Strawberry Jell-O Poke Cake

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, eggs and oil; beat them on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat the batter for another two minutes.

2. Stage

Pour the batter into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake it until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes.

3. Stage

Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke the cake at 1/2-inch intervals. Editor’s Tip: The end of a wooden spoon gives just the right diameter for a poke cake, whether for liquid gelatin or custardy pudding. The whole idea is to see the stripes, so you want some width to the hole. You can space the holes 1 inch or 1-1/2 inches apart.

4. Stage

Drain the juice from the strawberries into a 2-cup measuring cup and refrigerate the berries. Add water to the juice so that it measures 2 cups and pour it into a small saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, and stir in the gelatin until it's dissolved. Chill it for 30 minutes. Then, gently spoon it over the cake. Editor’s Tip: Spoon over the entire cake, but make sure plenty goes into the holes.

5. Stage

Chill the cake for two to three hours. Editor’s Tip: It’s imperative to allow the cake to chill and set before frosting and serving it. The Jell-O should set, although it won’t be super jiggly like when you serve gelatin alone.

6. Stage

Frost the cake with the whipped topping, then top it with the chilled strawberries. Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least one hour. Refrigerate any leftovers.