Turn a boxed cake mix into this easy to make Halloween jello poke cake recipe. That is topped with orange colored cool whip and Halloween sprinkles. This moist jello poke cake makes a great Halloween treat.
How can you go wrong with a freshly baked cake that has holes filled with sweet jello? Then topped with cool whip and sprinkles, it's every kid's dream treat even the big kids.
There is nothing scary about this Halloween poke cake recipe. It's easy to make using a few simple ingredients that you might even have on hand. A white boxed cake is baked and then poked with holes that are filled with orange jello.
Cool whip is colored orange to make it a fun Halloween treat for all ages. Don't forget the Halloween inspired sprinkles of your choice to finish this dessert recipe off.
I found the inspiration for this poke cake from our strawberry jello poke cake recipe. I wanted something fun for dessert this Halloween so why not make it Halloween colors with sprinkles? The orange color from the cool whip and jello that fills the cake really brings a bright fun vibe to this dessert.
How To Make This Recipe
This recipe is easy to make using only a few simple ingredients. Start with a white box cake mix. I make the cake as it calls for on the back of the box except I replace the water with milk. I find that the milk helps to make this poke cake moist.
Once the cake has fully baked and cooled use the handle end of a wooden spoon to make holes in the cake. When making the holes in the cake don't go all the way to the bottom of the cake. Or else the jello will fill the bottom of the cake pan and not the holes in the cake.
Once the water is hot, add in the jello and mix until it is dissolved. In the video I mixed the jello in a bowl, I normally do it in a liquid measuring cup. I find it's easier to fill the holes in the cake with jello this way.
Place the jello filled cake into the refrigerator until the jello sets up. After that top it with orange colored cool whip. I added three drops of food coloring to the cool whip to make this orange color. You can add more food coloring for a deeper orange if you like. Don't forget to sprinkle those Halloween sprinkles on top of the cool whip.
Variations and Tips
There aren't a lot of variations for this Halloween poke cake recipe. You could change the orange jello to lime jello. And the orange food coloring to green. The milk can be changed out for water for those that may be allergic. Sprinkles are not a must-have for this dessert so they could be easily left off.
One of the best tips for this recipe is not to poke the holes all the way to the bottom of the cake. The jello will fill the cake pan bottom and not the holes that were poked into the cake. I did end up poking one of the holes too deep so there was a little bit of jello on the bottom of the cake.
It's also best to make sure the cake is cooled completely before poking the holes into it.
Place the jello poke cake into the refrigerator to allow the jello to fully set up before topping it. I leave mine in the refrigerator for about an hour before adding the cool whip topping and sprinkles.
Questions Answered
Because this cake recipe is topped with cool whip and also has jello in it. It is best that it is kept refrigerated, it should last up to 5 days stored in the refrigerator.
My preferred way to thaw cool whip is to take it out of the freezer a day or two before needing to use it. Then I place it in the refrigerator.
This Halloween poke cake recipe is sure to be a hit this Halloween season. ~ Jen
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Halloween Poke Cake
Halloween poke cake is made with a boxed cake mix that is poked with holes and then filled with orange jello. Topped with orange colored cool whip and Halloween sprinkles.
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 15 Ounce White Cake Mix
- 3 Large Eggs
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Milk
For The Jello Layer
- 3 Ounces Orange Jello
- 1 Cup Boiling Water
For The Topping Layer
- 8 Ounces Cool Whip thawed
- 3 Drops Orange Food Coloring
- Halloween Sprinkles
Instructions
For The Cake
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Preheat oven to 350℉, spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl combine the white cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix together until all ingredients are combined.
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Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish, place into oven for 30 minutes. Or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Let cool for 30 minutes, then poke holes into the cake using a wooden spoon.
For The Jello Layer
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In a mixing bowl add the orange jello, pour the boiling water over the jello. Stir until the jello is dissolved.
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Carefully pour the jello over the cake evenly.
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Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until jello sets up.
For The Topping Layer
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Add the thawed cool whip into a mixing bowl. Add drops of orange food coloring mix until all the cool whip is orange.
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Spread the orange cool whip on top of the jello poke cake. Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles and enjoy.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
I did use a glass baking dish for the cake so the baking time my vary depending on the baking pan.
The nutritional value may vary depending on the ingredients used.
Thank you for visiting My Creative Manner. We hope that you enjoy this and many more of our recipes. My Creative Manner is not responsible for the outcome of any of our recipes found on our website. Or that may be linked from or to other websites. The desired outcome of these recipes may not be achieved due to several factors, including ingredients, equipment, errors/typos, or the reader's individual cooking skills.
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