Rosalynn Carter’s Retro Jell-O Cake Is Perfect for Summer

In Los Angeles, fresh strawberries are almost always available. I recently put them to work for my friend’s daughter’s 1960s “Bewitched” birthday party (confirming my theory that non-themed parties don’t exist in Hollywood). I built layered rainbow Jell-O cups, and a foamy pink Jell-O salad made of angel food cake, strawberries, Jell-O, and Cool Whip.

What I thought might be a fun “What the heck is this?” dessert for modern families became the “OMG, this is the exact Jell-O salad my grandma used to make for me as a kid!” A portal to sweet memories. Jell-O has to be made of powdered nostalgia. Retro desserts always surprise me by pulling on your heartstrings, even if you weren’t born when they were popular.

Straight outta the National Archives (aka America’s retro recipe hall of fame), former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s Jell-O Strawberry Cake is a perfect example of a retro Jell-O dessert. Plus, it’s easy and adaptable.

Why I Love This Retro Cake

It features a short list of ingredients (hello, Strawberry Jell-O and boxed cake mix!) and the options to add fresh or frozen strawberries as well as whipped cream. This Carter family favorite bakes up a mouthful of summer, making it the quintessential treat for my favorite time of year: Strawberry Season.

The first fluffy bite of Jell-O Strawberry Cake melts in your mouth, while real strawberries offer a juicy, tangy pop. This cake loves to dress up for a party: Add whipped cream, fresh berries, or ice cream for some extra richness. My boyfriend gave it the official “yummy dessert dance” 5-star review, and I agree—I’d happily make this one on repeat.

My Tips for Making This Strawberry Cake

• Personally, I think you can skip the nuts in the recipe. I did, because I didn’t want to interrupt the cloud-like cake with the semi-chewy nuts of other mid-century salads like ambrosia or Waldorf.
• Yellow or white boxed cake mix work well here. I chose Pillsbury Moist Supreme White Cake so the strawberry red color would be front and center.
• You might notice your hand mixer struggling with the Barbie-pink batter winding around the beaters. (I wondered if I was actually making saltwater taffy.) Trust me: Once you stir in the strawberries, you’ll see your future cake take shape.

An old-school delight on its own, this dessert is primed for accessorizing. Extra Creamy Cool Whip and fresh strawberries make it feel like a picnic in the park, but a bit of strawberry dust serves pure patisserie (and sounds fancier than it is to make). Just crush a few dehydrated strawberries in a zip-top bag (I raided a box of Special K Red Berries for a small handful) and use a flour duster or fine-mesh strainer to sprinkle the powder over each slice of whipped cream-topped cake.