Light and Fluffy Strawberry Champagne Poke Cake
A soft, airy poke cake infused with strawberry champagne syrup and topped with whipped cream frosting, perfect for celebrations or casual treats.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box white cake mix (about 15.25 oz / 432g) – Betty Crocker recommended
- 1 cup sparkling water (240ml)
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (80ml)
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 150g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup champagne or sparkling wine (120ml) – Brut style
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15ml)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (480ml), cold
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (30g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
- Fresh strawberries, sliced (optional garnish)
- Edible rose petals or mint leaves (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan lightly with butter or nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, sparkling water, vegetable oil, and egg whites. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and slightly fluffy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Start checking at 25 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- While the cake bakes, combine chopped strawberries, sugar, champagne, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly (about 10 minutes). Let it cool to room temperature.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, use a toothpick or skewer to poke holes all over the surface about 1 inch apart.
- Slowly pour the cooled strawberry champagne syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to soak in.
- Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld and syrup absorb fully.
- In a cold mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff peaks form (3-5 minutes).
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake.
- Garnish with fresh strawberry slices and edible rose petals or mint leaves if desired.
- Serve chilled. Cut into squares and enjoy.
Notes
Use sparkling water to keep the cake airy. Cool the syrup before pouring to avoid sogginess. Whip cream until stiff peaks form but avoid overwhipping. Chill cake after syruping for best flavor absorption. For dairy-free, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream and use dairy-free cake mix. For gluten-free, use almond flour cake mix and adjust baking time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 20
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Protein: 3
Keywords: strawberry poke cake, champagne cake, poke cake recipe, light dessert, fluffy cake, easy dessert, party cake, whipped cream frosting