We Can Thank Jell-O For The Invention Of Poke Cakes

It was the 1970s, an era in which women were entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers. Looking to cash in on the needs of time-strapped families, companies were introducing fast prep food products like Hamburger Helper and Mug-O-Lunch (an instant meal from Betty Crocker). At General Foods Kitchens, they were hard at work on a new way to sell Jell-O since the popularity of gelatin salads had begun to wane. They hit on a simple solution that also meant more sales of General Mills' other products, like Cool Whip and boxed cake mixes.

In 1976, General Mills began advertising its new recipe — the "Jell-O Gelatin Poke Cake" — and included it in recipe booklets. It's a simple yet brilliant idea. After baking your cake, you plunge a chopstick or similarly shaped object into multiple spots on the top of the cake, pour in a colorful Jell-O syrup, and let it set in the fridge. Once chilled, you'd plop Cool Whip on top, and voilà you've got a fancy striped dessert to wow your friends and family with. The poke cake was simple to make, added a burst of flavor and moisture to a boxed cake mix, and still let you get creative.

The folks at General Mills followed up the original version of the poke cake recipe in 1981 with a Jell-O pudding version called the Stripe-It-Rich Cake. The poke cake's popularity faded in the ensuing decades, quickly becoming a forgotten, nostalgic cake of yesteryear. Luckily, in this era of TikTok, it's making a comeback. Today, you'll find recipes that trade Jell-O for inclusions like Dr. Pepper and fresh fruit syrups. Homemade whipped cream can also be used in place of Cool Whip, though this swap would probably sadden General Mills executives. 

Another riff on the poke cake involves adding various kinds of booze instead of Jell-O to help add an adult twist on this dessert. Whether you're aiming for a shortcut version of rum cake or prefer your lemon poke cake laced with limoncello, it's another way to get creative with the classic recipe. But be warned, the raw alcohol won't evaporate off like it does during the baking process, so go easy. Whatever way you decide to play with the poke cake recipe, you have the brilliant minds at General Foods Kitchens to thank for the original idea.