Lemon Poke Cake

How to Make Lemon Jello Cake

Part 1: Make the Poke Cake

Step 1: Prepare the oven and pan. Grease your baking tin of choice, then line it with baking paper, if using. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Beat sugar and butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using electric beaters, combine 1 cup softened butter and 1½ cups white sugar. Beat until light and creamy- this will take a few minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Step 3: Add eggs and vanilla. Adding the eggs one at a time, crack in the eggs while still mixing. Add in the vanilla and mix until fully beaten through.

Step 4: Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the 2⅔ cups of flour, the ⅓ cup cornstarch, ½ teaspoon alt, and 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and whisk it all evenly together. You don't want any clumps, so I highly recommend sifting the ingredients into the bowl.

Step 5: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Using a spatula instead of the mixer, gently mix ⅓ of the dry ingredient mixture into the butter and eggs, as well as half of the milk. Fold until incorporated, then repeat until all ingredients are combined. Mix only until combined - you don't want to over-mix at this point as it will make the gluten develop and lead to a dense, chewy cake.

Step 6: Bake! Pour the batter into your prepared baking tin, smooth it out, and place it in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Step 7: Poke holes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes so it doesn't come apart when poked. Once cooled, poke holes all over, about 1 inch apart, using a chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon.

Step 8: Add jell-o. Mix the lemon jell-o packet with 1 cup of boiling water and stir until dissolved. Very slowly pour the jello over the entire cake, allowing it to seep into all the holes. This creates an easy sort of lemon glaze! If desired, you can add some fresh lemon juice, too.

Part 2: Make the Raspberry Jam

Step 1: Mix ingredients. Place the frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat, stirring now and then until thawed and dissolved.

Step 2: Bring to a simmer and thicken. Bring the mix to a simmer, then let simmer until the raspberries have broken down into a thick liquid and the mixture has thickened.

Step 3: Add cornstarch slurry. Mix together the cold water and cornstarch, and slowly drizzle it into the raspberries while stirring constantly. If you aren't stirring, the cornstarch can harden in clumps. Let simmer another 5 minutes, or until nice and thick.

Step 4 (optional): Strain the jam. If you prefer no seeds, pour the jam through a strainer to remove them. Mix the jam in the strainer and press it down with a spoon to get as much jam as possible.

Step 5: Add to the cake. Add any optional fresh berries to the top of the cake, then spread the raspberry jam over top the entire cake and smooth down with a knife.

Step 6: Cool. Cover the cake tin in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until completely cooled.

Part 3: Ice and Serve!

Step 1: Make whipped cream. Combine the heavy cream and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. On high speed, whip up the cream and sugar until it forms stiff peaks. If desired, you can add vanilla or food coloring.

Step 2: Ice the cake. Spread the whipped cream over the cooled cake and smooth down.

Step 3: Decorate as desired, and serve! Place any additional decoration you'd like on the cake (such as piped-on whipped cream stars or extra fresh berries), then slice, serve, and enjoy!