Pumpkin Poke Cake

4.75 from 4 votes

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By: Jill Mills Updated: Nov 13, 2024

This soft and fluffy Pumpkin Poke Cake is a must-try for anyone craving the perfect fall dessert. Starting with a simple cake mix, this recipe gets a delicious upgrade with real pumpkin and warm spices that capture the essence of autumn. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing treat bursting with cozy fall flavors—perfect for any gathering or simply to satisfy your pumpkin cravings!

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake Recipe

There are so many recipes that jazz up a simple box of cake mix, and this is one of my all-time favorites. I add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to achieve that pumpkin spice you know and love. The sweetened condensed milk soaks into the baked cake to add tons of moisture and flavor to every bite. I use whipped cream instead of frosting to prevent the pumpkin poke cake from becoming too sweet and top it with toffee bits for a light crunch and caramel for salt. It’s a yummy dessert that is sure to impress a crowd.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Poke Cake

• Holiday favorite. This is a great holiday dessert to serve after Thanksgiving dinner instead of a pumpkin pie.
• Great to make ahead. I love preparing this cake ahead to save time. Just store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
• Budget-friendly. This is very inexpensive to make since I use a boxed cake mix and other simple ingredients.

What You’ll Need

Below are all of the components to make this poke cake. I use a boxed cake mix for a shortcut and add spices and pumpkin to it. The ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store!

• Pumpkin puree: This is added to the cake mix to give it an authentic pumpkin flavor. Use pure canned pumpkin (or make your own homemade pumpkin puree) and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Yellow cake mix: You won’t be preparing the cake according to the directions, so you won’t need any of the extra ingredients. An easy substitute for this recipe is white cake or vanilla cake mix.
• Brown sugar: The subtle molasses flavor in brown sugar really brings out the natural sweetness in the pumpkin.
• Spices: I use cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to give the cake a pumpkin spice flavor. Feel free to add cloves, too!
• Sweetened condensed milk: This is a crucial ingredient in poke cakes. You pour it over the baked cake so it soaks in and adds sweetness and moisture.
• Whipped cream: I keep the frosting simple and use whipped topping. A true icing would take the sweetness over the top. Our cinnamon whipped cream is another great choice.
• Caramel sauce: A drizzle of caramel sauce adds a complimentary flavor to the pumpkin and a little saltiness.
• Toffee bits: I love the toffee bits on top for a crunch texture to offset the softness of the other cake ingredients.

How to Make Pumpkin Poke Cake

Here are the instructions on how to make this pumpkin poke cake recipe. It’s super easy to follow and doesn’t take long to prepare or bake.

• Prep the oven and baking dish. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the cake batter. Combine the pumpkin, cake mix, brown sugar, and spices in a large bowl. Mix until the ingredients are fully combined and smooth.

• Bake. Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake it for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool and poke holes. Allow the cake to cool for about 15 minutes. Then, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.

• Add condensed milk and chill. Once cooled, pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake and place it in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
• Add whipped cream and toppings. Spread whipped cream over the top. Then, sprinkle toffee bits and drizzle caramel sauce on the cake.

• Chill and serve. Put the cake back into the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.

Proper Storage

Store leftovers of this pumpkin poke cake in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You may also store it tightly covered with plastic wrap in the baking dish.

More Poke Cake Recipes to Try

• S’Mores Poke Cake
• Gingerbread Poke Cake
• Raspberry Lemonade Poke Cake
• Kentucky Butter Poke Cake
• Crazy Candy Bar Poke Cake

4.75 from 4 votes

Pumpkin Poke Cake

This soft and fluffy Pumpkin Poke Cake is a must-try for anyone craving the perfect fall dessert. Starting with a simple cake mix, this recipe gets a delicious upgrade with real pumpkin and warm spices that capture the essence of autumn.

Servings: 12 slices

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 15 ounces pumpkin puree
• ▢ 1 box yellow cake mix
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ 2 cups whipped cream or 8 ounces Cool Whip (thawed)
• ▢ 1 cup caramel sauce
• ▢ 8 ounces toffee bits

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Mix the pumpkin puree, yellow cake mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.  (Feel free to use a stand or hand mixer for this step.)
• When the batter is fully combined and smooth, pour it into the prepared baking dish. The batter is a bit thicker consistently so use a spatula to spread it evenly.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.  A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool (in the pan, on a wire rack) for 15 minutes.
• Use the round end of a wooden spoon or spatula to poke holes about every inch on the top of the cake (you don’t need to poke all the way to the bottom).
• Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, allowing it to fill all of the holes.  It will soak into the cake.
• Place the cake in the fridge for at least ½ an hour.
• When you remove the cake from the fridge,  spread the cool whip all over the top.
• Sprinkle the Skor bits over the top.  Finish off by drizzling on the caramel sauce.
• Then place the cake back in the fridge and allow it to sit for a minimum of 3 hours.  (It is best made the day ahead and left in the fridge overnight.)

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Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg

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