This strawberry Jello cake recipe is a deliciously fun treat that only requires 3 ingredients. The perfect no-bake dessert for too hot to handle days!
Strawberry Jello cake is perfect for any occasion and one of our go-to summer desserts! It’s great for summertime barbecues, family gatherings, office pot-lucks or 4th of July. With just strawberry gelatin, Cool Whip, and fresh strawberries, it’s full of fresh strawberry flavor and has the perfect creamy, refreshing bite to it.
Making Strawberry Jello Cake from Scratch
This layer cake couldn’t get any easier to make and requires zero baking in the oven. It’s the perfect refreshing treat when you don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen on a hot day!
- Make the Jello: Place 6 ounces of jello mix in a large bowl and stir in one cup of hot boiling water, followed by one cup of cold water. Refrigerate the Jello mixture until it sets slightly.
- Mix in the Cool Whip: Next, stir in the Cool Whip until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the Cake: Coat a springform pan in cooking spray and transfer the whipped topping and Jello mixture inside it. Assemble the sliced strawberries around the rim of the cake and refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
- Make the Jello Layer: Next combine 1 cup of boiled water with 3 ounces of Jello and pop it in the fridge until it cools to room temperature. Pour the mixture over the top of the cake and refrigerate the cake once more.
- Remove the Cake: Lastly, remove the cake from the springform pan. Slice and enjoy!
3 Pro Tips for the Tastiest Strawberry Jello Cake
A couple of handy pro tips will help you make a perfect strawberry Jello cake.
- Allow the Jello to cool before adding the top layer. When adding that top layer of Jello, make sure that the mixture cools completely to room temperature. If it’s too hot, it will melt the creamy Cool Whip layer on the bottom.
- Use fresh berries versus frozen. Fresh strawberries add such a nice texture to the cake. Frozen and thawed berries are simply not the same!
- Keep the cake refrigerated until you plan to serve it. Jello is prone to melting at room temperature, so make sure the cake stays refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it.
Different Fruits & Jello Flavors to Use
You can get very creative with this dessert. Go crazy, switch things up and use different fruits and flavors of Jello!
- Pineapple flavored Jello with mango chunks
- Lime flavored Jello with strawberry or raspberry pieces
- Lemon flavored Jello with blueberries
- Strawberry Jello with banana coins (be mindful that bananas brown faster, so plan to eat this cake within a day or two)
- Cherry Jello with rainier or bing cherries
- Orange Jello with canned mandarin oranges
Storing Best Practices
For best results, store the strawberry Jello cake in an airtight cake container so it doesn’t absorb any lingering smells in your fridge or get damaged. If you don’t have a cake container, cover it tightly with plastic wrap. When it’s stored properly, it will keep for up to a week.
FAQ
Does strawberry Jello cake need to be refrigerated?
If Jello Cake is not refrigerated, it will turn into a mushy mess. It is important that you keep your cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. If you plan on taking it to a party, keep it in a cooler and transfer it into the fridge upon your arrival.
Can strawberry Jello Cake be frozen?
It’s not a good idea to put a strawberry Jello cake in the freezer. It doesn’t thaw well and the Jello will turn into a mushy mess upon thawing.
Why did my strawberry Jello cake separate?
If your Jello cake separated, it’s likely due to the Jello not having enough time to firm up. You don’t want to add that second layer of Jello until the whip cream layer has enough time to set.
Can you make strawberry Jello cake in a bundt pan?
Yes, you can make strawberry Jello cake in a bundt pan instead of a springform pan. That said, you’ll need to make sure that it has plenty of time to set so it doesn’t fall apart when you flip it over and remove it. To air on the safe side, let it set overnight.
Other Jello Desserts to Make
Still haven’t had your fill of wiggly, sweet Jello? Here are a couple more of my favorite Jello recipes:
- Espresso Jello Shots – Layers of sweet milk and coffee Jello
- Panna Cotta Recipe – Creamy Italian dessert
- Birds Milk Jello Cake – A classic and refreshing Russian dessert made with sour cream and cocoa
- Strawberry Jello Poke Cake – Moist cake strawberry poke holes
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz Cool Whip or True Whip
- 9 oz strawberry Jello mix
- 1 lb fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Place 6 ounces of jello mix in a large bowl. Stir in one cup of hot boiling water, followed by one cup of cold water.
- Stir everything until all jello mix is melted. Place the mixture into refrigerator and let the jello set slightly.
- Mix the Cool Whip into the Jello. Stir to combine until smooth and creamy.
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and transfer the cool whip mixture into the pan. Cut the strawberries in half and place them along the rim of the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.
- Combine 1 cup of boiled water with 3 ounces of Jello. Place the mixture in the fridge until it cools down to room temperature.
- Pour the Jello mixture over the Cool Whip mixture and allow it to set completely in the fridge.
- Remove the cake from the springform pan. Keep it refrigerated until it's ready to serve. Enjoy!
This Jell-O cake is absolutely "outstanding" . Thank you so much Natalya for sharing this recipe!
Connie, thank you! So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
This Jell-O cake is absolutely outstanding! Thank you for sharing this recipe Natalya!
Thank you, Connie!
So in the beginning of the recipe it says to make your Jello according to Package instructions (6 oz container of Jell-O 2 cups cold 2 cups hot water) but then further in the instructions when it says to make jello whip mixture it says combine 6oz Jello with one cup hot water one cup cold water???? These two instructions differ from each other and I would imagine it would make quite the difference when adding whipped cream for consistency needed
Hey, Martin. I am sorry for the confusion. You are correct that most jello mixes call for 2 cups of hot and 2 cups of cold water. I do in fact use less: 1 cup of hot water and 1 cup cold water for a 6oz packet of jello; this ensures that it will be extra firm. I'll make sure to clarify the recipe to avoid any confusion in the future! Thanks for commenting.
The recipe did not work for me? Why do you think this happened ?
Could you be a bit more specific about what didn't work Oona? That will help me troubleshoot the problem with you and help you nail it.
Hi how long does it take on step 2 to set slighly
Hi Oona- I'd say it would take about 30 minutes or so. Hope this helps!
The cool whip/jello layer separated. What did I do wrong? Didn’t change the taste however, was great. Looked good anyway
Hello, Kim. I'm sorry to hear it separated. When you made the jello did you let it sit in the fridge until it slightly set? After this step, you add in the cool whip and keep mixing until it's smooth and well combined. I'm not sure why it would separate after these two steps are completed. I hope this information is helpful!
Could this be done in a Bundt pan with the jello set first and other mixture set on top? And then flip? 😁
Hello, Jamie. I think it could work, but I haven't personally tried it. If you give it a shot, come back and tell us how it went!
I am very excited to make this!
My youngest is turning 4 next week and has requested a "Jell-o Cake". SO, I googled "Jell-o Cake" and this super simple recipe comes up.
I will let you know how it turns out and if it measures up to her request LOL
Thank you!
Hi Amy, it is so simple and delicious, I hope your daughter loves it. Let me know what you and she think. I also have this jello cake recipe if you want another one to try: https://momsdish.com/recipe/6…
Can I use frozen strawberries if fresh ones are not in season?
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. We've only used fresh strawberries for this recipe, as frozen ones tend to turn mushy upon thawing. Fingers crossed you can get your hands on some tasty ones in the off-season. If you do use frozen, make sure they're completely thawed and drained of any excess liquid before adding them in. Hope this helps!
Hey, my friend has an allergy to milk, and they can't have the cool whip, is there a substitute for it? thanks
Try it with thick coconut milk. It should give the same creamy taste
Hi Bibble, I haven't tried it with any substitutions, sorry I cant give a good suggestion.
I followed directions exactly as is on here and my jello cake is not firm at all it has been in the fridge since last night! What possibly could have gone wrong 🙈
Hey, jello typically requires a total of 4 cups of water, we only use 2 so it should be firm. I am not sure what could have gone wrong.
Howdy. Question about the Jello measurements: The recipe calls for 9 oz of strawberry Jello mix, but with each box being only 0.6 oz, that's 15 boxes, which seems like way too much.
For example, the first step calls for 6 oz and 2 cups of water, but since 6 oz is 10 full boxes, and each box calls for 4 cups of water, that's like 20x less water than the box recommends.
I'm confused. What am I missing? Thanks!
Did you use sugar free maybe, because that would be way less in ounces
Hey Sue, I used a regular mix. You can use several boxes of a mix. Enjoy
Hey rob, are you referring you gelatine or Jell-o its self? Because they typically come in 3oz boxes, you would only need 3.
Hmm, my Jello boxes are only 0.6 oz each, but I just noticed they're sugar-free. That must be the difference. I just followed your recipe by dividing all Jello amounts by 10 and it turned out great! (I.e., when the recipe called for 6 oz, I just used 0.6 oz.)
Hey Rob, that must be the case. I hope it turns out great for you.
Hi Natalya,
Great fan of all your recipes. I don’t get coolwhip where I live. Is there a substitute? Will the mousse set if I use 8 oz whipped cream instead?
Hey dear, I think it should. I know my friend combines sour cream and heavy whipped cream. It adds a bit of tart flavor to it.
Hey Natalya,
I tried with same about of heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks. It set well and was delicious. I added a biscuit base to it. We all loved it. Thank you so much😍
That sounds amazing, I'm so glad the recipe worked out well!
How long on last step does it usually take for “set completely “?
Hey, I would say around 3 hours but it would depend on your fridge temperature.
Both parts tasted delicious! I added cream cheese to the bottom portion.
When I make this next, I will put the jello portion in first, make sure it is fully set, then put the other section on top, then flip it over.
Hey Phil, I am so happy to hear this feedback. Thank you for sharing.
hi my is Tamara I love this idea only 3 ingredients. I was wondering though my sister wants cake as well so I was going to make a sponge cake for the bottom is it possible to put this on top and do I need to add any gelatin to help it set
I would build this on top of the sponge cake. I think its totally possible. Enjoy!
Can you make it without strawberries?
Hey, yes you can or you can always add other berries to the mix.
I made it yesterday and I'm giving it 5 stars! It's simple, easy, and delicious and I love it!
Lilli, thank you so much for coming back to tell us the turnout!
It's a great recipe! I wanted to upload a picture, but it says that it's disabled.
Oh no, send it to me on my Instagram @momsdish
Can this be made in a non-springform pan?
Yes, that's what I use as a mold.
Thanks! I've bought all the ingredients and I'm planning on making it this weekend (or next week)It looks delicious! 🙂
Yes! Keep me posted on the turnout! 🙂
Hi for the Frist step how long do you leave the jello set for in the fridge?
Hey, for about an hour or until you can see that jello has set.
just made it last night, looks beautiful and I bet its yummy
thank you Natasha
Hey Natasha, I am so glad you enjoyed the Jello Cake. Thank you for sharing.
Can I double all ingredients or maybe just bottom of the cake cool whip mixture and make it in 9 inch pan?
Yes for sure, just give it enough time for chilling in the fridge.
Why it doesnt say that after you mix jello with cool wheap and place it in 9 inch form for how long leave it to cool in the refrigerator bfore Pour Jello mixture over the cool whip mixture?
Hey Rina, I would suggest to refrigerate cool whip mixture for at least 30 minutes.
Hi! I was wondering, is the jello really sweet? I usually add 1 cup of boiling water and 1 cup of cold water for every 3 oz of jello mix (how it says on the jello box). Would it be ok to make the jello how I usually make it? Thanks!
I think sweetness is pretty similar, it has more firmness to the cake.
Loveee jello recipes, I am making it right now,waiting for jello in fridge 🙂
I hope you loved this recipe 🙂
Natashichka!!! Thank you for posting another recipe. All of your stuff always comes out great. Just made two batches of perfect crepes.
Hope your new job is coming good.Blessings my dear☺
Oh wow!!! You are so sweet! Thanks for saying this!