Although it may not seem like it, Easter is less than a month away. For those of you planning your holiday menus, I applaud you, but I’m sure, like me, many of you haven’t even thought about it yet.
Thanks to my friend and colleague Diane McBride, I’d like to suggest one that would be perfect for dessert – Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake.
McBride and I love swapping recipes and she recently told me about this cake she enjoys on her travels. She said how nice it was and I thought it looked like something my family would want. recently, i found this recipe lying on my desk and i had to give it a try.
If you’re a fan of ice cream novelties, especially pink and white colored cakes with strawberry-flavored centers surrounded by vanilla ice cream dipped in crisp, then you’re going to love this dessert.
My family members were huge fans. My granddaughters love anything pink and strawberry flavored, so they were on board even before we tasted the cake.
It is very easy to create it. You will need to plan ahead as there are some steps and cooling is required. The recipe uses ingredients easily available at the local grocery store.
I served the cake pieces with some sliced strawberries, which imparted a sharp strawberry flavor to the ice cream bar—though, the strawberries weren’t really necessary. This cake can stand on its own.
If you’re looking for something a little different to serve guests for Easter, I encourage you to try Strawberry Crunch Poke Cakes.
Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
- One white box cake, mixed and baked in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan, according to package directions.
- 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12-ounce can of evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 3-ounce package strawberry-flavored gelatin powder, divided
- 1 8-ounce container of frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 25 Vanilla Creme Sandwich Cookies
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Let the baked cake cool completely. In a small saucepan, heat evaporated milk over medium-high heat. Half of package of strawberry-flavored gelatin powder, stirring constantly, until powder is dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and keep it aside to cool. After the milk-gelatin mixture has cooled, add sweetened condensed milk and whole milk. Whisk to incorporate.
Use a bamboo skewer to pierce the cake. (Author’s note: I didn’t have a bamboo skewer, I used a straw. The holes were big but you’re going to cover them anyway. Maybe a paring knife would work here too).
Spoon the strawberry-milk mixture over the cake, making sure to coat the cake evenly and cover all the mixture. Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. It is better to refrigerate longer to allow the strawberry-milk mixture to solidify.
When ready to serve, spread thawed frozen whipped topping evenly over surface of cake.
Place cookies in a zip-top plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the cookies into crumbs. Transfer pieces to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour melted butter over cookie crumbs. Sprinkle with remaining gelatin powder. Toss to combine crumbs and gelatin powder.
Sprinkle cookie crumb mixture evenly over whipped topping. Use the palm of your hand to press the crumbs gently to make the top smooth and flat. Place the cake back in the fridge and chill until ready to serve. Slice the cake and garnish with fresh strawberries on top.