Strawberry cheesecake poke cake is an easy variation of my favorite vanilla sheet cake recipe. It’s a soft, moist cake soaked in creamy filling, topped with fresh strawberry sauce and tangy cream cheese whipped cream.
This fun twist on retro strawberry poke cake is packed with the flavors of a cool and creamy strawberry cheesecake.
Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
I’m always creating and sharing new poke cake recipes (you can find all my poke cake recipes here in one place). I can’t get enough. If the positive reviews and comments are any indication, you guys agree! This is one of the cakes I recommend most for people wanting something manageable but impressive.
This strawberry cheesecake poke cake is a moist vanilla cake drenched in sweetened condensed milk and fresh strawberry filling. Afterward, I frost it with a generous layer of tangy whipped cream cheese frosting to really drive home the cheesecake flavors.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
- Easy recipe. This cheesecake poke cake starts with my easy vanilla cake recipe. You can also make it with a boxed cake mix for extra convenience. Either way, it’s delicious! Poke cakes are also famously make-ahead friendly, and this one is no exception.
- Fresh strawberry flavor. For the topping, I make an easy homemade strawberry sauce. If you’d prefer, you can use a premade fruity topping. But the flavor of homemade is second to none.
- Tangy cream cheese frosting. My whipped cream cheese frosting is rich, creamy, and the perfect topping for this poke cake. It’s similar to whipped cream, only a little sweeter, tangier, and more stabilized (just like a cheesecake!).
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Let’s go over the important ingredients you’ll need for this strawberry cheesecake poke cake. I’ve included some notes here. Scroll to the printable recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe details.
- Oil – Most of my homemade cakes and cupcake recipes use vegetable oil instead of butter. Oil (like canola or similar) keeps the cake crumb moist for longer.
- Full-fat Sour Cream – Also at room temperature. If you don’t have sour cream, plain or Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – To pour over the cake after it’s baked. Make sure to buy sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk, which is unsweetened.
- Strawberries – I fill my cake with a simple homemade strawberry filling (included in the recipe card). You can make the sauce easily with fresh chopped strawberries, reduced on the stovetop with sugar, water, and lemon juice. You can also use frozen berries, but be sure to thaw them first. I thicken my sauce with flour, but you can also use cornstarch.
- Cream Cheese – Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese that comes in bricks, not the spreadable bagel smear that comes in tubs. The cream cheese for the frosting should be cold from the fridge.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Again, make sure it’s full-fat heavy cream for an ultra-creamy, smooth frosting.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
While I usually use fresh strawberries, you can certainly use frozen as well. I recommend buying them already chopped so they cook more quickly in the sauce. Thaw frozen strawberries and drain the excess liquid before you toss them with the sugar and flour.
How to Make a Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
This strawberry cheesecake poke cake comes together easily in three parts: cake, strawberry topping, and cream cheese frosting. You’ll start by baking the vanilla cake, either from scratch or from a box. I’ve included a step-by-step overview of how to make each component below. You’ll find the printable instructions in the recipe card.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Start by creaming the sugar with oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Then, beat in the sour cream until it’s well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with milk until everything is well mixed. Mix only on low speed until the dry ingredients are combined. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl along the way, stirring from bottom to top.
- Bake. Transfer the vanilla cake batter to a 9×13-inch pan. Bake at 350ºF for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Afterward, let the cake cool for 30 minutes before you poke the holes.
Poke and Fill the Cake
When the cake is cooled a bit but still warm, follow these steps to turn it into a poke cake:
- Poke the cake. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Crack open your can of sweetened condensed milk and pour that over the cake so it soaks into all the nooks and crannies.
The Best Way to Poke Holes in a Cake
I’ve found that the best tool for poking a cake is the handle of a wooden spoon. It makes holes that are just the right size. Otherwise, try to use a tool that’s similar in size so that the holes aren’t too big or small. To easily poke holes in the cake:
- Make sure it’s still warm. I usually wait about 30 minutes for the cake to cool enough before I poke it. It should still be a little warm so that the topping can soak in.
- Don’t poke all the way through. Poke holes that go about halfway through the cake. Don’t poke to the bottom, otherwise, the filling will leak out. You want the holes just deep enough to infuse the inside of the cake.
- Clean the utensil. Since this cake is dense and moist, it’s best to wipe down the end of the spoon occasionally as the cake builds up.
- Use another tool. If you don’t have a wooden spoon, another option is to use a fork to make lots of smaller holes in the top of the cake.
- Make the strawberry sauce. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, toss the strawberries with sugar and flour to coat. Add water and lemon juice, and bring the pot to a boil. When the strawberries have softened, mash them into a sauce and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Let the thickened sauce cool for 15 minutes, and then pour it over the cake.
Add the Cream Cheese Frosting
Lastly, you’ll need to let the cake cool completely before you add the whipped cream cheese topping. You can also refrigerate the cake until you’re ready to frost it (I recommend only adding the topping just before serving).
- Prepare the topping. First, beat cold cubed cream cheese until it’s smooth and freem of lumps. Add the heavy cream ¼ cup at a time until the cream cheese is incorporated into the liquid. Then, continue to stream in the remaining cream while beating on medium-high speed so that soft peaks form. Lastly, add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Frost the cake. Spread the cream cheese whipped cream over the cooled poke cake and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Cake shortcut. If you’re short on time or don’t want to bake from scratch, try this recipe using a boxed cake mix instead.
- Prevent lumpy frosting. Beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and free of lumps first, and then slowly add the cream. This allows the cream cheese to reach a liquid consistency before you whip it and avoids any lumps.
- Try another fruit sauce. You can replace the strawberries in the sauce with different berries or another fruit. Try raspberries, blackberries, blueberries (like this blueberry cheesecake poke cake), or even peaches. And if you’re short on time, go ahead and use a store-bought fruit sauce instead.
- Prepare the cake in advance. Poke cakes are one of the best desserts to prepare ahead of time because they just get better as they sit. See below for easy make-ahead tips and storage instructions.
Make Ahead and Storing Leftovers
- Make it ahead. You can bake, poke, and fill this strawberry cheesecake poke cake up to 2 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. I recommend adding the whipped cream cheese topping only when you’re ready to serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers. This poke cake lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store leftovers wrapped or covered airtight.
- Freeze. I don’t recommend freezing the frosted poke cake. Instead, bake the cake, add the filling, allow it to cool, and then wrap the poke cake tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw the cake at room temperature and then add the whipped topping.
More Strawberry Dessert Recipes
Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 15 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
This irresistible strawberry cheesecake poke cake is a soft, moist vanilla sheet cake soaked in creamy strawberry filling and smothered with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (380g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup(120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3 teaspoons (11.2 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) milk (any type), at room temperature
- 1– 14-ounce can Sweetened condensed milk
For the Strawberry Sauce
- 1 lb Strawberries (16 oz), rinsed
- ¼ cup (48g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour (or cornstrach)
- ¼ cup (59ml) water
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
For the topping
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat cream cheese, cold
- 1 3/4 cups (413ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (130g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half the dry ingredients and half the milk, and beat on low speed just until the flour starts to incorporate. Repeat until all ingredients are added and combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled a bit but is still warm, take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes all over the top of your cake. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk all over top of the cake and spread gently. Allow the milk to soak into the cake.
For the strawberry sauce:
- Rinse the strawberries and chop them into quarters and again in half.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine strawberries with the flour and sugar, and toss to combine. Add the water and lemon juice; stir well.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture starts to boil and the strawberries are softened. Gently smash strawberries to create a sauce. Once boiling, continue cooking for about 10 minutes to thicken. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour the strawberry sauce over the top of the cake and leave at room temperature or refrigerate until the cake and topping are completely cooled.
For the topping:
- Cut the cream cheese into 1-inch cubes and, using a stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until cream cheese is smooth and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Slowly add in one cup of heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup at a time, and continue beating until the cream cheese resembles a liquid mixture.
- Continue to add the remaining heavy whipping cream and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Finally, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over cooled cake
Notes
- Cake mix. Swap out the homemade cake with a boxed cake mix if desired
Preparation and Storage
- Make it ahead. You can bake, poke, and fill this strawberry cheesecake poke cake up to 2 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. I recommend adding the whipped cream cheese topping only when you’re ready to serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers. This poke cake lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store leftovers wrapped or covered airtight.
- Freeze. I don’t recommend freezing the frosted poke cake. Instead, bake the cake, add the filling, allow it to cool, and then wrap the poke cake tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw the cake at room temperature and then add the whipped topping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 446
- Sugar: 42.9 g
- Sodium: 240.9 mg
- Fat: 20.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 6.4 g
- Cholesterol: 72.2 mg
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Hi silly question but can this cake be baked in the aluminum foil baking pans for easier transport?
Hi Michelle, yes of course! I would try to get more sturdy ones if you can, that are little bit deeper. This cake is a bit heavy.
Recipes look yummy!!!
Made this for Easter. It was the perfect dessert! Everyone loved it. Super moist! Great for spring. And the icing…Yum! I could eat just a bowl of that alone. And the cake and icing together is even better! I will be keeping this recipe. Thanks!!
Hi Meg! That’s awesome, thank you so much!
HI! I would like to make a lighter version of this cake. Is it possible if I don’t put sugar in the fruits and If I use Dream whip instead of heavy cream???
Thank you for helping me!
Hi Madeleine, You can reduce the sugar with the fruit but I’ve never reduced fruit without some sugar. I am not familiar with Dream Whip, but if you want to lighten up the frosting you could either make a traditional whipped cream, leaving out the cream cheese all together or buy some prepared whipped topping from the freezer section at the grocery store.
Tried this for the first time today. The recipe went together really well and looked delicious but both my husband and I found it far too sweet. It might be my mistake in converting cups to grams or just personal taste, but I will definitely try again and adjust the sugar next time.
Hi Fiona, Sounds great! If you are looking for something a little less sweet, you might want to try just a regular whipped cream instead of the cream cheese whipped cream. Or maybe try some pudding filling instead of the sweetened condensed milk. Enjoy!
I LOVE this cake. I stumbled upon this last summer when my husband was wanting a desert. I follow your recipe exactly but instead use a lemon cake. It makes a yummy strawberry lemon cake that is to die for. Thank you so much for putting this recipe out there!
Can you substitute whole or regular milk for heavy cream? This sounds amazing, but I don’t know if I can bring myself to make something with a whole pint of heavy cream AND two cups of powdered sugar on top of the super super sugary sweetened condensed milk and cake! AH! But it sounds like heaven.
Could you make this cake the night before (including the frosting) as long as you keep it refrigerated?
Hi Deena, absolutely that won’t be a problem!
Probably a stupid question but the recipe says 1 pint heavy “whipped” cream. Is that the same as the heavy whipping cream in the milk section of the store?
Hi Patricia, yes, it’s heaving whipping cream 🙂
Can I use frozen strawberries? How do I substitute?
Hi Tina, it depends if your frozen strawberries are packaged with simple syrup or not. I would suggest to use a can of Strawberry Pie Filling (such as Lucky Leaf) instead. It might be a little easier for you.
I made this yesterday for my sister-in-law’s birthday, and it was delicious! Everyone was moaning and groaning while they ate it 🙂 I was a little nervous about the condensed milk making the cake mushy, but holy moly. The cake was soooooo perfectly moist. I love that the strawberry topping is still tart, so it balances the flavors beautifully. The cream cheese whipped frosting…I didn’t know anything like that was even possible. It was also perfect for balancing all the flavors, since the cream cheese is a little tart and the frosting doesn’t have too much powdered sugar in it. It was decadent while still light. I think this might be my favorite cake. Thank you!
Chrissy, thank you so much for the feedback! I am so glad you liked it!
I made the cake yesterday. It was very dry and the icing was a total flop. I had to throw it away and use cool whip.
Hi Theresa, I am sorry you did not enjoy it. But I am confused by your comment that it was dry. There is a whole can of sweetened condensed milk poured over the finished cake. So it is more of a “wet’ cake. In regards to the icing, it’s very soft, it’s not supposed to be of a frosting consistency. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
This has become my most requested dessert to bring to events. I was curious though — have you ever tried to substitute cherries for the strawberry part? I’m curious as to how it would turn out. Thanks.
Hi Holly, no I have not but I will definitely be trying it now!
I made this for my husband and his first remark was “I want this for my birthday” Needless to say he and all of my co-workers loved it. I did too! The frosting is amazing! Thanks for sharing this with us all.
Hi Kelsey, that is SO awesome!! Thanks for sharing!
Let me just say, Made this tonight with a lemon cake instead of a white cake… OH. MY. GOODNESS!
Amanda, This is SUCH a great idea!! I love it!
I just commented on this again LOL then was reading the comments and saw I commented last year! LOL
Well at least I know you really love it!! Thank you Amanda!
Going to try lemon cake?thanks?
Step 10 states to add the remaining confectioners sugar – when is it added first??? Thanks!
Hi Rita, this is a typo. For the whipped cream topping, the powdered sugar is added all at the same time.
I made this cake for my granddaughters graduation. I used a strawberry cake mix and made a strawberry
champagne cake. I also used fresh hood strawberries. I made the cake with condensed milk one day and finished the topping the next day. This was the most delicious cake I’ve ever made and I bake a lot. The only problem was transporting it on a day that was over 100 degrees. Out of this world and well worth the effort!
This looks relish! Do you whip the heavy cream or just use it as is?
Hi Judy, it is added with the cream cheese and then whipped until soft peaks form.
Hi this looks great and have everything to make it right now! I am just substituting frozen for the fresh strawberries. I have made tons of jello and fruit poke cake but not with condensed milk. I’m thinking about mixing the cool strawberry sauce with the sc milk then pouring over cake, have you of anyone tried that, if so was it ok? Thanks for all the great recipes loved them all!
Hi Michelle, I have not done that but it should like a wonderful idea!! It should work out okay. However, you might end up with extra liquid from the frozen strawberries. So you might want to reduce the sweetened milk by 2 to 3 tablespoons. I don’t think it would end up effecting the cake too much either way.
Hi. When do we remove the cake from the pan? Also, can I use the canned strawberry filling instead of fresh strawberries? Thanks