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Rainbow J-E-L-L-O Cake!

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This Rainbow Jello Cake is simple and SO delicious! This recipe uses a white cake mix and two different flavours of Jello.

Every year my husband and kids ask for a Rainbow Jello Cake for their birthdays. This is a classic cake recipe that’s been around for many years (it first appeared in print advertising and in Jell-O recipe booklets in 1976)…it was also my favourite cake growing up! If you’ve never tried this cake, you must…it’s always a favourite! You just can’t go wrong with Jello, white cake, and whip cream! Yum.

  • KID FRIENDLY – Kids of all ages always LOVE this cake. Every time I make it, I get asked for the recipe!
  • SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – This cake uses 3 simple ingredients: Jello, white cake mix and whipping cream.
  • EASY – This is the easiest cake to make! The hardest part is waiting to eat it!
Rainbow Jell-O Cake

About Jello Cakes!

This Rainbow Jello Cake, also known as Jello Poke Cake, is as simple as 2 flavours of jello set into 2 layers of white boxed cake mix, then frosted with whipped cream. They’re called poke cakes because you poke holes into the baked cakes, then pour in jello. These cakes are SO easy to make, and super delicious. Here’s a look at how they’re made:

How to Make a Rainbow Jell-O Cake

Jello Flavour Ideas:

You can use any flavours of Jello that you like. Our most favourite combination is Grape and Lime. But we also really like Blue Raspberry and Lime, as well as Orange and Grape.

Rainbow Jell-O Cake
Blue Raspberry and Lime
Rainbow Jell-O Cake
Orange and Grape

Tips & Tricks

  • JELLO: You need 2 – 85 g packages of Jello: use any flavour of Jello that you like! Our favourites are grape, blue raspberry and lime! Just make sure to use regular Jello, not the sugar free packages (I’ve never tried them so I can’t recommend them at this point).
  • CAKE MIX: Use a 2-layer white cake mix with NO pudding.
  • WHIPPING CREAM: You can use real whipped cream, or Cool Whip.
  • TIMELINE: You need to allow the cakes AT LEAST 4 hours to chill before adding the whipped cream frosting. Tip! I like to bake the cakes and add the Jello the day before I want to serve the cake. I just keep them in their pans, covered in the fridge overnight. Then I add the whipped cream the next day.
  • LINING THE CAKE PANS: I highly recommend that you line the bottoms of each of the cake pans with circles of parchment paper. This makes it much easier to remove the cakes from their pans.
  • POKING THE CAKE: Once your cakes have cooled for 15 minutes, use a fork or skewer to poke holes all over each cake. Make sure you poke your holes deep so the Jello can get all the way through to the bottom of the cake.
  • DECORATING TIP: Sometimes the cakes come out of the pan looking a little rough, but don’t worry, you can easily cover up any imperfections with the whipped cream.
  • If your cake tops are dome shaped: If the cake layer that you’re placing on the bottom has a top that’s too rounded to place the other cake layer onto, just take a serrated knife and gently trim the top of the cake to make it flat. Then add a layer of whipped cream, then lay on the second cake layer. You don’t need to trim the top cake layer…it can have a little dome.

I hope you try this cake and love it as much as we do!

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Rainbow J-E-L-L-O Cake!

Print Recipe

This Rainbow Jello Cake is simple and SO delicious! This recipe uses a white cake mix and two different flavours of Jello.

  • Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Chilling Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 (461 gram) white cake mix (two layer cake with no pudding)
  • 2 (85 gram) packages of Jello: two different flavours
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • whipping cream (you can use real whipping cream or cool whip)

Instructions

  1. Bake your cakes according to the package directions, for a 2 layer cake.
  2. Once the cakes have been baked, remove them from the oven, and let cool for 15 minutes.
  3. In the mean time, its Jello time! See the image above for help.
  4. Get out 2 glass measuring cups or bowls.
  5. Add 1 cup of boiling water to each bowl.
  6. Add 1 package of Jello to one bowl, the other package of Jello to the other bowl.
  7. Stir to dissolve.
  8. Once your cakes have cooled for 15 minutes, use a fork and poke holes all over them. Make sure you poke your holes deep so the Jello can get all through to the bottom of the cake.
  9. Pour your Jello over your cakes, one flavour on each cake.
  10. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. You can leave them un-frosted overnight in the fridge (see Tips).
  11. After the cakes have finished chilling, remove them from the pans. Now it’s time to frost the cake with the whipped cream, so whip your whipping cream.
  12. Lay one cake layer onto a serving plate. If the bottom cake layer has a high dome top, you can take a serrated knife and gently trim the top so it’s flat.
  13. Spread on some whipped cream.
  14. Add the second cake layer, then cover the top and sides with more whipped cream.
  15. Enjoy!

Keywords: jello cake, jello poke cake

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Hi I'm Jo-Anna Rooney, the creator, director, baker, maker and home decorator here at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs! I'm sharing a simple home life through fresh and easy recipes and uncomplicated home tips and home decor.

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41 Comments

  3. This looks fun and delicious! I’m pinning this recipe right now, thanks for sharing. I found your blog through the sugar bee link party and I’m following!

    Brie from darlingdoodles.blogspot.com

    Reply

  15. What a fantastic recipe! I just wanted to let you know that I loved your post and I shared a link to your blog on my Notepad feature that will be posted tomorrow morning. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂

    Reply

  21. I just wanted to say that the cake looks FANTASTIC. I think I’m going to need to run out and pick up another couple packages of JELLO and give that a whirl.

    Reply

  26. What a fun cake! My daughter loves to help in the kitchen and she would love doing this! Thanks for linking with us at Show & Share!

    Marie
    mylilpinkpocket.blogspot.com

    Reply
  33. Pingback: Friday Good Eats, a Recipe Blog Roll - July 12th 2013 - Ottawa Valley Moms :: Ottawa Moms, Arnprior Moms & Renfrew Moms on Parenting, Life, Love and Staying Connected

  34. I’ve been making these jello cakes for decades, although have never tried grape!!… Orange and lime is a great combo, too. I’ve also made a one layer sheet cake with 2 packages of strawberry jello. Then I stir sweetened sliced strawberries (from the frozen food aisle – thawed) including the juice, into the whipped topping before icing cake (you have to refrigerate it again for the topping to ‘firm’ up again)…. it makes the icing pink! YUM!… love these cakes!

    Reply
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  36. I have a video of a party my mom arranged for my friends and I, over 25 years ago, and she made this cake. It was clearly a hit– there’s about 15 minutes of footage of 9-11 year olds speaking their minds with mouths full of jello cake. Now that my 7 year old son has seen the video, he wants jell=o cake. Thanks for the easy reference on how to put this together.

    Reply

  37. This is by far the worst cake I have ever eaten. Looks pretty but is so wet and gross. All the kids at the birthday party ate one bit and threw the rest out. Total waste.

    Reply

    1. I’m sorry to hear that Margaret -Ann. I have made it countless times and have never had that problem, it’s a family favourite! The only thing I can think of is maybe there was too much water in the Jello?

      Reply