Lemon Orange JELL-O Poke Cake Recipe

Change up that classic poke cake flavor by making this Lemon Orange JELL-O poke cake! Such a light, refreshing dessert for any time of year!

This recipe was originally published in April 2016. The photos and recipe notes were updated in May 2025.

Aimee’s Recipe Notes

Taste & Texture: Light and spongy, packed with lemon and orange flavor and sweet whipped cream on top.

Budget Friendly: Only 3 ingredients needed, feel free to swap out the flavors to YOUR liking.

Time Saving Tips: Bake the cake the day before and add the gelatin up to 24 hours in advance.

Top Tip: Don’t skip the chilling! This allows the jello cake to set up completely, creating the perfect texture.

The perfect cake for a hot summer day! So refreshing! Thank you!

– Melissa

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Ingredient Notes

• Cake Mix – I chose a store bought lemon cake mix, and any brand will do. Follow the directions on the box and bake in a 9×13 pan. You can also use a homemade lemon cake mix if you prefer.
• Gelatin – I picked an orange gelatin to mix the lemon and orange flavors for this dessert. You can do 1 or 2 gelatins, up to you!
• Boiling Water – We use boiling water to mix with the gelatin and dissolve it. Don’t add cold water!
• Cool Whip – This whipped topping is the perfect way to finish off the cake. Or you could use homemade whipped cream if you prefer.

How to Make Jello Cake

*Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card to get the full details.

Tips and Tricks

• Cake mix: White cakes work best for most Jello flavors. Today’s recipe used lemon cake which was perfect since I wanted a yellow tint to the cake and a citrus flavor.
• You could also swap the flavors and use an orange cake mix and a lemon Jello gelatin for this cake.
• You can use boxed cake mixes or from scratch cakes. Just be sure to bake them in a 9×13 and cool completely.
• Add pie filling or lemon curd to the top of your poke cake for more flavor and texture! This Lemon Poke Cake has a combination of lemon Jello and lemon curd. SO tasty!
• Refrigerate overnight. I like to bake the cake the day before and let it chill all night in the fridge. It tastes amazing cold!
• Wipe your knife after each cut to ensure a beautiful clean slice of cake!

Easy JELL-O Recipes

• Enjoy the fall Apple harvest with this flavorful Apple Pie Poke Cake. It’s the perfect summer to fall transition recipe!
• Enjoy this light, refreshing Coconut Cream Poke Cake after dinner tonight! Perfect to bring to a potluck or BBQ this year!
• This Grasshopper Poke Cake is super easy and over the top delicious. Just a few ingredients and boxed cake mix and you’ll be enjoying this for dessert today!
• A delicious, easy summer cake recipe: Banana Split Poke Cake. Made with a white cake mix, banana pudding, fresh berries, pineapple and all the fixings. This will go fast at dessert, so make sure you get a big slice before it’s gone!
• Love easy jello recipes? My strawberry jello pie is a fun, no bake treat packed with strawberry flavor! Or give my walking dessert recipes a try. So many fun options!

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Lemon Orange JELL-O Cake Recipe

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By: Aimee

Change up that classic poke cake by making this Lemon Orange JELL-O cake! Such a light, refreshing dessert for any time of year!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 box Lemon Cake Mix, prepared with ingredients 18.25 ounce
• ▢ 1 box JELL-O orange gelatin mix 3 ounce
• ▢ 1 cup water boiling
• ▢ 8 ounce Cool Whip thawed

Instructions 

• Bake cake in a 13×9 baking dish, as directed on box. Cool completely.
• Poke holes over cooled cake using a fork.
• In a small bowl, mix gelatin with boiling water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour gelatin over cake slowly, allowing it to fill the holes in the cake. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.
• Top with Cool Whip before serving. ENJOY!

Notes

• White Cakes work best for most Jello flavors. Today's recipe used lemon cake which was perfect since I wanted a yellow tint to the cake. But if you're making colors for a specific holiday, I would choose to use a white cake mix.
• You can use boxed cake mixes or from scratch cakes. Just be sure to bake them in a 13×9 and cool completely.
• Using pudding mix gives this poke cake a whole new flavor profile. For instance, this Coconut Pudding Cake started with a French Vanilla cake mix and is topped with creamy coconut pudding.
• Add pie filling or lemon curd to the top of your poke cake for more flavor and texture! This Lemon Poke Cake has a combination of lemon Jello and lemon curd. SO tasty!
• Wipe your knife after each cut to ensure a beautiful clean slice of cake!
• Can I make Poke Cupcakes? Yes! For cupcakes, bake according to your cake mix package directions for 24 cupcakes. Immediately after baking, poke with a fork all over the top (going about 3/4 way deep). Carefully spoon gelatin over the tops of the cupcakes. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Top with Cool Whip and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 173kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 244mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Lemon Orange JELL-O Poke is an easy summer recipe bursting with citrus flavors!