Poke Cake

Poke cake is a cake which is made with gelatin and the cake bears holes, which is how the cake gets its name. The poke cake recipe comes in different variations as it can incorporate diverse ingredients although in any poke cake recipe, the gelatin is the common ingredient. The poke cake bears flexibility in taste as it can be made with different gelatin flavors and when the cake is cut into slices, it reveals colored stripes. This is a moist and a rich cake, which is best eaten fresh as it can be stored refrigerated only for a day or two. The classic poke cake is also known as Jello-O poke cake or Gelatin poke cake.

 

Poke Cake Recipe: Ingredients Used and Popular Methods of Preparation

The basic poke cake is made of cake mix, gelatin mix, salt, oil or butter, egg and flour. The gelatin and cake mixes along with salt and flour are mixed together and beaten with eggs and oil or butter. In most cases if a flavored gelatin is not used, the fruits which may range from strawberries and oranges to pineapples and bananas or some other fruit, are mashed and mixed with the cake batter. According to the classic poke cake recipe, this batter is then baked and cooled. Using a fork, holes are poked on to the surface of the cake. The cake is then frosted with a suitable fruit flavored icing as topping and served. The icing for the poke cake is generally made by mixing together creamed butter, confectioner’s sugar and mashed fruits. Many pastry chefs prefer adding flavor to the cake with artificial flavors like fruit syrups or fruit flavored sodas instead of using mashed fruit pulp. For enhancing the aroma, often fruit essences or vanilla extracts are used.

 

Serving and Eating Poke Cake

Poke cake is best served cold in wedges with buttercream frosting or a fruity glaze and a fruit garnish like lemon peel, coconut flakes, orange slices, strawberry slices, pineapple wedges etc, depending on the flavor used in the cake.

 

Popular Poke Cake Variations 

Poke cake comes in different variations as it can be made with different fruity flavors and other flavors such as chocolate, vanilla and coconut. Here are some of the best known poke cake recipe variations -

 

  • Chocolate-Peppermint Poke Cake– The key ingredients used in the batter of this cake include rich chocolate fudge with water, eggs, oil, milk, chocolate instant pudding mix and peppermint extract with a frosting made of whipped milk chocolate, peppermint extract and coarsely chopped peppermint candies.

 

  • Lime Poke Cake– In this poke cake recipe, the key ingredients prescribed are white cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream, grated lime peel, lime juice and yellow and green food colors. The frosting is made by whipping together vanilla buttercream and grated lime peel. Often, the icing is made with lemon glaze instead of a buttercream frosting.

 

  • Raspberry Poke Cake– In this poke cake, the batter is made with white cake mix, raspberry flavored gelatin, water, frozen whipped cream and fresh raspberries. 

 

  • Toffee Poke Cake – In this poke cake recipe, the cake batter is prepared by combining chocolate cake mix, oil, milk and eggs while the frosting is made with frozen whipped cream, butterscotch caramel ice cream and candies.

 

Health and Nutrition Facts of Poke Cake

One serving of a classic gelatin poke cake can yield 162 calories, containing around 5 grams of fats, high amounts of sodium, moderate amounts of potassium and carbohydrates and around 0.2 to 8 percent of various vitamins and minerals.