Easy Strawberry Tres Leches Poke Cake (With Strawberry Ice Cream!)
If I’m hosting or bringing a dessert to an event, I make one dessert — and I make it count. For Super Bowl Sunday, this Easy Strawberry Tres Leches Poke Cake is that dessert. Soft, soaked, creamy, fruity, and honestly… dangerous.
Most tres leches cakes use three types of milk. I do too — but one of mine is strawberry ice cream, and that’s the secret that takes this cake into best-ever territory.
This is an easy poke cake, made with a boxed cake mix (yes, proudly), soaked in a strawberry milk mixture, topped with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. Don’t even bother making another dessert — no one will touch it.
Other Note-Worthy Event Desserts:
If you love a dessert that rises to the occasion like this cake, you’ll want to check out my Easy Cannoli Poke Cake, Easy Tiramisu Poke Cake, or even my Super Simple, Incredibly Delicious Cherry Pie Dip. These are all guaranteed crowd-pleasers.
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👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! While French vanilla keeps the cake light and lets the strawberry flavor shine, white cake or yellow cake mixes work great too. Chocolate isn’t recommended—it tends to overpower the strawberry tres leches milk.
Absolutely—this cake is better when made ahead. Preparing it the night before allows the strawberry milk to fully soak into the cake, making it extra moist and flavorful. Add the whipped cream the day of serving for the best texture.
Easy Strawberry Tres Leches Poke Cake (With Strawberry Ice Cream!)
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Blender
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box French vanilla cake mix
- Ingredients listed on the back of the box
- For mine: 1 cup water, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs
Strawberry Tres Leches Milk
- 14 ounces Häagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 6 ounces evaporated milk
Topping
- 1 lb strawberries half sliced half diced for garnish
Homemade Whipped Cream
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Mexican vanilla if you have it — chef’s kiss
Instructions
Bake the Cake
- Preheat your oven according to the cake box directions (mine was 350°F).
- In a large bowl, prepare the cake exactly according to the back of the box. I mix mine vigorously by hand — free arm workout included.
- Pour into a 9×13 baking dish and bake as directed (about 28 minutes for me), until a toothpick comes out clean.
Make the Strawberry Tres Leches Milk
- In a blender (I use my Ninja), add:
- Strawberry ice cream
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Evaporated milk
- Blend just until smooth and combined. Don’t overthink it — this is supposed to be easy.
Poke & Soak
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use a fork to poke holes all over the surface.
- Slowly pour the strawberry milk mixture evenly over the hot cake, letting it seep into all the holes.
- Arrange the sliced strawberries over the top.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight for best results.
- (If you’re short on time, let it soak at least 3–4 hours — but overnight is elite.)
Make the Whipped Cream
- In a cold bowl, add:
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Whip until soft, fluffy peaks form.
- Spread evenly over the chilled cake.
- Top with additional fresh strawberries.
