Cherry Poke Cake Recipe - fluffy vanilla cake with dark cherry jello, topped with whipped cream topping and fresh sweet cherries. This is the one summer dessert you have to try!
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coconut). In another mixing bowl or large measuring cup, mix together buttermilk, oil, eggs and coconut extract.
The batter should be smooth and thick.
Place the batter into prepared baking pan.
Bake 28 - 32 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, in a medium mixing bowl, stir together jello powder and boiling water. Stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add cold water and stir.
Poke holes in cake using a fork or a wooden skewer. Pour jello over the cake.
Chill in fridge for 3 hours. (see note)
Spread whipped topping over cooled cake. Chill in fridge for 1 hour.
Slice cake into pieces. Garnish with fresh cherries just before serving.
Notes
If you are baking the cake in a glass pan, do not place in the fridge while it's still hot or it may crack. After pouring jello over cake, let the cake sit on the counter for another 15 to 20 minutes (preferably on a cooling rack). Then chill in fridge.