How To Make This Easy Pumpkin Poke Cake With Caramel

Sharing is caring!

Top it with thick, tangy cream cheese frosting

This easy pumpkin poke cake starts with a cake mix, but is a true showstopper. The moist pumpkin cake is poked full of gooey caramel and smothered in rich cream cheese frosting. It's so good it practically guarantees requests for the recipe. It’s a dessert everyone remembers long after they've thoroughly licked their forks.

Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Poke Cake Recipe

Pumpkin season seems to begin earlier every year, and thank you, Starbucks! By mid-September, everything seems to have some version of pumpkin flavoring! Coffee creamers, pudding, ice cream, cereal, cookies, and more!

• Starts with a simple yellow cake mix
• Crowd-pleasing flavor for any fall gathering
• Bakes in one 9" x 13" pan — no fancy tools
• Budget and freezer-friendly

How To Make This Pumpkin Poke Cake Recipe

It's so quick and simple to make! This pumpkin poke cake recipe starts with a cake mix and a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. What could be easier? The batter is thick and tantalizingly fragrant!

If you want to get fancy, you could bake it as a bundt or layer cake and adjust the baking times. Me? I wanted a simple but amazingly tasty cake, so I baked it in a standard 9 x 13 pan.

Bake this beauty at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the edges pull away slightly from the edge of the pan. The cake tester should come out clean, even in the tallest part of the cake.

I Want To Kiss The First Person That Made A Poke Cake

Whoever that person was that bravely poked holes in a hot cake and poured something delicious in it deserves our eternal thanks! This step produces a super moist cake with an added dimension of flavor.

So thank you, mystery baker, whoever you are. We love you. 🧡

Remove the cake from the oven and put it on a cooling rack. While it's still hot, grab a wooden spoon with a round handle and poke holes all over the cake about one and one-half inches apart.

You want big, thirsty craters to soak up the caramel topping you're pouring in. Presto! Now, it's a pumpkin poke cake!

How To Make The Decadent Cream Cheese Frosting

Please wait for the cake to cool before you add the frosting.

I hope you set out the butter and cream cheese to soften. You did, didn't you? The frosting is super simple when you start with creamy soft butter and cream cheese.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together with the vanilla and bourbon until it's all nice and fluffy. Next, gradually add the powdered sugar until you get the right spreading consistency. (To be sure: the addition of bourbon is totally optional! You can also use vanilla!)

Powdered sugar can be a bit mysterious, so add it gradually. I found I needed about 3 1/2 cups. If it gets too thick, you can add a little more bourbon or even some milk. On the other hand, if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar until you are happy.

This makes a generous batch for a thick blanket of frosting for this pumpkin poke cake recipe, and who doesn't think that's a good idea? Be sure to lick the beaters; it is your right as the frosting maker! After all, you're the one who has to do the dishes, right?

I garnished the top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. I could have used nutmeg. My husband isn't nuts about nuts on a cake or in fudge, so I left them off. But my daughter and I think that chopped party peanuts would add a salty, crunchy, amazing element.

What a great cake to serve at Thanksgiving! Wait, it's easy to make; why not serve it tonight? be sure to pin this recipe so it's saved for you!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Continue to Content

Yield: 16 servings

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake With Optional Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

Print

A dense moist cake that's infused with caramel and topped with a thick layer of decadent bourbon-laced cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1  15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 to 1.5 cups caramel syrup (ice cream topping)
• 1/2 cup chopped salted party peanuts for garnish (optional)

Frosting

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) softened at room temperature, not melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3-4 Tbsp bourbon (totally optional!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to350 degrees.
2. Spray or grease the bottom only of a 13" x 9" pan.
3. Mix all the cake ingredients and beat well. The batter should be thick and smooth.
4. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should pull away slightly from the edges of the pan.
5. While the cake is still hot, use the round handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake. Holes can be about 1 1/2" apart.
6. Pour caramel sauce evenly in the holes.
7. Let cake cool completely before frosting, about an hour.
8. Add your desired garnish after the cake is frosted.

Frosting

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, bourbon, and vanilla together until light and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating well until the desired spreading consistency is achieved.
3. If it is too thick, add a bit of milk. If too thin, add a little powdered sugar at a time.
4. Spread evenly over top of the cake.
5. If desired, add a garnish of chopped salted peanuts.
6. Optional: If you don't want to add nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg makes an attractive garnish.
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 679Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 483mgCarbohydrates: 133gFiber: 1gSugar: 117gProtein: 4g

Frequently Asked Questions About Pumpkin Poke Cake

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

Use plain pumpkin puree for this cake. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, and this recipe adds its own. Check the label before you open the can—they can look mighty similar!

What kind of caramel do I use for pumpkin poke cake?

Use caramel ice cream topping, the pourable kind sold in a jar or squeeze bottle. It settles into the holes without the extra work of melting caramel candies.

Do I poke the holes while the cake is hot?

Yes! Poke the holes while the cake is still hot, then pour the caramel over it. I use the round handle of a wooden spoon and space the holes about 1½ inches apart.

Can I leave the bourbon out of the cream cheese frosting?

Absolutely! The bourbon is optional. The cream cheese, butter, and vanilla make a delicious frosting without it. If you need to thin the frosting, add a little milk at a time.

Why does the cake need to cool before I frost it?

Warm cake can melt the butter and cream cheese in the frosting, leaving you with a slippery topping instead of a thick, creamy blanket. Let the cake cool completely first. This is the part where patience pays!

I'm Passionate About Pumpkins!

I love decorating with pumpkins both inside and outside our home, and I love eating pumpkin desserts every bit as much! Every fall, I can't wait to try out new pumpkin recipes.

I am always so excited for pumpkin season. Fall is my favorite time of year, and I am ridiculously fond of pumpkins in every shape, size, and color. To be honest, it borders on obsession all the way through Thanksgiving.

I love baby boo pumpkins, warty pumpkins, flat pumpkins, white pumpkins, gray pumpkins, and red pumpkins. No matter if they are short and squatty or tall and lean, I'm a fan. To me, every pumpkin is a thing of beauty!

Every recipe I share here is made in my very own kitchen. I’m an old-school directions-reader, so you’ll always find clear, step-by-step instructions tested and written to work the first time you try them. Because baking a cake shouldn’t be stressful — it should feel like you have a friend there with you.

Here are my other personal favorite poke cakes. You oughta try them too

👉Candy Bar Poke Cake, This is a recipe for a quick and easy "poke" cake that starts with a basic chocolate cake poked full of caramel topping. Top it with thick chocolate frosting and chopped peanuts!

👉Rhubarb Poke Cake,This moist, delicious poke cake starts with a yellow cake mix, then is infused with a sweet-tangy rhubarb sauce. Smothered in whipped topping with an artful swirl of rhubarb sauce on top. Use fresh or frozen rhubarb!

👉Coconut Chocolate "Almond Joy" Poke Cake, A delicious poke cake that starts with a cake mix and a pudding mix. All the flavors of an almond joy candy bar in a wonderfully moist cake topped with toasted coconut and almonds.

And by the way, what's your favorite pumpkin recipe? When fall rolls around, I am hungry for some new ones! Do you have anything you'd like to share? If you do, I'd love to hear from you! I answer every single comment myself!

If you enjoyed a post, I'd love it if you would leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review or a comment. It really helps my little business connect with folks that like to cook like we do, simple but tasty!.

Love, GB (Betty Streff)

🐝 Real food. Real kitchen. Real good.

Sharing is caring!