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Patriotic Flag Poke Cake

Patriotic Flag Poke Cake - featured image
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This festive poke cake features fluffy white cake streaked with vibrant red and blue pudding, topped with a creamy whipped topping and decorated with fresh berries in a flag design. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert perfect for summer holidays like the Fourth of July.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • Red and blue food coloring gel
  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping (Cool Whip or homemade)
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • Optional: Extra whipped topping for piping stars or mini marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray or butter.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
  3. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes.
  4. When cake is just warm, use the handle of a wooden spoon or thick chopstick to poke holes about 1 inch apart, nearly to the bottom.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes until thickened. Divide pudding into two bowls.
  6. Add red food coloring to one bowl and blue to the other, stirring until vibrant.
  7. Fill half the holes with red pudding and the other half with blue pudding, alternating. Spread any extra pudding over the top.
  8. Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes to let pudding set.
  9. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping until just combined. Spread over chilled cake.
  10. Arrange blueberries in the upper left corner for the ‘stars.’ Lay strawberry slices in stripes across the rest of the cake, alternating with whipped topping stripes.
  11. Optional: Pipe whipped topping stars onto the blueberry section or use mini marshmallows.
  12. Slice into squares and serve chilled. Store leftovers covered in the fridge.

Notes

Let the cake cool before adding pudding to prevent sogginess. Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the pudding. Dry berries before decorating to avoid watery topping. For gluten-free or dairy-free, substitute cake mix and whipped topping as needed. Chill cake before serving for best texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: poke cake, patriotic dessert, Fourth of July, flag cake, summer dessert, easy cake, berries, whipped topping, festive cake

Find it online: https://bitefuljoy.com/patriotic-flag-poke-cake-recipe-easy-festive-dessert-idea/