Slice of CHerry Poke Cake covered in cherries.

Tons Of Cherry Flavor

Poke cakes are one of my favorite things to make for potlucks and large gatherings. They can be made ahead of time and left in the refrigerator until ready to serve and they can feed an army. Plus, poke cakes are so moist, there’s no need to worry about them drying out.

With both cherry gelatin and cherry pie filling, this poke cakes has tons of cherry flavor. I mean, it is practically swimming in cherries!

Slice of Poke Cake with cherries on a plate.

Tips For Making Cherry Poke Cake

Let the cream cheese get really soft, or it will be lumpy.
I find 1 can of cherry pie filling is not enough, but 2 full cans is almost too much. One and a half cans seems like the perfect amount but you be the judge. If you don’t use all of the second can, save it and use it to serve over vanilla ice cream.
Use your favorite brand of cake mix. Our favorites are Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker.
You could use a chocolate cake mix to make a Black Forest-style cake.
To make the cake look even more patriotic, use a box of blue jello instead of cherry.
To lighten this recipe up some, use reduced-fat cream cheese, light pie filling, sugar-free gelatin, and fat-free or sugar-free whipped topping.