This Strawberry Poke Cake made from scratch with a white cake, strawberry sauce and cream cheese frosting is a perfect Valentine's Day or any day dessert.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce
1 16-ouncebag frozen strawberriesthawed
½cupgranulated sugar
½cupwater
Cream Cheese Frosting
4ouncescream cheeseroom temperature
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
2cupsconfectioners' sugar
2 - 3tablespoonsmilk
White Cake
2 ½cupssifted cake flour
1tablespoonbaking powder
½teaspoonsalt
⅔cupsbutterroom temperature
1 ½cupssugar
1 ½teaspoonspure vanilla extract
¾cupmilk
4egg whitesroom temperature
red sprinkling sugarif desired
Instructions
Strawberry Sauce
In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar and water.
Heat on medium high until boiling.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
With an immersion blender, puree the strawberries until sauce is smooth.
Allow to cool to just warm before pouring onto the cake.
Cake
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Mix in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low and in alternating batches, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by the milk until all are completely incorporated. Be sure to end with the dry ingredients as well.
In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly and continue beating until very soft peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the cake batter until just blended.
Spread batter evenly in prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until set in the middle, a light golden and with the edges pulling slightly away from the pan. It should also be springy to the touch.
Assembly
Immediately after the cake is removed from the oven, use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes into the cake about 1 - 2 inches apart.
Gently pour the strawberry sauce over the cake and spread so that it is evenly distributed.
Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours until cooled.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract together until smooth.
Add the one cup of the confectioners' sugar and mix well.
Add one tablespoon of milk and beat.
Add remaining sugar followed by one tablespoon of milk and beat until smooth and creamy. If icing is not at the desired spreading consistency, gradually add a bit more milk.
Frost the cake and then decorate with red sprinkle sugar if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram and make sure to follow me on Pinterest for more recipes.