Healthier Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake made with applesauce and pineapple chunks, filled with strawberry condensed milk and strawberry whipped topping.
We love a good cake, even on a diet and this strawberry cake is no exception. We also love our flourless chocolate cake recipe too!
Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake
Strawberry Shortcake Poke CakePoke Cakes have long been off limits to Weight Watchers members. Between the condensed milk, the cake, the toppings and more, a standard slice of poke cake comes in over 15 smart points per serving.
I’ve never been a fan of the “diet coke cake” hacks but I am happy to use cake mix when mixing it with something other than soda. The addition of pineapple chunks (with it’s juices) and applesauce are the perfect complement to the cake mix and they provide a great “fruit punch” hint of flavor to the poke cake.
Since we are using Cool Whip for the topping this cake can be cut and served in a party setting without worrying about homemade whipped cream melting. You also save quite a lot of points because you aren’t using frosting but the Cool Whip is still shelf stable.
You can certainly adjust the flavors as you’d like or add in extra toppings you may love. We love some lime juice and toasted coconut flakes for a tropical flare.
24 servings for the pan may seem extreme, but in a 9×13 pan this is pretty standard for small slice of cake and for 5 points you aren’t breaking the Weight Watchers bank to enjoy a slice!
Some great summery Poke Cake Flavors!
- Strawberry Lemonade Poke Cake: Add in extra lemon juice and zest into the condensed milk, cake mix and topping.
- Coconut Lime Poke Cake: Add lime flavors in place of strawberry and add in coconut flakes in the cake and top with toasted coconut.
- Fruit Punch Poke Cake: Use fruit punch jello flavoring and add in chopped strawberries, grapes and orange zest into the cake mix.
- Mango Poke Cake: Substitute mango powder in place of strawberry and add chunks of mango in the cake as well as on top of the cake.
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce box yellow cake mix
- 1 ⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 10 ounce can crushed pineapple do not drain
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon sugar free Strawberry Jello powder divided
- 7 ounces fat-free condensed milk
- 8 ounces fat-free Cool Whip
- 6 strawberries cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, mix yellow cake mix with eggs, pineapple and applesauce.
- Pour into a 9x13 pan with baking spray.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Poke the cake with a fork or end of a wooden spoon.
- Mix one teaspoon of the jello powder into the condensed milk.
- Pour the condensed milk over the cake.
- Mix the remaining jello powder into the cool whip.
- Spread over the cake, garnish with strawberries and additional whipped cream if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/24th cake | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 162mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 26.4g
This looks incredible! Amazing that it’s only 5 smart points!
I love strawberry shortcake!
Oh wow, this cake looks and sounds aahhmaazing!!! LOVE it!!
Thanks, Katerina!!
This looks so moist and perfect! I want a piece!!
Poke cakes are my favorite! I love this one with all the strawberries.
So flavorful and irresistible! Love this!
What an awesome idea, with amazing flavors! Love it!
Hi! This looks amazing! The recipe says 3 eggs but the instructions say egg whites. Do I discard the yolks or am I missing a step? Please let me know because I think I want to make this soon!!
Sorry full eggs, not whites, updating post.
It still says egg whites in the instructions. And I just read this comment while waiting on my cake to finish baking. I hope it turns out with only egg whites. :/
Sorry for the confusing directions! Hope the cake still turned out okay!
This looks amazing!! I think I need to make this asap!! Thank you for your recipes, we have loved all of the ones I have made!! ♡
Laura, thank you so much for letting me know! It feels great to know my recipes have helped another family!
Do you let the cake cool before putting the condensed milk & whipped cream mixtures on?
You don’t have to wait to pour on the condensed milk, but you should definitely wait until it’s cool before putting on the whipped cream.
This was so easy and delicious
My husband went for seconds
Will definitely make again
So glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Daisy!
Could you use a sugar free cake mix and it lower the points any?
Possibly yes, but i haven’t tested that yet. I will try to do a bit of testing on it this summer!
Should I use SWEETENED condensed milk or FF Evaporated milk? Directions didn’t specify and it seems like sweetened would be too sweet with the jello stirred in (and keeping it low points). HELP! Want to make this today.
So sorry your comment got caught up in my spam filter! Nope it is sweetened condensed milk like a traditional poke cake. 🙂
This recipe says a tablespoon of the jello powder, then put the rest in the cool whip. My question is did you get a big or little box of jello? I don’t want too put too lil or too much of the remainder for the cool whip. I only bought a little box before I read that the remainder was called for in the cool whip.
So sorry, a little box!
Yay then I got the right one, thank you so much, I can’t wait to make it tomorrow!
After I read your comment I went back to look closely at the recipe. It says in the ingredients to use 1 Tbs (which is 3 tsp) jello, divided…. add 1 tsp to the condensed milk, then add the rest (which would be 2 tsp, not the rest of the box) to the cool whip. I think the whole box would be a lot, no? Did you use the rest of the box? How did it turn out?
So I bake the cake completely then pour the jello/milk over the cake?
Yes poke holes in the top then pour it over. A poke cake is a soaked cake with condensed milk poured over.
Do I poke the holes in before baking the cake?
After works better – raw batter tends not to hold shape too well during the baking process!
Is there something that can be used in place of the pineapple?
I haven’t tested it, but applesauce would probably work.
Can this cake be made in advance?
Yes, it should be fine made in advance!
Could diced strawberries be added to the cake batter?
The diced strawberries might make the batter too liquidy. You might be able to do it if you cook the strawberries down first.
Do u have to refrigerate the cake because of the cool whip icing?
Yes, the icing will melt if not refrigerated.
This is 9 points on FS!!
Exactly what I was wondering as I scrolled through the comments. Thanks!
How many FS points is this per slice?
The company that uses “points” has reached out to me claiming points are proprietary and demanded that I stop sharing them with my recipes.