Cranberry Poke Cake for Festive Celebrations!

Name: Cranberry Poke Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 box white cake mix; ingredients needed to make cake: egg whites, oil and water; 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup water; 1 orange, zested; 1 Tablespoon salted butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened; 1 ½ cups powdered sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 ½ cups heavy cream

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Festive Cranberry Poke Cake with sweet and tart cranberry sauce, fluffy cream cheese topping, and bright, fun, holiday flavor in every slice!

A FESTIVE WINTER DESSERT RECIPE

This Cranberry Poke Cake is the perfect holiday dessert to brighten your table. It’s a soft, white cake that is filled with homemade (but simple) cranberry sauce which adds a sweet yet tart pop of flavor, then it gets topped with a fluffy cream cheese whipped topping that’s smooth and sooo tasty. If you haven’t figured it out already, Poke Cakes are my favorite to make! I have one for every flavor and season!

A slice of Cranberry Poke Cake with a bite missing.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What other toppings can I use instead?

If you want to make this dessert a little quicker to make, you can top with Cool Whip or purchase a store-bought cream cheese frosting.

Can I make this dessert ahead of time?

This cake can be made a few days in advance. Make sure to not top the cake with the topping until the cake is cold or the warmth of the cake and cranberry sauce will melt the topping.

What can I use instead of cranberry sauce?

If you want to make this easier, you can use cranberry Jell-O instead of making a homemade cranberry sauce. Add the cranberry Jell-O and boiling water to a large, heatproof bowl and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the cold water to the bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the Jell-O all over the cake, focusing on the holes the most. Place the cake into the fridge for 2 hours. Then continue with the frosting or just top with Cool Whip.

What’s the best way to poke holes in the cake?

I prefer to use the end of a wooden spoon and I can space them out a bit better. You want something that makes large enough holes for that cranberry sauce to get down into.

How do I store leftover Cranberry Poke Cake?

Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I freeze this Cranberry Poke Cake?

Technically you can’t but sometimes it doesn’t always defrost well and maintain the texture.

A slice of Cranberry Poke Cake being held above the baking dish.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

white cake mix– made with package ingredients in a 9×13-inch baking dish. I wanted the cake to be white so I only used egg whites in making the cake mix. Additionally, I think a French Vanilla cake mix would be fine, but obviously, the red from the cranberries will be brighter with the white cake.
fresh cranberries – or frozen cranberries
granulated sugar
orange zest – this can be optional but it really just makes this cranberries sing!
salted butter
vanilla extract
block cream cheese– softened to room temperature. Use these Tips to Soften Cream Cheese if you need them.
powdered sugar
heavy cream – heavy cream is going to give you the absolute best frosting so please try not to substitute with milk. You could maybe do half and alf.
craisins – Craisins are just dried cranberries. This is an optional ingredient that I used for a topping.

White cake mix, cranberries, granulated sugar, water, orange zest, salted butter, vanilla extract, cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and craisins.

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY POKE CAKE

Prepare the cake according to the box directions. While the cake bakes make the cranberry sauce. In a medium sauce pan combine the cranberries, sugar, water, and orange zest. Turn the heat on medium and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil. The cranberries will start to pop and get soft. Once the mixture boils, boil and stir, squishing the cranberries as you do for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Let cool while the cake finishes baking.

Homemade Cranberry sauce being made in a skillet.

Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes before poking holes in the top with a wooden skewer or wooden handle of a spoon. Spread the cranberry mixture over the top of the cake evenly, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

A white cake with holes and a cake with holes that is covered with cranberry sauce.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour in the heavy cream and beat on low until mixed together and gradually increase the speed. Whip until the topping is light and creamy and has stiff peaks.

A homemade cream cheese whipped topping frosting being made in a bowl.

Spread the topping evenly over the top of the cake. Refrigerate up to a day before serving. Top garnished with craisins, or sugared cranberries, if desired.