When summer hits, even my chocolate-loving heart cannot resist a sweet strawberry dessert. While strawberry shortcake and strawberry-rhubarb pie are some of my old-fashioned favorites, I also love trying new, modern mashup recipes like ruby red strawberry pretzel salad poke cake.

This light and refreshing dessert combines the ethereal delight that is strawberry pretzel salad with the flavor-packed surprise of a poke cake. The recipe starts with white cake mix and gets a burst of strawberry bliss in every bite, thanks to strawberry gelatin and strawberry juice, which are poured over the top of the cake and left to soak.

The cake is topped with a luscious frosting made from whipped topping, cream cheese and sugar, and then finished with a generous amount of candied pretzels and additional berries before serving. Like other strawberry desserts, this cake recipe is an ode to summer that you’ll find yourself making on repeat for every picnic, cookout and celebration you attend this season.

Ingredients for Strawberry Pretzel Salad Poke Cake

• White cake mix: Summertime is precious, so we love desserts that utilize shortcut ingredients like boxed white cake mix to keep prep quick and simple.
• Water: Water hydrates the dry ingredients of the cake mix and thins the batter to the proper consistency.
• Eggs: Eggs make the cake rich and tender while also contributing to its structure.
• Canola oil: While we love the richness and flavor of a cake made with butter, this cake opts for canola or vegetable oil, which makes the crumb supremely moist and tender.
• Frozen strawberries: When thawed, frozen strawberries release a precious, flavorful juice. In this frozen strawberry recipe, the juice mixes with the gelatin to pack even more strawberry goodness into this easy cake recipe.
• Strawberry gelatin: Don’t worry, the cake isn’t filled with Jell-O. The gelatin does not set up in quite the same way when poured over a poke cake. Rather, it soaks into the cake to give it a marbled-like appearance and vibrant berry flavor.
• Frozen whipped topping: Thawed Cool Whip keeps the cream cheese frosting super light and creamy.
• Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese is a key ingredient in strawberry pretzel dessert and other versions like strawberry pretzel salad dip. It thickens and stabilizes the dessert while offering richness and tang.
• Sugar: For a little added sweetness, granulated sugar is beaten with the whipped topping and cream cheese. Plus, additional sugar is sprinkled over the pretzels before they are baked to create a sweet, caramelized coating.
• Pretzels: Crushed candied pretzels garnish the cake, offering every bite a wonderful contrast of saltiness and crunch.
• Butter: Melted butter coats the pretzels before they are baked, transforming them into the most delectable cake topping. You might want to make extra—because we couldn’t resist stealing a few before they made it to the top of the cake.

Taste of Home