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slice of cake with a mini pumpkin and another slice of cake behind it

Pumpkin Poke Cake

This pumpkin poke cake is an easy dessert that turns out deliciously soft and perfectly spiced every time. And it's a great make-ahead dessert for the holidays!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling Time 6 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12
Author Kelsie

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 15.25-ounce box yellow cake mix*
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin NOT pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Cream cheese frosting

  • 8 ounces full fat cream cheese at room temperature
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Combine the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and remaining ingredients EXCEPT condensed milk in a bowl. Beat until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Pour into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top, and bake 22 to 28 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  4. Set on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
  5. After 10 minutes use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes about 3/4 of the way into the cake (you don’t want to poke through to the bottom). The holes should be about 1 inch apart.
  6. Pour the sweetened condensed milk as evenly as possible over the cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (or overnight).

Cream cheese frosting

  1. Once the cake has chilled make the frosting.
  2. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
  3. Gradually beat in 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar to combine, then beat in the vanilla and salt. Turn mixer to medium and beat until very creamy. If you want your frosting a little thicker, you can mix in more powdered sugar.
  4. Spread over the cake, then slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

  • *I used Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix. You can substitute white cake mix or even butter cake mix.
  • Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices added.
  • Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk rather than evaporated milk. They’re not the same and one isn’t a sub for the other.
  • If you prefer, you can frost your cake with Cool Whip or whipped cream (as long as the cake is cool). If you want to frost with whipped cream, beat 1 1/2 cups heavy cream to soft peaks, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, then beat to stiff peaks. Frost your cake and serve.
  • Uneaten cake can be stored in the fridge, covered, for 3 or 4 days or in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month.