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Triple Lemon Poke Cake

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Lemon lovers, this Triple Lemon Poke Cake is for you! Soft lemon cake is soaked with lemon Jello, chilled then topped with the most gloriously fluffy lemon frosting. This all lemon dessert could not be more refreshing or delicious!

Triple Lemon Poke Cake piece on white plate

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I can’t stop making poke cakes! This is the 6th and certainly not the last of these easy, make-ahead refrigerator cakes that combines the simplest of ingredients that you probably have in your pantry and fridge and turns them into an irresistible dessert!

Now that spring has sprung, I figured that another citrus dessert would be in order and this Lemon Poke Cake packs a triple punch of lemon flavor!

Ingredients

  • Lemon Cake Mix is the base for the poke cake. Prepare it according to the package directions.
  • Lemon Jell-O soaks into the poke cake to intensify the flavor
  • Instant lemon pudding & milk combine to make the lemon topping
  • Whipped cream adds a light, fluffy texture to the topping
  • Lemon slices & sprinkles for garnish (optional but pretty!)

Step by step

This lemon jello cake is not any different from any of the other poke cakes I’ve shared. They all start with a 9×13 baked cake.

  1. Bake a 9 by 13″ lemon cake according to package instructions.
  2. Use a skewer, chopstick, or end of a wooden spoon to poke holes throughout the cake like below.
rectangle cake with holes poked in it
  1. Prep the Jello with 1 cup of boiling water and half a cup of cold water then pour over the cake, being sure to get it in all those holes so it can soak up the lemony goodness!
  2. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
pouring lemon jello mix over poke cake
  1. It’s time to frost! Mix pudding mix with milk, then fold in whipped cream and stir until blended. Spread the whipped topping over the poke cake. Refrigerate and serve cold. Decorate with nonpareils and lemon slices just before serving.
Triple Lemon Poke Cake in pan

I absolutely love the bright lemon-y yellow cake and pale yellow frosting. This cake is as pretty as it is tasty!

Triple Lemon Poke Cake slice topped with lemon slice

FAQs

Can I use yellow cake mix instead of lemon cake mix?

You certainly can make this poke cake with yellow cake mix but it will reduce the intensity of the lemon flavor. If you’re able to use the lemon cake mix, I highly recommend it!

Can I leave off the topping?

You can leave off the topping completely, top the cake with a lemon glaze, lemon frosting, or even a cream cheese frosting with a little lemon zest added!

Can you make poke cake ahead of time?

Poke cakes are the perfect make-ahead desserts, too. Since the cake needs to be refrigerated after the Jell-O is added, you can make the cake the night before and just add the garnishes right before you are ready to serve it.

How many people can this recipe serve?

While I like to serve big ol’ slices, since this is a 9×13 cake, you can serve anywhere from 10-24 people depending on the size of the slices. That is a lot of happy people 🙂

How deep do you poke the holes?

Poke the holes about halfway through the cake. This allows the jello to soak into the surrounding area without pooling in the hole.

Can I freeze poke cake?

Yes, I recommend freezing before you add the topping. Add the Jello and let it soak for at least an hour in the refrigerator before wrapping with plastic wrap and freezing up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and prepare the topping before serving.

Can I make this in a bundt pan or tube pan?

Yes, follow the directions on the cake mix box to make this in bundt form. If you are able to add the Jello mixture with the cake upside down it is much easier to get the liquid into the cake.

slice of triple lemon poke cake

If you missed them before, here are all of the poke cake flavors here at Shaken Together:

If you try this recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

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Triple Lemon Poke Cake in a pan on table

Triple Lemon Poke Cake


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4.9 from 15 reviews

  • Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x

Description

Lemon lovers, this Triple Lemon Poke Cake is for you! Soft lemon cake is soaked with lemon Jell-o, chilled then topped with the most gloriously fluffy lemon frosting. This all lemon dessert could not be more refreshing or delicious!


Ingredients

Scale
  • One 9x13 lemon cake (baked & cooled)
  • One 3 oz box of lemon Instant Jell-O mix
  • 8 oz. whipped topping (thawed)
  • One small box instant lemon pudding
  • 1 1/2 cups cold milk
  • Lemon slices & sprinkles for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Use the handle of a wooden spoon, skewer, or chopstick to poke holes over the entire surface of the cooled cake.
  2. Prepare Jell-o with 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water. (This is 1/2 cup less water than the directions on the box.)
  3. Pour Jell-o over the cake – making sure to get some in every hole and over the surface of the cake.
  4. Refrigerate overnight or at least three hours.

Lemon topping

  1. Whisk together milk and lemon pudding mix.
  2. Let sit for about one minute, then fold in whipped topping until incorporated.
  3. Spread topping over cake and refrigerate until serving.
  4. Add sprinkles and lemon slices for garnish just before serving.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 249
  • Sugar: 12.1 g
  • Sodium: 217.2 mg
  • Fat: 6.2 g
  • Trans Fat:
  • Carbohydrates: 45.6 g
  • Protein: 3.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 3.7 mg

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54 Comments

  1. Hi Keri! Gosh this is such a pretty cake & I love how easy it is. I know my family would gobble this up with all that lemony deliciousness. Thanks so much for sharing this fun poke cake recipe!

  2. I love the way this cake looks so bright! I’ve never made a poke cake and you’ve convinced me that I need to make this one.

  3. Thank you for this refreshing recipe. It is hotter than Hades here in Texas and this cake was the perfect dessert. The only change I made was to add 1/4 cup of lemon juice to the jello mixture because my family loves the added tartness. (I often do this to citrus-type desserts.) My grandchildren went after what was left in the pan with spoons! That is high praise indeed.






  4. Hello Lisa: I really don’t like to use the box of cake that is already done.
    Can you gave me the recipe to make it from scratch ( the lemon cake ) I do prefer to do it myself
    I would appreciate very much,

    Sincerely,
    Libni Winsett

  5. This looks so refreshing!! I must try! I’ve been making poke cakes got quite a while, but never this combination!! Thanks for sharing!!

  6. I have been making lemon poke cake for years but I use a can of frozen lemonade instead of the water. I put it in a glass measuring cup and heat it in the microwave then disolve the jello.

    1. I discovered after the fact that I bought regular pudding mix not instant. Is that why the topping was thin? It sure didn’t need to be spread as it was only slightly thicker than liquid form. Super disappointed as I was going to take it to a picnic today.

      1. I’m so sorry that was not clear, I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that, yes, it does require Instant pudding. I do apologize for that oversight, I know it is disappointing not to have a recipe turn out.

  7. I love anything lemon & poke cake is a plus. I will make this in a bundt pan & poke almost thru, then pour jello over it, refrigerate until set then release cake from pan Do you think this will release from pan cleanly?






  8. I made this substituting Butter for oil and milk for water in cake. After pouring jello over cake and letting cool over night, I spread a can of lemon pie filling over the cake. Spread the pudding/cool whip mixture over that. Am freezing it to transport to Fla. for Vaca. Will have Ice packs on it and it will thaw and stay cold on the trip. Hoping it freezes/thaws well. Do carrot cake that way every year with success. Cross your fingers.

  9. Oh my, that sounds amazing can’t wait to try it! Thanks for posting it I’ve been looking for something like this for a while.

  10. I have all the ingredients for this recipe together. I absolutely love lemon. There’s only me and my husband now, can I put the topping on the cake and freeze the finished product leftovers?

  11. This recipe is light and refreshing. Next time I am going to use someone’s suggestion to use frozen lemonade with the jello because there wasn’t enough lemon flavor as I would have liked.






  12. I’d like to try this cake with cooked lemon pudding so when it sets up it would be like the filling in a pie. What are your thoughts? Thanks

  13. I made this for a party held today. Everyone, and I mean everyone, loved it!
    It was really moist and very easy to make.






  14. I have made this lemon poke cake three times and absolutely love it. And everyone who takes a bite, licks their lips and says Yum. This time I have added some crushed walnuts to the cake batter and made it even better. I also add bottled lemon juice to everything.






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