less crumbs with your pokes. Then, pour the strawberry cheesecake mixture over the cake and use a spatula to work it down into all those holes. Refrigerate for 2 hours so the filling sets up a bit and the cake has time to soak in all that flavor.

When you’re ready to serve, spread the whipped topping over the top and finish with some more fresh strawberries. Every single slice has creamy fresh strawberry flavor running all the way through and that’s the whole magic of a poke cake.