How to make the best orange Jello poke cake with the most refreshing citrus Cool Whip topping. Easy dessert recipe everyone will want!
My mom was the queen of Jello cake when I was growing up, so it stands to reason that it's still one of my absolute favorite desserts to this day. And not just because it's so easy to make, but it's always such a refreshing dessert.
Orange Jello cake is no different. Made with a vanilla cake mix and an orange-infused whipped topping, it is so deliciously refreshing. It makes the perfect potluck dessert.
Now you can make a homemade vanilla cake for this recipe; however, I recommend just keeping it easy with a cake mix. Not to mention, most cake mixes bake up a very light and fluffy cake, which is really what you want for orange poke cake.
Garnish your finished cake with mandarin oranges, and you've got a really pretty dessert everyone will love.
Another one of my favorites is strawberry Jello poke cake, made with strawberry Jello instead of orange.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?
If you’d rather skip all of my poke cake making tips, important info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the orange Jello cake recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.
WHAT IS A POKE CAKE?
Jello cake is cake soaked with liquid Jello, whatever flavor you want, and chilled. That means you can make this exact recipe with whatever flavor Jello you want; it doesn't have to be orange.
In order to get the liquid Jello into the cake, you poke holes in the top of the cake first, then pour the Jello over the already baked, still warm cake and let it all soak in.
Sometimes when you're making a poke cake, you may fill the holes with other things like puréed fruit, pudding, or even sweetened condensed milk. It really just depends on the recipe.
I usually use a fork to poke holes for liquid gelatin, but you may need to use the handle of a wooden spoon for thicker liquids.
Want to learn how to make Jello? <<— I'll walk you thru the quick and easy process!
LET'S TALK INGREDIENTS:
Vanilla Cake Mix: Again, you can make a homemade cake, but cake mix makes it so much easier. We'll talk about how to make this gluten-free below, but I actually love making this with gluten-free cake mix too.
Milk, Butter, and Eggs: These ingredient amounts will depend on the specific cake mix you're using. Some mixes call for water and canola oil instead; and sometimes they call for more eggs. Just follow the instructions on your specific cake mix to actually mix up and bake the cake itself. Any cake mix will do, whether a regular cake mix or gluten-free.
Orange Jello Mix: The fun thing about a Jello cake is you can make any flavor you want, whether it's orange, lime, lemon, or strawberry. Even blue raspberry!
Orange Juice: I add a little bit of orange juice to my frosting, and I like to use a high pulp juice. This is just a personal choice; you can use any type of orange juice you prefer.
Whipped Cream: While I use Cool Whip to make it easy, you can also make a homemade whipped cream, use Dream Whip, etc.
KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer with Large Mixing Bowl
Cake Tester – Or you can use a toothpick to tell when your cake is done.
HOW TO MAKE ORANGE JELLO POKE CAKE
Before you get started, be sure to gather all of your ingredients so you're ready for each step in the recipe.
LET'S START WITH THE CAKE ITSELF…
- Mix together the cake mix, milk, butter, and eggs according to the package directions for the cake mix you're using.
- Bake the cake according to the package directions, and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, while your cake is cooling, mix the Jello mix with boiling water, mixing 'til the Jello powder is fully dissolved.
- Then stir the cold water into the Jello mixture.
- Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a fork. Don't poke too many holes, or your cake will be completely orange, and we're going for orange stripes in the cake instead.
- Slowly pour the Jello mixture over the entire cake, and allow the cake to finish cooling.
NOW FOR THE CITRUS FROSTING…
- Whisk together the pudding mix, milk, and orange juice 'til the pudding thickens.
- Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture with a spatula. (By fold, I mean gently mix by hand.)
- Spread the frosting onto your completely cooled cake, and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Garnish each slice with mandarin oranges before serving.
And that's it. You've got the orange creamsicle poke cake of your dreams. Yum!
FAQ:
I can remember coming in from school and my mom yelling, “Don't slam the door; I have a cake in the oven!” There are several reasons a cake will fall in the middle. The most common cause for a cake sinking in the middle is it is under-baked in the middle, so make sure it's fully baked before removing it from the oven. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature, and don't over-mix. Over-mixing can cause a cake to sink in the middle. And finally, try your hardest not to open the oven door while baking because this allows cool air to hit your cake and can cause the cake to fall.
I make gluten-free Jello cake anytime I make it, and to do so, I use a gluten-free cake mix. As for Jello and Jello pudding mix, Kraft Foods will not guarantee that Jello is fully gluten-free. While they do list any allergens on the ingredient label, they say they “sometimes purchase flavoring, color or spice ingredients from suppliers who do not list every possible source of gluten beyond what is required by law.” When in doubt, don't do it. Look for an alternative gluten-free gelatin mix or gluten-free pudding mix instead. And as always, check all your ingredient labels to make sure all your ingredients are truly gluten-free.
Again, check ingredient labels. You'll need to find a dairy-free cake mix and dairy-free whipped cream (or choose a dairy-free canned icing instead).
Yes, you should; and it should keep for at least 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
You can freeze poke cake, but you really want to freeze it before adding the whipped cream topping. Once you've poured the liquid Jello over the cake, that's when you need to make sure it's covered well or sealed in an airtight container before placing it in the freezer.
MORE POKE CAKE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
- Lemon Pudding Cake
- Red, white, and blue poke cake – Perfect for the 4th of July
GET THE PRINTABLE RECIPE
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Orange Jello Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla cake mix usually 15.25 ounces*
- 1 cup whole milk*
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened*
- 2 large eggs*
- 3 ounces orange Jello mix
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup cold water
Whipped Frosting:
- 3 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup orange juice*
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
Instructions
- Mix together the cake mix, milk, butter, and eggs according to the package directions for the cake mix you're using.
- Bake the cake according to the package directions, and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, while your cake is cooling, mix the Jello mix with boiling water, mixing 'til the Jello powder is fully dissolved.
- Then stir the cold water into the Jello mixture.
- Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a fork. Don't poke too many holes, or your cake will be completely orange, and we're going for orange stripes in the cake instead.
- Slowly pour the Jello mixture over the entire cake, and allow the cake to finish cooling.
- Once your cake has cooled, whisk together the pudding mix, milk, and orange juice 'til the pudding thickens.
- Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture with a spatula. (By fold, I mean gently mix by hand.)
- Spread the frosting onto your completely cooled cake, and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Garnish each slice with mandarin oranges before serving.
