Berry Summer Poke Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Prepare your favorite plain vanilla cake recipe or use a prepared box and follow its instructions.
• Using the back of a wooden spoon, poke at least 3 rows of 4 holes in the cooked cake, making 12 holes total.
• In a large bowl, mash the strawberries with a potato masher or fork until mashed to a pulp.
• Add the cream cheese and condensed milk, whisking until there are no large lumps.
• Add the mashed blackberries and raspberries; stir just once or twice so the colors remain differentiated.
• Pour the mixture over the cake and let settle into the holes for about 10 minutes. Some of the mixture will still stay on top, which is okay.
• Spread the whipped topping evenly over the cake. Sprinkle graham crackers on top and add sliced strawberries or other fresh berries.
• Chill the cake for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Pierce cake with large fork or skewer at 1/2-inch intervals.
• Add boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water; slowly pour over cake. Refrigerate 3 hours. Meanwhile, toss berries with drink mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Frost cake with COOL WHIP; top with berries.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening; lightly flour.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, and milk, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating until blended and scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir gelatin in boiling water 2 minutes to completely dissolve gelatin. Poke warm cake every inch with tines of meat fork or table knife. Pour strawberry mixture slowly over cake, allowing mixture to fill holes in cake. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour.
• In small bowl, mix frosting and lemon peel. Frost cake. Garnish with berries and mint.

Steps:

• Make the lemon cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides, and lightly coat with nonstick spray.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk lemon zest into sugar in a large bowl until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk until light in color and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in half of the dry ingredients, then whisk in yogurt. Whisk in remaining dry ingredients. Add lemon juice and whisk to combine. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
• Bake cake, rotating pan halfway through, until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool, about 2 hours.
• Make the blueberry filling:
• Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add blueberries, then reduce to a simmer. Smash blueberries with the back of a spoon and continue to simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water in a small bowl; let sit 10 minutes to soften.
• Strain blueberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing blueberries with the back of spoon to release juices. Whisk about 1/3 cup blueberry syrup into gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve, then pour gelatin mixture over remaining blueberry syrup and stir to combine. Chill at least 1 1/2 hours.
• Run a knife around sides of cooled cake to loosen. Using parchment overhang, transfer cake to a baking sheet or cutting board. Starting at 1 end of cake, use a 1/8" dowel or the thin handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes in rows spaced about 3/4" apart, alternating between 2 and 3 holes per row (you should have about 11 rows of holes).
• Transfer chilled blueberry filling to a pastry bag, turkey baster, or squeeze bottle. Carefully squeeze filling into holes.
• Make the lemon glaze:
• Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp. water in a medium bowl. Transfer cake to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Spread glaze over cake with a spatula, covering the holes. Toss blueberries in glaze bowl to coat, then sprinkle blueberries and lemon zest over cake. Chill until filling and glaze are set, about 1 hour.
• Do Ahead
• Lemon cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cake can be baked, filled, and glazed 3 days ahead; chill in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
• Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, pour boiling water on gelatin; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Poke cake every inch with handle of wooden spoon or tines of meat fork halfway into cake. Carefully pour strawberry gelatin evenly over top of cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Spread frosting over top of cake. Drizzle red decorating gel over frosting. Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Garnish each piece of cake with strawberries.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
• Mix cake mix, 1 cup water, eggs, and vegetable oil in a stand mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes more. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool cake at room temperature for 10 minutes. Keep oven on.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl; spread onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake graham cracker crumb mixture for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container.
• Mix strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, sugar, 1/3 cup water, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fruit is soft and easily mashed, 7 to 8 minutes. Mash berries together with a fork and cool for 5 minutes.
• Poke 5 rows of 6 holes in the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon, creating 30 holes. Drizzle 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk over the entire cake. Pour berry mixture over cake and spread using a spatula, ensuring berry mixture goes into the holes. Cover cake and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; mix on high until very smooth, at least 3 minutes. Add the remaining sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and sea salt; mix for 1 minute. Spread cream cheese mixture over the cooled cake. Cover and chill cake, 3 hours to overnight.
• Slice into 12 large pieces and top each with graham cracker crumb mixture.