Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Strawberry-Ginger Poke Cake With Toasted Vanilla Meringue Be the first to rate & review! Spicy, tangy ginger wakes up the sweetness of this strawberry poke cake. By Joy Howard Joy Howard Joy Howard is a cookbook author, food stylist, and recipe developer who's spent more than a decade creating recipes for home cooks. She is the author of Disney Eats and the forthcoming Tomato Love (Storey Publishing, Summer 2022), is a frequent contributor to Southern Living and America's Test Kitchen, and for many years wrote a column for EatingWell magazine about cooking with kids. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 12, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Active Time: 50 mins Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Servings: 18 Many recipes for poke cakes call for boxed ingredients, but this made-from-scratch strawberry poke cake is worth every minute. Fresh strawberries and ginger simmer down into a warm syrup that soaks right into the fluffy vanilla sheet cake that has just the right texture for absorbing up all that sweet, summery goodness. Swoops and swirls of vanilla meringue top it all off, for a super impressive dessert perfect for a potluck or warm weather entertaining. The meringue in this recipe is made by heating the egg whites and sugar briefly before whipping, this results in a more stable topping—something you’ll definitely appreciate if serving during hot and humid summers in the South. Ingredients Cake: 2 1/2 cups cake flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups plain whole-milk strained (Greek-style) yogurt Strawberry Syrup: 3/4 lb. fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced Meringue: 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 large egg whites 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar Halved strawberries for garnish Directions Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 long sides. Set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Beat granulated sugar and butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla and yogurt until combined. Add the flour mixture in thirds, beating until smooth after each addition, about 2 minutes total. Spread batter evenly in prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until Cake is golden around the edges and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Strawberry Syrup: Place strawberries, brown sugar, 2/3 cup water, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until berries release their juices and liquid becomes syrupy, about 8 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids. Remove Cake from baking dish, and transfer to a platter. Using the wide end of a chopstick, poke holes 1 inch apart all over Cake. Pour Strawberry Syrup over Cake and into holes. Set aside. Prepare the Meringue: Fill a saucepan with water to a depth of 1 inch. Set a heatproof bowl on top of pan, making sure bottom of bowl doesn’t touch water. Whisk together granulated sugar and egg whites in bowl; cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully remove bowl from heat, and add vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spoon Meringue onto Cake; spread Meringue using the back of a spoon to create decorative peaks and swirls. Using a kitchen torch, brown Meringue, holding torch 1 to 2 inches away and moving torch back and forth. Alternatively, broil topped Cake, watching closely, until topping is toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with halved strawberries. Rate It Print