Welcome to pumpkin season! I’ve got quite the showstopper of a pumpkin cake for all you pumpkin fiends. It’s a ridiculously easy cake that starts with a boxed mix of spice cake, a can of pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. If you need an easy pumpkin dessert, look no farther than this cake. Poke cakes get their name because after baking, you poke holes over the surface of the cake and flood it with a sweet mixture. Here it’s a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and caramel sundae topping. The pumpkin caramel poke cake is finished with whipped topping, toffee bits, mini chocolate chips, and salted caramel sauce. The salted caramel adds a salty-sweet element, the toffee bits and chocolate chips add texture and contrast to the fluffy whipped topping and uber soft, melt-in-your-mouth cake.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Poke Cake
To make this poke cake with sweetened condensed milk, you’ll need:
Spice cake mix Pumpkin puree Egg Oil Pumpkin pie spice Sweetened condensed milk Caramel sundae topping Whipped topping Toffee bits Semi-sweet chocolate chips Salted caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake
Tips for Making a Poke Cake
Note that this recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. They’re two different products. When poking the cake with the end of a wooden spoon, be sure to evenly space out the holes and to poke the cake all over. You want the caramel sauce and sweetened condensed milk to seep into all parts of the cake. Because this cake needs to be refrigerated before slicing into it, it’s great for making the day before a party or family gathering. Please note that this is a heavier, denser, practically dripping wet cake. If you are looking for a light and airy cake or pumpkin dessert, this is not the one. It’s also pretty sweet.
Recipe Video Tutorial
More Easy Pumpkin Desserts:
50+ Pumpkin Recipes on my blog including sweet, savory, breakfast, desserts and more! Do not freeze the cake; the condensed milk mixture will affect the texture of the cake once frozen. Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — Soft, moist, and bursting with pumpkin flavor! You’ll want the frosting by the spoonful!! (who needs the cake when there’s luscious cream cheese frosting!)
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache – One of my favorite cakes of ALL TIME! A must-make!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake – Fast, EASY, and the moistest pumpkin cake you’ll ever taste!! Loaded with chocolate chips in every bite and topped with a heavenly chocolate ganache! Sinfully rich and decadent!!
Spiced Pumpkin Crumb Cake — A FAST and EASY no-mixer pumpkin crumb cake with rich pumpkin flavor!! Super soft, tender, and topped with the BEST crumble topping that you’ll fall in love with! Great for brunches and holiday entertaining!!
Pumpkin Roll – With my EASY pumpkin roll recipe and clear specific directions, you’re going to be a pumpkin roll pro! No dish towel required to roll up my classic pumpkin roll cake that’s full of rich pumpkin spice flavor and tangy cream cheese frosting! A fall favorite that all pumpkin fans will just ADORE! Freezes well and makes a great hostess gift!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake – This soft and moist pumpkin cake is loaded with chocolate in every bite!! An EASY one-bowl fall dessert that’s perfect for impromptu entertaining or anytime a pumpkin craving strikes!!
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — These super soft and moist pumpkin bars are the perfect EASY fall dessert!! Tangy cream cheese frosting is a wonderful complement to these perfectly pumpkin-spiced bars!!
Soft Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting – Fast, easy cake you’ll never guess is vegan!
Fudgy Pumpkin Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze – Bars so soft they’re like biting into pumpkin fudge! The glaze is ahh-mazing!
Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars – Super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!
Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread – Pumpkin bread that’s like having cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing! The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread – Super soft, moist, rich pumpkin flavor, and loaded with chocolate chips! Easy, no mixer recipe that’s the BEST!
Soft Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel Crust – You won’t miss the eggs or the butter in this fast and easy bread with a great streusel crust!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting – Small batch recipe of just 6 cupcakes when you have just a little leftover pumpkin puree to use!
Originally posted August 26, 2016 and reposted August 26, 2022 with updated text.
