Pumpkin Poke Cake is a super moist cake soaked with caramel and condensed milk and topped with pumpkin spice pudding, whipped topping, MORE caramel sauce, and toffee bits. Delicious cake for pumpkin season, the holidays, or any time of year.
Want more pumpkin desserts? Try Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting or easy, creamy Pumpkin Pudding next!
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If you love decadent desserts, you're in for a treat! This Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake is the ultimate fall dessert: moist pumpkin cake infused with caramel and sweetened condensed milk, topped with creamy pumpkin spice pudding, fluffy whipped topping, more caramel, and crunchy toffee bits.
It's the perfect cake for fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time you crave a little indulgence. And if you're as hooked on pudding poke cakes as we are, don’t miss Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake or the refreshingly bright Lemon Poke Cake.
🎃Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Yellow cake mix. You can also use white cake mix or spice cake mix for bolder pumpkin spice flavors.
- Canned pumpkin. One full can of real pumpkin puree adds rich pumpkin flavor. Be sure to grab pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling with added sugar and spices.
- Sweetened condensed milk. You only need ½ cup of condensed milk, but you can freeze the rest for the next time you make this cake!
- Vanilla pudding mix. You can also use French vanilla, cheesecake, or white chocolate pudding mix -- or even butterscotch! Use one large 6-serving box or 1 ½ 4-serving boxes.
- Pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice in your cabinet, I bet you have all the ingredients! Here's my pumpkin spice recipe.
- Cool Whip. Not a fan of Cool Whip? Take a look at Truwhip! You can also use homemade whipped cream, like this yummy Caramel Whipped Cream.
- Toppings. I top this pumpkin poke cake recipe with caramel sauce and toffee bits, but if you want to add a little chocolate, try chopped-up Heath bars, mini chocolate chips, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce!
🥣How to Make Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake
Step 1: Mix cake mix, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour into greased 9 x 13 cake pan and bake in preheated oven at 350 for 26-31 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes about an inch apart and halfway down into the center of the cake.
Step 2: Combine caramel sauce and condensed milk. Pour over the cake and into the holes.
Step 3. Whisk together pudding mix and pumpkin spice. Add about half of the milk and whisk until smooth, then whisk in the rest of the milk. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to slightly thicken. Spread the pudding on top of the cake and down into the holes. Chill the cake for 3-4 hours or overnight (covered).
Step 4: Frost the cake with Cool Whip. Before serving, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with toffee bits.
✅Top Tips
- Pumpkin poke cake is best served the next day after the cake has had time to soak up the caramel sauce.
- Add the toppings right before serving -- especially the Heath bits, as they get a bit soft.
- Don't poke the holes too close together, or the cake might get too soft and fall apart.
🎁Storage
Store leftover pumpkin poke cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
🗓️Make Ahead
Pumpkin caramel poke cake is a great dessert to make one day ahead of time -- it always tastes best the next day.
❓FAQs
Cool the cake 10-15 minutes before poking the holes and drizzling the condensed milk and caramel mixture on top.
They shouldn't be soggy. Poke cakes are, however, very moist because they're soaked with yummy caramel, condensed milk, pudding, or sometimes Jello. They can get soggy if too much liquid is used or the holes are poked too close together.
Yes! Poke cakes are good after a 3-4 hour rest, but even better the next day after the caramel and condensed milk have had plenty of time to soak into the cake. I highly recommend making poke cake the day before you plan to serve it.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup oil
- ½ cup water
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup caramel sauce
- 5.1 ounces vanilla pudding mix 6-serving size box
- 2 ¼ cups cold milk
- 1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- Optional toppings: more caramel sauce, toffee bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs for 2 minutes on medium speed until well combined. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake 26-31 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake 10-15 minutes.
- Combine caramel sauce and condensed milk in a small bowl.
- With a chopstick or handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes about an inch apart and halfway down into the cake. Immediately pour the caramel mixture over the cake. Spread the mixture evenly over the cake and into the holes.
- Whisk or mix pudding mix and pumpkin spice. Add about half of the milk and whisk until smooth, then whisk in the rest of the milk for 2 minutes. Let it rest for a few minutes to slightly thicken. Evenly spread the pudding on top of the cake, pushing it down into the holes. Chill the cake at least 3-4 hours, but overnight is best.
- Before serving, spread Cool Whip over the cake. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with toffee bits.
Notes
- Pumpkin poke cake is best served the next day after the cake has had time to soak up the caramel sauce.
- Add the toppings right before serving -- especially the Heath bits, as they get a bit soft.
- Don't poke the holes too close together, or the cake might get too soft and fall apart.
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