Our delicious Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake is packed with freshly baked cinnamon roll flavor but can be whipped up in minutes! This easy poke cake recipe starts with a boxed cake with a delicious cinnamon filling and topped with cream cheese frosting!
Easy Cinnamon Cake
It’s amazing the warm feeling that comes from the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. This Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake will absolutely give you that warm, fuzzy feeling, but much quicker than the work of making homemade cinnamon rolls!
Your mouth will be watering for this classic white cake soaked with sweet cinnamon glaze and topped with homemade cream cheese frosting for the perfect dessert or even served as a coffee cake with breakfast.
We love poke cakes! Don’t miss these fun cake recipes: Pineapple Poke Cake | Kentucky Butter Poke Cake | Candy Bar Poke Cake | Lemon Burst Poke Cake | Thin Mint Poke Cake | Chocolate Baileys Poke Cake
Key Ingredients Needed:
Here’s what you’ll need to make Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the easy to print recipe card):
White cake mix – prepare the cake as directed on the box to make a 9×13-inch cake.
Butter – regular salted butter is best for this recipe, but unsalted can work as well.
Brown sugar – we used light brown sugar.
Ground cinnamon – the cinnamon flavors the glaze, but we also sprinkled additional on top of the cake after it was frosted.
Sweetened condensed milk – this milk is the base for the delicious glaze.
Cream cheese – use one block of cream cheese that has been softened to room temperature. You can buy premade cream cheese frosting to save extra time, but this can is so easy and worth making homemade cream cheese frosting.
Powdered sugar – it’s important to use powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) for the frosting as it will incorporate well and create the smooth texture you’ll want for your cream cheese frosting.
Half & half – you can substitute for milk if needed.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the cake as directed on the cake box. Poke holes in the baked cake.
- Mix sweetened condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Microwave until turned into glaze. Pour the cinnamon glaze evenly over the warm cake.
- Make the cream cheese frosting and spread over the cake using a spatula.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with additional cinnamon, if desired.
Slice the cake into squares and serve.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Keep the leftover cake covered tightly with plastic wrap, or place in an airtight food storage container. Because of the cream cheese frosting, it is best to refrigerate this cake. It will stay fresh for up to five days in the refrigerator.
The frosting will be very firm when you remove the cake from the refrigerator. It will soften again when it sits at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
Freezing: If you want to freeze the cake, do it before you add the frosting. Place it into a freezer safe bag or container for up to three months. Defrost completely and then add the frosting before serving.
How To Serve Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Since this poke cake is so easy to make, it’s the perfect dessert to serve guests when you want something quick to bake. Everyone always raves over this cake! We love to serve this with a cup of coffee or Macchiato. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and with some whipped cream will take this cinnamon cake to a whole new level.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes You Will Enjoy
- Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
- Microwave Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Cinnamon Roll Casserole
- 1-Hour Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 15.25 ounce white cake mix prepare as directed on the box
GLAZE
- 5 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
FROSTING
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons half & half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the cake as directed on the cake box. Allow the baked cake to cool until it is just warm.
- Poke holes all around the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon or a spatula with the holes spaced about ½ inch apart.
- In a medium size heat-safe mixing bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, 5 tablespoons of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Microwave on high for 1 minute then stir well. Return the bowl to the microwave and heat for another minute and stir well until the brown sugar is well combined into the glaze.
- Pour the glaze evenly over the warm cake.
- Add the cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter to a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, half & half, and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and beat on low speed with the electric mixer until combined. Continue beating the frosting and adding the remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until all sugar is combined and the frosting is smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cake with a spatula. Sprinkle the top of the cake with additional cinnamon, if desired. Slice the cake into squares and serve.
Last Step:
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