Looking for a cool and refreshing dessert to serve this summer? Pockets of lemon frosting and a fluffy strawberry mousse adds a fun and delicious flavor to this Lemon Strawberry Poke Cake. The sweet and moist texture makes this poke cake recipe a crowd favorite.
About This Recipe
Do you have a favorite kind of dessert that you make during the summer? For me, it's poke cakes. There is just something about those chilly cakes that I adore.
Every once in a while I challenge myself to create something from the ingredients we have on hand. Since we had a lemon cake mix and a can of strawberry pie filling in our pantry, I decided to make a lemon strawberry cake.
We all loved this lemon poke cake recipe because it is simple to make, can be made ahead of time, and is cool and refreshing to eat on a hot summer day. Plus, poke cakes are so versatile because you can use different flavors of cake, frosting, or fruit.
What is a Poke Cake?
A poke cake is a baked cake that has been poked with a fork or wooden spoon handle while it is warm. The holes are then filled with sweetened condensed milk, instant pudding, or Jello. These liquids cool in the cake and create a dense and moist texture that is irresistible.
Ingredients
This lemon poke cake with strawberries comes together quickly with just 6 ingredients. See the full ingredient list below.
- Lemon Cake Mix - using a box mix makes this cake easy to make in minutes
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - absorbs into the cake to make it dense and delicious like a tres leches cake.
- Lemon Frosting - adds a pocket of lemon flavor to the cake
- Cool Whip - thawed ahead of time in the refrigerator. 3 cups of this Homemade Whipped Cream can be used instead.
- Strawberry Pie Filling - use a fork to break apart the bigger chunks of strawberries. You can also use 1 ½ cups of our homemade Strawberry Pie Filling in place of the canned filling.
- Fresh Strawberries - diced into bite sized pieces for the fruit topping
How to Make
This easy lemon cake with strawberry topping starts with a box cake mix. The layers of toppings make it rich and delicious.
Step One: Bake the Lemon Cake
- Mix together the box cake mix and ingredients from the back of the box and pour into a 9x13 pan.
- Bake for 28 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes.
- Poke holes in the top of the warm lemon cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.
Step Two: Fill the Cake
- Pour an entire can of sweetened condensed milk on top of the warm cake. The milk will soak into the cake creating a creamy and decadent chilly cake.
- Heat a can of lemon frosting in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- Pour the melted lemon frosting over the top of the cake. The frosting will settle into the holes and create creamy little pockets of frosting that just goes so well with all the strawberries.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until completely chilled.
Step Three: Frost Cake
- Mix together a container of Cool Whip and a can of strawberry pie filling.
- Spread the fluffy strawberry mousse frosting over the top of the chilled lemon poke cake.
- Sprinkle fresh diced strawberries all over the top.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
More Poke Cakes
- Strawberry Fudge Cake
- Chocolate Coconut Poke Cake
- Berry Pudding Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Cake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
- S'mores Cake
Other Lemon Recipes
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Lemon Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe
Pockets of lemon frosting and a fluffy strawberry mousse adds a fun and delicious flavor to this Lemon Strawberry Poke Cake. The sweet and moist texture makes this poke cake recipe a crowd favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon cake mix
- 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 - 16 ounce container canned lemon frosting
- 1 - 21 ounce can strawberry pie filling
- 1 - 8 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
- 1 ½ cup diced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Make and bake the lemon cake mix according to the package directions.
- Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the warm cake.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake, letting it soak into the holes.
- Remove the foil liner from the can of frosting. Microwave the frosting for 30 seconds. Stir and pour over the top of the cake. Spread it out with a spatula.
- Let the cake cool for an hour, then refrigerate until completely cooled.
- Pour the pie filling in a bowl and use a fork to smash the berries. Fold the container of Cool Whip into the pie filling.
- Spread on top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle the diced strawberries on top. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 236Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 218mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 3g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post for Lemon Strawberry Poke Cake was first published April 26, 2017. The post was updated and republished July 5, 2021.
Avril
What brand of box cake did you use?
Jocelyn
I used a Pillsbury lemon cake mix for this one. I hope you enjoy it!
Novella
I I just made this cake and have not finished it yet but wondering if I could use some caramelized strawberries on top because I like them a little sweet
Jocelyn
Sure, I think that sounds amazing! I hope you enjoy the cake!
Jess
I wanted to substitute the lemon frosting for lemon pudding. How much pudding would I need?
Jocelyn
You would use 1 box instant pudding and 2 cups of milk. If you click this link, you can see another poke cake I did with pudding. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/white-chocolate-berry-pudding-cake/
Connie
Has anyone tried this with round cake pans and stacked the cake with frosting & strawberries in the middle? Would it be too heavy with the condensed milk and lemon frosting?
Jocelyn
I would not recommend doing this particular cake as a layer cake because of the extra moisture from the milk. If you are wanting it as a layer cake, I would skip the sweetened condensed milk and just do layer of the frosting and berries. I hope that helps and you enjoy the cake.
Melody
I make this cake every year for our 4th of July party. Everybody loves it and asks if I plan to make it again. The only thing I do is add a little lemon juice to the cake mix because I love the contrast in flavors.
Jessica
Made this yesterday for my birthday. Wanted to try something different and that I've had pinned for a while. I used raspberry pie filling that i had on hand. Also the store does not have lemon frosting so i got vanilla frosting and added lemon zest and lemon juice from half of the lemon. It's sitting in the fridge until tonight. Im so excited to try it
Emi
Too bad the ingredients all in a can or box...nothing is fresh or healthy... ..not even real whipped cream.... microwave it also? Common people how lazy one gotta be?
Jocelyn
Too bad you are not giving this recipe a try. It's amazing! I like to bake from scratch and make healthy food, but sometimes I get busy and need a few shortcuts. You can call that lazy, but I call it smart after eating this awesome cake.
Kermit
Too bad you didn't run spell check or check your grammar before posting. Common people aren't lazy, they work for a living and don't always have time to bake from scratch yet want to provide nice meals and treats for their family. You could have easily not selected this recipe based on ingredients and moved on, but no, you had to be a troll. So COME ON and stop being a troll. This recipe is amazing and a time-saver for those of us wanting something quick and delicious.
Thanks for posting it Jocelyn!
Dee
You know you can change it up to make it yours. Do your own “healthy cake and make your own “healthy” whipped cream and lemon frosting. Just because you don’t like her ingredients is no cause for you to criticize. Do it your way or don’t do it at all. Good grief!
Jamie
First time making this cake was last year. And oh my god it was a hit. Now once again I am being requested to make this cake for a friends daughter who is turning 6. Loved it and thank you
Jan
Hi... this recipe sounds amazing and it sounds very simple, I just have one question… Can I just use regular strawberry frosting instead of making the Cool Whip strawberry frosting that you suggest? Thank you, your input would be most valuable. I would like to try this recipe today!:-)
Jocelyn
You sure can. Just know that you will have double the frosting on top of the cake because you melt a can of lemon frosting and pour that in the holes before adding the strawberry Whip frosting. I hope you enjoy the cake!!!
Jan
Thank you so much! I’ll update you on how it turns out!
Jacqueline
So is it ok to let the cake cool for a hour after sweetened condensed milk and lemon frosting has been added, and then apply cool whip & strawberry pie filling mixture? Then when it’s ready to serve add the strawberries.
Jocelyn
Yes, I always let the cake cool completely after adding the condensed milk and lemon frosting. That way it doesn't melt the Cool Whip pie filling mixture. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Jacqueline
Ok awesome. I was just making sure cause the instructions said cool for a hour and refrigerate so I was wondering if I had to cool it longer before adding the mousse. Thanks Jocelyn!!
Sylvia
Thanks!! Will try as you suggested !
Sylvia
What else can be used instead of lemon frosting? We can’t GET THAT HERE in NL .
Jocelyn
Are you able to find any kind of store bought frosting? If so, you could do a vanilla and add a little bit of lemon extract to give it a lemon flavor. Or you can do a homemade lemon frosting in place of the store bought. I hope that helps.
Carolyn Miller
Love this cake just like it is. Thank you.
Jocelyn
I'm so glad to hear that you like it 🙂
Kay Bedfordyahoo
Can hardly wait to go to the store and pick up ingredients and try my hand for Easter, but first must make a trial run.
Jerry Cesaro
Has anyone made this recipe with chocolate cake and chocolate frosting? What are your this conbination?
Jocelyn
I have actually done a version with chocolate cake and chocolate pudding. Here is the link if you are interested in checking it out. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/chocolate-smores-pudding-cake/
Tia
I made this cake today for my family. its sooo good and the kids love it! Very easy to make. Thanks for sharing
Vicky Purnhagen
Could lemon curd be used in place of the condensed milk, or maybe a lemon or vanilla instant pudding mix? Your reply will be greatly appreciated. I hope to make this wonderful recipe asap! Thank you, Vicky P.
Jocelyn
I think using a vanilla pudding mix would work just fine in place of the sweetened condensed milk. Just mix the box mix and milk together and pour over the cake before the pudding sets. I hope you enjoy the cake!
chris
Unused portions should be kept refrigerated correct?
Jocelyn
Yes, you want to refrigerate the cake when it is not being eaten. I hope you enjoy it!!!
Jennifer Buell
Instead of lemon cake can I use vanilla? I made it the first time with everything you said and it was so good but way to lemony for me.. I am thinking about using vanilla cake this time and instead of an entire can of condensed milk only using a half a can.. I am hoping it’s going to be just as good.. thanks for sharing this recipe!
Jocelyn
You can definitely use a vanilla cake instead of the lemon one. That should help cut down on the lemon flavor for you. Keep me posted on how you like it that way.
Jordan
Holy cow!! This cake is delicious. My new favorite treat. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Lynda
Wondering if condensed milk is necessary? (just to cut down on the sugar/sweetness)
Jocelyn
I haven't made it without the condensed milk, but I can tell you the recipe as written is amazing. Yes, it's sweet. It's cake after all 🙂 You could leave it out if you wanted too, but the cake won't be quite as gooey and delicious. I would melt the frosting a little bit more, so it really goes down into the holes and fills them. Keep me posted on how it is if you do it without the condensed milk. I hope you enjoy it.
Gina
Is this cake suppose to be refrigerated?
Jocelyn
Yes, this cake needs to be refrigerated. I hope you enjoy it.
Tami G
This cake is excellent. You will not be disappointed.
Jocelyn
I am so glad you enjoyed this cake 🙂
Katy
Made this last night and it was a hit! My grocery store didn't have any lemon cake mix or lemon frosting, so I made my own with some fresh lemon juice, zest and a little lemon extract. Turned out great!
connie
I'm not crazy about canned strawberries they taste nasty to me is there something else I can use?
Jocelyn
Do you like any other canned pie filling? You can substitute any other flavor in place of the strawberry. Raspberry, blackberry, or blueberry pie filling would be good too.
Tami L Gifford
I made this cake for a church picnic tonight. ..I wound up inable to attend so sent the cake by my daughter...anxious to hear how everyone liked it. It smelled heavenly and looked so inviting.
Tami L Gifford
This was a hit. Rave reviews! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Jocelyn
Yay! I am so glad to hear that 🙂
Jessica
Would it still be as good if I make it 24 hours in advance?
Jocelyn
It would be fine if you made it ahead. But I would add the diced strawberries right before serving, so they don't get too juicy.
Quinn King
Those deserts look so refreshing!
I will be trying them all before summer is over.
Ashley
Best cake recipe I have ever followed. It was a hit for my Mother's Day dinner. So good!!
Jocelyn
Yay! I am so glad to hear that!!!
Char
Your ingredients you use are awesome! Thank you!
Jessica Norman
Just made this! WOW! Amazing!!!!!
Julie
What do you think about subbing lemon pie filling for the lemon frosting?
Jocelyn
I think that would work great too! I hope you enjoy the cake!!!