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Cherry Cheesecake Poke Cake is a delicious layered cake made with boxed white cake, cream cheese frosting, cherries, and graham cracker crumbs. This decadent shortcake is baked and then poked with holes all over the top. Cherry gelatin is poured over the top, then it’s spread with the cream cheese frosting and chilled. It’s then topped with cherries and graham cracker crumbs. Talk about an amazing after-dinner or potluck dessert!

Cherry Cheesecake Poke Cake

Poke cake is often made as a patriotic tribute for Fourth of July celebrations. This recipe uses white cake mix but you can substitute yellow cake mix. The frosting is easy to whip together and you can buy a box of cherry Jello to use for the gelatin. This tasty southern dessert is often made with sweetened condensed milk or pudding as well. Any of these substitutions will give you a delicious cherry cheesecake poke cake. 

Prepare the white cake mix according to the box instructions.

Bake in a 9×13 pan.

Allow the cake to cool completely, then use a skewer or straw to poke holes all over the cake.

Combine the cherry gelatin and boiling water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then pour it over the top of the cake.

Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the cheesecake topping.

Beat together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.

Fold in the whipped topping.

Spread the cheesecake mixture over the top of the cake and return the cake to the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.

When ready to serve, spread the cherry pie filling over the top of the cake and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, if desired.

Tips for success

Try these other flavor ideas of poke cake that are especially tasty: 

• Strawberry 
• Chocolate 
• Coconut 
• Boston cream 
• Lemon 
• Banana pudding
• Oreo 
• Pumpkin 
• Peanut butter 
• Caramel 
• Raspberry 

This Pineapple poke cake is especially delicious and is also made using a vanilla cake mix. It is a light vanilla cake, marbled with pineapple pudding and topped with crushed pineapple and vanilla whipped topping.

How to serve 

This delicious layered cake can be served alongside other desserts like Lemon Pudding Pie, No Bake Vanilla Pudding Pie, or Cherry Cheesecake Crescent Rolls. 

It also pairs well with dinner recipes like Dutch Oven Beef Stew, Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Rolls, or Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup.     

How to store cherry cheesecake poke cake 

Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can eat it cold right out of the fridge or you can let it sit on the counter for up to 30 minutes to warm up to room temperature before eating. 

FAQs 

Why is it called poke cake? 

This cake is made in a large rectangular pan and poked all over the top with a toothpick or straw to make little holes that absorb anything that’s poured over the top. 

Do poke cakes get soggy? 

These cakes are covered with gelatin and then topped with frosting and cherries. Because of all the liquid on top of the cake, it is prone to getting soggy. The best way to combat this is to keep it in the refrigerator and eat it within a couple of days. 

What does adding Jello to cake mix do? 

When gelatin is poured over the top of a poke cake and then refrigerated, it soaks into the cake and hardens slightly so that the cake has a swirl of flavored gelatin throughout.