Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a guide to the ingredients in this delicious Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake recipe.

Yellow Cake Mix: This is the foundation of our easy cake recipe. It guarantees a consistently soft, fluffy, and delicious crumb every time, taking the guesswork out of baking.

Milk: Milk adds essential moisture and fat to the batter. This results in a richer flavor and a more tender, moist cake texture compared to just using water. In the glaze it helps achieve the perfect drizzling consistency.

Cream Cheese: The cream cheese adds wonderful density, a subtle tang, and extra moisture, giving the bundt cake an almost pound-cake-like quality. In the glaze, cream cheese mixes with butter to perfectly complement the sweetness of the cake.

Eggs: Eggs provide structure to hold the cake together.

Fresh Strawberries: When pureed, these berries create a vibrant, sweet-tart sauce that soaks into the cake, infusing it with authentic, fresh fruit flavor. They are also the perfect finishing touch as a topping.

Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the strawberry puree.

Lemon Juice: A little lemon juice enhances and brightens the natural taste of the strawberries, preventing the puree from being overly sweet and adding a wonderful, zesty note.

Powdered Sugar: This is the base for our smooth, easy cream cheese glaze. It dissolves instantly, ensuring a silky, lump-free texture that’s perfectly sweet.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Butter, vanilla

How to Make Strawberry Poke Bundt Cake

To ensure your Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake turns out perfectly every time, keep these key steps in mind. See the full recipe below for all the details.

1. Pan Prep 

Generously spray your 12-cup fluted tube pan with baking spray that contains flour. Don't just use regular cooking spray or butter and flour; the flour in the spray creates a non-stick barrier that is essential for easy release and prevents your beautiful cake from sticking.

2. Bake and Infuse with Strawberry Puree

While the cake is still warm, poke holes carefully. Go almost to the bottom of the cake and aim for consistent 1/2-inch intervals. Wiping the spoon after each poke prevents cake crumbs from clogging the holes.

3. Chill

The 2-hour refrigeration in the pan is non-negotiable for this recipe's success. It gives the strawberry puree ample time to fully soak into the cake and allows the cake to firm up significantly, making it much less likely to break or stick when you invert it.

4. Glaze and Garnish

The amount of milk needed for the cream cheese glaze can vary slightly. Add it gradually, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired drizzling consistency. You want it thick enough to cling to the cake but thin enough to flow beautifully.

How to Store Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake

To keep your delicious Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake fresh and tasting its best, here's how to store it.

Refrigerator

Due to the fresh strawberries and the cream cheese in both the cake and the glaze, this cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Place the cake in an airtight container. If you don't have a container large enough for the whole bundt cake, you can cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Your Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake will stay fresh and delicious for up to 4 days

For the best flavor and texture, especially if you prefer a softer cake, you can let individual slices come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving.