SWEET RETRO CLASSIC GETS AN UPDATE

Poke cake gets with the times with a made-from-scratch blueberry puree

I adore a soaked cake. Whether it be a flavored simple syrup, a warm coconut milk, unset Jell-O or pudding, caramel or sweetened condensed milk, pouring liquid over your unfrosted cake layers adds moisture, flavor and sometimes color to even the most plain-Jane sheet cakes, layer cakes and cupcakes.

Tres leches cake may be the most famous of the soaked cakes, drenched as it is with three kinds of milk (evaporated, whole and sweetened condensed), but homemade poke cakes deserve a lot more play and I’m here to show you why.

Traditionally, a poke cake calls for a store-bought white cake mix, a tub of Cool-Whip, and a box of Jell-O or pudding (not surprisingly, it was in a 1970s Jell-O advertisement that poke cakes were first introduced to the American consumer).

The cake is baked and then, while still warm, poked with the end of the handle of a wooden spoon. Next, the Jell-O powder is combined with hot water and poured into the holes created by the spoon (once sliced, these “holes” give the cake its signature — and arguably magical — “striped” appearance. The cake chills and is generously topped with Cool Whip before serving.

Full disclosure, I have made a poke cake in just this way, with strawberry Jell-O, no less, and although the warm liquid Jell-O might give some pause, this traditional poke cake is, in fact, quite a pretty and tasty treat.

But here’s the thing: With a simple one-bowl vanilla cake, an easy from-scratch soak and a batch of freshly whipped cream, an equally beautiful and even more delicious homemade poke cake can be yours.

Here are my poke cake assembly 101 tips, which, if followed, ensure success every time.

The best soak: I love soaking my poke cakes with thick, but pour