This post and recipe was created for #SummerDessertWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.
Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake is a delicious cake filled with strawberry cheesecake filling and topped with Cool Whip, graham cracker crumbs, and fresh strawberries! It starts with a boxed cake mix so it’s easy and quick!
My last recipe for #SummerDessertWeek, the annual blog event hosted by the most organized person I know, Angie of Big Bear’s Wife.
I love a good poke cake. My Snickers Cake is one of my absolute favorite cakes ever. And the rest of my family loves the Banana Pudding Poke Cake.
Poke cakes usually start with a cake mix which means they’re super easy! And then you poke holes all over them and pour some sort of creamy filling all over the cake so it settles into all the holes.
This Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake starts with a white cake mix and gets filled with a cream cheese and strawberry mixture. And then it’s frosted with Cool Whip (like I said, easy) and topped with graham cracker crumbs and more strawberries!
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) white cake mix – plus all the ingredients listed on the box to bake the cake!
- 2 cups strawberries
- ½ cup Imperial Sugar Granulated Sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
- fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Bake cake according to box instructions. Let cool completely.
- Combine chopped strawberries and sugar in a bowl and stir to coat all the strawberries with sugar. Let sit while the cake bakes and cooks so all the strawberries release their juices.
- Once cake is cooled, use the end of a spatula or other round tool to poke holes all over the cake.
- Using a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add chopped strawberries and all their juices; beat until almost all strawberry chunks are tiny. Beat in milk.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the cooled cake and use a spatula to make sure it gets to all sides and starts seeping into the holes.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Bake at 350F for about 5 minutes or until the graham cracker crumbs start to brown. Let cool completely.
- Spread the Cool Whip over the cake.
- Sprinkle the cooled graham cracker crumbs on top of the cool whip.
- Garnish with strawberries.
Imperial Sugar (Or Dixie Crystals depending on where you live) has been a sponsor of #SummerDessertWeek for as long as I’ve been participating.
They always send us sugar to use in these posts and now I’m so spoiled by how high quality their sugar is that I refuse to buy anything else. I’ve got back ups of their granulated sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar at all times.
How Long Are Poke Cakes Good For?
This Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake will be good is the fridge for about 5 days. Make sure to cover it tightly to keep it as fresh as possible.
Can You Make It Ahead?
This is the perfect cake to make ahead because it needs to sit overnight! You bake the cake and add the filling the night before you serve it. And the frost and garnish the next day!
Can You Freeze It?
You can freeze the baked cake itself if you need to. Once you poke holes and add the strawberry cheesecake filling, I don’t recommend trying to freeze it.
More Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
- Homemade Strawberry Sherbet
- Strawberry Upside Down Ricotta Cake
- Homemade Strawberry Milk
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream
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Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!
You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!
Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!
Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad from Big Bear’s Wife
Copycat Orange Julius from Semi Homemade Recipes
No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake from Eat Move Make
Birthday Crumb Cake from It’s Shanaka
Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake from Fake Ginger
Blueberry Muffin Cake from Blogghetti
Lemon Cheesecake Mousse from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
No Churn Mint Chocolate Ice Cream from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Strawberry Unicorn Puppy Chow from For the Love of Food
Brown Sugar Layer Cake with Peach Filling from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Smore’s Ice Cream Torte from Family Around the Table
Strawberry Basil Cupcakes from Sweet Beginnings
Oreo Ice Cream Cake from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Donut Bread Pudding from Savory Experiments
Flourless Chocolate Cake from Devour Dinner
Rhubarb Crumble from Shockingly Delicious
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake from SugarYums
Raspberry Cream Pie from Cheese Curd In Paradise
Instant Pot Twix Cheesecake from Baking up Memories
Lavender Honey Cake from Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Dip from Sweet ReciPEAs
No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake from Comfortably Domestic
Peach Berry Eton Mess from Cookaholic Wife
Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) white cake mix (plus all ingredients listed on box)
- 2 cups strawberries, roughly chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
- fresh strawberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Bake cake in a 9x13-inch pan according to the instructions on the box. Let cool completely before proceeding.
- Place chopped strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and stir to make sure the strawberries are coated. Let sit at room temperature while cake bakes and cools, giving it a stir every once in awhile. The strawberries will release their juices.
- Once cake is cool, use the handle of a spatula (or other round object) to poke holes all over the cake.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add strawberries and all their juice; beat until most of the strawberry chunks are smooth Beat in milk.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the cake. Use a spatula to make sure the mixture spread to all sides and starts seeping into the holes.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350F. Spray a small baking sheet with oil.
- Stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Spread out onto the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 5 minutes, until it starts to brown. Cool completely.
- When graham cracker crumbs are cool, spread the Cool Whip over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top. Top with fresh strawberries.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 340mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 3g
Welcome to this year’s #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. You’re going to be in for a treat this year because we have 28 blogs/bloggers creating summer themed dessert recipes all week! We’re sharing them with the hashtag #SummerDessertWeek on social media and you’ll find some of the links in this post as well. Plus, we also have some great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsors!
Scroll down to take a look!
PRIZE #1
Prize #1 — Dixie Crystals is giving away 1 (one) 4.2 Quart (4 Liter) Electric Air Fryer
PRIZE #2

Prize #2 — Circulon is giving away a TOTAL BAKEWARE 6-Piece Nonstick Bakeware Set – Two 9-Inch Round Cake Pans, 9-Inch Square Cake Pan, 9-Inch x 5-Inch Loaf Pan, 9-Inch x 13-Inch Rectangular Cake Pan, 10-Inch x 15-Inch Cookie Pan
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older.. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from July 26th until July 31st at 11:59PMEST. Winners will be selected soon afterwards and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 2 (two) prizes and therefore we will have a total of 2 (two) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week long event, #SummerDessertWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals and Circulon. These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #SummerDessertWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.
Cathy says
I’m not always a poke cake fan… but THIS I absolutely love! What a great flavor combo!
Beth says
This poke cake is perfect for our small gathering in Wednesday! So excited to make this with my daughter! Looks beautiful and so yummy!
Catalina says
Mmmmm…. This strawberry poke cake is exactly what I need right now!
Dorothy Reinhold says
I love that you made the strawberry sauce from scratch. The cream cheese is the BEST idea!
Krystle says
So many yummy flavors. Everyone devoured it at my pot luck.