Strawberry Chocolate Chip Poke Cake: An Easy, Ultra-Moist Strawberry Dessert Everyone Loves 🍓🍫

If you’re looking for a dessert that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort, Strawberry Chocolate Chip Poke Cake is exactly what you need. This cake takes a simple white cake base and transforms it into a moist, flavorful dessert soaked with real strawberry goodness and finished with rich chocolate chips or toppings. It’s soft, sweet, refreshing, and incredibly satisfying.

Poke cakes have earned their popularity for one big reason: they stay moist for days. By poking holes into the cake and filling them with fruit or cream-based mixtures, every bite becomes tender and full of flavor. This strawberry version is inspired by a classic Strawberry Poke Cake, but elevated to appeal to modern dessert lovers who crave both fruit and chocolate.

This dessert fits perfectly into the world of cakes and pastries while remaining easy enough for beginner bakers and busy home cooks.

Why Strawberry Chocolate Chip Poke Cake Is So Popular

There’s a reason this cake consistently earns five-star reviews. It checks all the right boxes:

• Uses a boxed cake mix for reliability
• Packed with real strawberry flavor
• Ultra-moist thanks to the poke method
• Easy to make ahead
• Perfect for feeding a crowd

It’s especially popular for celebrations inspired by homemade birthday cakes, where taste and texture matter more than fancy decorating.

The addition of chocolate chips brings balance and indulgence, making this cake appealing to both fruit-dessert fans and chocolate lovers.

What Is a Poke Cake (and Why It Works So Well)?

A poke cake is exactly what it sounds like. After baking, holes are poked all over the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon. These holes are then filled with a liquid or semi-liquid mixture that seeps deep into the cake.

In a Strawberry Chocolate Chip Poke Cake, the strawberry mixture flows into every hole, ensuring that no slice is dry. As the cake chills, the flavors settle and intensify, making the texture even better the next day.

This forgiving technique is ideal for home bakers and anyone looking for stress-free dessert success.

Ingredients That Make This Cake Special 🍓

This recipe stays very close to the original Strawberry Poke Cake, ensuring consistent results and great flavor.

You’ll need:

• 1 (15.25 ounce) package white cake mix (such as Pillsbury)
• 3 ounces white cake mix extender
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 4 large egg whites
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cups sliced fresh strawberries, pureed
• 1 (10 ounce) jar strawberry preserves
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

The strawberries provide natural sweetness and freshness, while the lemon juice brightens the flavor and prevents the cake from tasting overly sweet.

Chocolate chips can be added on top, mixed into whipped cream, or sprinkled just before serving for a chocolate-strawberry contrast that dessert lovers adore.

Step-by-Step Directions (Easy & Reliable)

This method follows the original Strawberry Poke Cake process closely.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, blend the cake mix, extender, water, egg whites, and oil until just moistened.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 26–32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. While the cake bakes, mix pureed strawberries with strawberry preserves, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon juice. Chill the sauce.
5. Let the cake cool to room temperature (about 25 minutes).
6. Poke holes about 1 inch apart across the cake.
7. Slowly spoon the strawberry mixture over the cake, letting it fill the holes.
8. Refrigerate until fully chilled.

Before serving, top each slice with whipped cream and chocolate chips if desired.

Strawberry Flavor That Really Shines 🍓

The star of this cake is the strawberry filling. Because it’s made with real strawberries and preserves, the flavor is fresh, fruity, and vibrant.

If you love strawberry-forward desserts, you’ll also enjoy inspiration from strawberry cheesecake red velvet cupcakes and the soft, creamy textures found in soft strawberry cheesecake cookies.

For a lighter, layered strawberry dessert idea, strawberry shortcake cheesecake rolls offer another crowd-pleasing option.

Why Add Chocolate Chips? 🍫

Chocolate adds richness and contrast. Even a small amount balances the sweetness of strawberries and makes the cake feel more indulgent.

This is why Strawberry Chocolate Chip Poke Cake appeals to fans of rich chocolate desserts while still remaining light and refreshing.

If you love layered chocolate desserts, chocolate cherry lush shows how chocolate works beautifully in chilled, creamy formats.

Perfect for Birthdays, Potlucks & Parties 🎂

This cake is a go-to for celebrations because it:

• Feeds 12 servings easily
• Travels well
• Can be made ahead
• Slices cleanly when chilled

It’s often chosen as an easier alternative to traditional layered cakes, making it a smart option alongside other homemade birthday cakes.

For playful, fruit-filled dessert ideas, cherry pie bombs offer a fun contrast in bite-sized form.

Make-Ahead & Storage Tips

One of the best things about poke cakes is that they improve with time.

• Refrigerate for at least 2–4 hours before serving
• Store leftovers covered in the fridge
• Best enjoyed within 3–4 days

This make-ahead ease puts it in the same category as desserts from no bake dessert recipes where convenience is key.

Coffee Pairing for Adults ☕🍰

The sweetness of strawberry pairs surprisingly well with coffee or espresso. The bitterness balances the sugar and enhances the chocolate notes.

If you enjoy dessert-and-coffee pairings, browsing espresso dessert recipes is a great way to build a cohesive dessert table for adults.

Final Thoughts

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Poke Cake proves that simple ingredients and smart techniques can create unforgettable desserts. With its moist texture, real strawberry flavor, and optional chocolate indulgence, this cake is perfect for birthdays, gatherings, and everyday treats.

Easy to make, easy to serve, and impossible to resist—this is the kind of dessert people ask for again and again 🍓🍫

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