Cherry Almond Poke Cake
Cherry Almond Poke cake is so easy and delicious! Made with a cake mix, maraschino cherries, cherry juice, cream cheese, and Cool Whip!
AN EASY BUT UNIQUE POKE CAKE
I’ve been churning out these poke cakes for years and there are endless combinations! You’ve got the easy convenience of a cake mix but with a boost of added flavor soaked right in with every bite. The cherry and almond combination in this poke cake is absolutely delicious! I took this cake into work to get everyone’s opinion and lets just say it was all eaten within 30 minutes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
No, regular dairy milk will work just fine.
No, they are there for added texture and flavor. You get that almond flavor from the almond extract so if you aren’t a fan of the crunch from the almonds, just leave them out.
If the cream cheese is still cool, it won’t be smooth when you mix it. There will be little lumps in it.
Yes. I would use one where you can really see that maraschino cherry juice poke through. I think French Vanilla cake mix would be nice as well.
Leftovers can be stored (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This cake can be frozen as long as it is wrapped well to protect against freezer burn. It will freeze for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- white cake mix
- maraschino cherry syrup (the liquid from the maraschino cherry jar)
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- almond extract
- almond milk (or regular milk)
- whipped topping (COOL WHIP)
- maraschino cherries
- sliced almonds
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY ALMOND POKE CAKE:
Bake the cake according the package directions. Allow it to cool completely. Once cooled, poke holes in the cake using a fork or wooden skewer. Just make sure the holes are large enough to allow the cherry juice to soak into.
Pour the maraschino cherry syrup over the holes in the cake. Try to coat the cake as evenly as possible.
Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar.
Stir in the almond extract and milk. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake.
In a bowl, mix together the whipped topping, chopped cherries, and half of the almonds.
Spread whipped topping mixture on top of the cream cheese layer.
Finally, top with remaining sliced almonds.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
WANT MORE POKE CAKE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Originally published: May 2018
Updated and republished: December 2022
Cherry Almond Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box white cake mix,
- ingredients needed to make cake: egg whites, oil and water
- 1 cup maraschino cherry syrup (the liquid from the maraschino cherry jar)
- 16 ounces cream cheese (2 blocks), softened to room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons almond milk (or regular milk)
- 8 ounces (tub) whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed
- ½ cup maraschino cherries, chopped
- ½ cup sliced almonds, divided use
Instructions
- Bake the cake according the package directions. Allow it to cool completely before the next step.
- Once cooled, poke holes in the cake using a fork or wooden skewer. Just make sure the holes are large enough to allow the cherry juice to soak into.
- Pour the maraschino cherry syrup over the holes in the cake. Try to coat the cake as evenly as possible.
- Using an electric or stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Stir in the almond extract and milk.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the cake.
- Mix together the whipped topping, chopped cherries, and half of the silvered almonds. Spread on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Evenly top with remaining sliced almonds and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Is the syrup just the juice from the jar of maraschinos cherries?
I was wondering about the syrup well if it was just the juice from the jar of cherries
Yes it’s the syrup from the maraschino jar. I would call it juice but it’s actually not cherry juice. Its a syrup. 🙂
I just kept scrolling past the picture of the Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake and the recipe was there for printing.
Just made this, WONDERFUL!! Thank you for never letting me down. I have never once made something from you site that my family did not love. Needed something for a pot luck. (Made extra one for the family) This was perfect. Keep up the good work 🙂
Is there an option to print the cherry almond poke cake that I’m not seeing?
Judy, whenever I run into a tricky-to-find PRINT button, I just use the SNIPPING TOOL. (I LOVE the Snipping Tool…it saves so much time). Have fun with it. : )