Lime Jell-O Poke Cake

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Fluffy white cake with splashes of lime Jell-O and a delicious creamy frosting make up this super simple and fun Lime Jell-O Poke Cake!

A SIMPLE, CLASSIC POKE CAKE

I have so many poke cakes on this site, I think I have lost count! But they are so good and easy, right? In the spring and summer months, I like to do citrus flavored poke cakes. They are light and fluffy, and because you have to keep them in the refrigerator (because of the frosting), they make such a cool and refreshing dessert after dinner. Plus, it’s so easy to throw together that even novice bakers can impress their friends and family! It’s great for potlucks, parties, and barbecues and simple enough to be a weeknight dessert or birthday cake idea!

A rectangular piece of lime Jell-o poke cake with sprinkles on top.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I use different Jell-o flavors?

Absolutely! As you’ll see, I’ve shared various Jell-o poke cake recipes over the years here and they’re all super simple. You can use this as a base recipe and change up the Jell-O flavors and have yourself a brand new cake! Here are some of my other favorite Jell-O Poke Cake recipes:
– Strawberry Poke Cake
– Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake
– Turtle Poke Cake
– Pina Colada Poke Cake
– Lemon Raspberry Poke Cake

Do I have to use a boxed cake mix?

No, if you have a good homemade white cake mix recipe, feel free to use that instead! If you need a recipe, this homemade white cake is incredible.

Can I use different frosting?

Again, changing the frosting pudding flavor will change the overall cake flavor profile, but it is possible to do if you need to. You can even use canned frosting if you don’t want to make the Cool Whip one that I share below.

Can I use other sprinkles?

Of course! I used green sanding sugar, you can use whatever sprinkles you want, or just leave them off entirely, whatever works for you.

How to store a poke cake?

A poke cake has to be refrigerated because of the frosting. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months.

A slice of Lime Jell-O Poke cake with a fork that and a bite missing.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

white cake mix – changing the cake mix that you use will obviously change the flavor profile but you could try using a yellow or French vanilla cake mix instead.
egg whites – when making a white cake mix, you generally only use the egg whites so that the cake stays white but you can use the whole egg – it will just make the cake slightly more yellow in color.
lime Jell-O – you don’t have to use the Jell-O brand, you can purchase the store brand and it will work fine. You can also have fun and use different flavored Jell-O to change this up (see some ideas above in my FAQ section).
boiling water and cold water – you need this combination of water temperatures to help activate the gelatin.
instant vanilla pudding mix – it’s really important you look for the instant vanilla pudding mix and not the cook and serve pudding or it won’t turn out right.
whipped topping (Cool Whip) – I like to mix whipped topping and instant pudding to create a frosting because it keeps it light but gives it ,ore of a frosting consistency rather than just Cool Whip alone.

White cake mix, oil, water, egg whites, lime Jello, Cool Whip, vanilla pudding mix, milk, and sprinkles.

HOW TO MAKE LIME JELL-O POKE CAKE

Prepare the white cake mix with the ingredients needed to make the cake: egg whites, oil and water per the directions on the back of the box for a 9×13-inch cake. Once it is done baking, place it on the counter and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake about 2 inches apart.

Add the lime jello and boiling water to a large, heatproof bowl and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the cold water to the bowl and whisk to combine.