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Perfect for picnics, potlucks, and BBQs, this Strawberry Poke Cake features a creamy cheesecake topping and fresh strawberries and blueberries for a deliciously patriotic treat!
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: This flag cake has a sweet, fruity flavor from strawberry Jell-O, balanced by a rich and creamy cream cheese topping.
- Skill Level: A boxed cake mix and a 3-ingredient topping make this cake beginner-friendly! The only hard part will be not digging in before your celebration.
- Swaps: Replace the Jell-O with your favorite flavor and choose the fruit topping to match the flavor! Peach, anyone?!
- Time-Saving Tip: Beat the heat and freeze cooled poke cakes for summer birthdays. Simply thaw, frost, and add your favorite berry toppers when ready to serve.
Ingredient Tips for Flag Cake
- Cake Mix: This recipe is so versatile! White, yellow, red velvet, and Funfetti flavors can be mixed and matched with any flavor of Jello.
- Jell-O: Besides strawberry, try orange, lemon, lime, blueberry, or cherry…and no need to buy the name brand.
- Frosting: Softened cream cheese, whipped topping (AKA Cool Whip), and a little sugar whip up into a light and creamy icing that nestles each berry into place. No time? Use your favorite can of frosting.
- Berries: Choose berries that are roughly the same size so they look uniform, as ‘stripes’ in the American flag. Rows of raspberries can be used instead of strawberries, or use a combination of both.
- Variations: Try other fun decorations like patriotic sprinkles, gold or silver edible glitter, black or red licorice whips to outline the strips, toasted coconut, or chocolate shavings.
Make-Ahead & Leftover Tips
Make the flag cake ahead up to Step 3. Cover and keep chilled until ready to frost. Add fruit right before serving.
Cover and store the flag cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze leftover cake, remove the berries, cut them into desired portions, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Transfer the cakes to a zippered bag and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Easy Peasy Poke Cakes
Which version of this Flag Cake did you make? Leave us a comment and rating below!
Flag Cake with Cream Cheese Topping
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14.25 ounces white cake mix plus ingredients required on the box
- 1 box strawberry Jell-o 4 serving size
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 pint fresh strawberries more as needed
TOPPING
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces whipped topping or 3 cups stabilized whipped cream
Instructions
- Prepare cake in a 9×13 pan according to package directions. Cool and poke the entire cake with a fork.
- Add 1 cup of boiling water to the jello mixture and stir until all powder is dissolved. Stir in ½ cup cold water. Gently pour over cake and refrigerate 4 hours.
For the Topping
- With a hand mixer, mix softened cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add whipped topping. Spread over cake.
- If making a Canadian flag, cut the strawberries from top to bottom to make a triangular shape. Use the image in this post as a guide to create a maple leaf shape and place strawberries along the sides of the cake to resemble a flag.
- If making an American flag, create a blueberry rectangle in the top left corner of the cake. Cut strawberries in half and place in rows.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Can you make the cake part of this in advance (the night before serving) and then frost and decorate a few hours before serving? I was wondering if the cake would be too soggy at that point? Thanks!!
Yes, you definitely can make the cake ahead. As mentioned in the post, you can make the flag cake ahead up to Step 3. Cover and keep chilled until ready to frost. Add fruit right before serving.
Hello, Miss Holly! I am trying to learn how to cook since my wife no longer is able. I have learned so much from your recipes and made a lot of meals that I wouldn’t have been able to. I made the Flag Cake just like you described it. It turned out wonderful. So delicious, we ate the whole thing! Thank you so much for sharing!
I am so glad you enjoyed this cake Ron and have been enjoying all the recipes! Happy Cooking!
Hi Holly,
As I live in an Assisted Living facility, with nearly all of my kitchen wares either given away or donated, I still really enjoy looking through your recipe emails. I thought you might like to know, from a transplant to Texas, that the “Dr” in Dr Pepper doesn’t have a period following it. I have no idea why or how this tradition started.
Thanks so much for your recipe newsletters. I still have the yen to cook once in a while, but I think I will be enjoyhing someone else doing the cooking for now!
Best wishes,
Lyn
Thank you for sharing Lyn! I am so glad you are enjoying the newsletter :)
What size tub of whipped topping? Most similar recipes ask for the large 16 oz tub but I’m guessing just the regular size is fine when adding in the cream cheese?
Great question. The regular 8oz size, I’ve updated the recipe to include this.
Am I supposed to use regular sugar or confectioners’ sugar?
This one uses regular granulated sugar.
I’ve been making this cake for the past 4 years on 4th of July. My family LOVES it
Your food sounds so good can not wait to try some of your recipes.
Thank you Kathy, I hope you love them!
❤️
Thank you Thressa!
Can’t get enough of these good Foodies. Thanks for the add. Can’t wait to get Daily goodies to try. Thank You
Terri Jacobs
Thanks Terri! I hope you enjoy!
I made this 2 weeks ago for a 4th of July BBQ. Everyone loved it! Next week I’m going to a Birthday party at the same house and they requested I make it again. Thank you for sharing this tasty and easy recipe.
So glad everyone enjoyed it!!
Making this cake for a weekend BBQ, can I Double the recipe for a 13×9 inch pan instead of 9×13 pan
You would use the same recipe. 9×13 has the same volume as 13×9. Enjoy!
Okay, thanks! Here we GO!
Enjoy!!
I can’t eat cool whip. Can I use whopping cream?
I think that should work just fine!
I’m going to try this today! Looks delicious
Enjoy Courtney!
If I bake the cake today and add the jello should I refrigerate it until tomorrow when I add the topping and fruit? Thanks so much
You can even add the topping today and just do the fruit tomorrow. Either way, definitely the jello before refrigerating (and overnight is fine). :)
Could I make this the day before or will it get too soggy?
You can make this the day before
I’ve never added jello to a cake like this, after it sets in the fridge for 4 hours does it have a jelloy texture or is it still a good cake texture.. if that makes sense lol ♀️
It’s a lovely spongy texture. I hope you love it!
Do you use a regular size tub of whipped topping or a large (16 oz, I believe)? Excited to try this recipe!
Thanks!
Regular sized. :)
Can you freeze the cake and frost it once it defrosts? We’re having a 4th of July party and I always like to work ahead.
I haven’t tried freezing this cake with the frosting. I’d suggest that you bake and freeze the cake plain, and add the jello and frosting the day of the party. Let us know how it turns out!
This cake was absolutely delicious! I made it for a picnic this past weekend and it was a big hit…not a piece left! The cheesecake topping was perfect, just the right amount of sweetness and a nice compliment to the fresh fruit. This recipe is a keeper!
I’m so glad you loved this recipe Nikki!