Pumpkin Poke Cake

Pumpkin Poke Cake is a perfectly-spiced cake drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and topped with a fluffy cream cheese topping and crunchy toffee pieces. It’s a fall dessert your friends and family will rave about!

I’ve always been a huge fan of poke cake recipes! What I love most is that you’re guaranteed to NOT end up with a dry, crumbly cake. This poke cake has a moist pumpkin cake to start with and then gets a yummy drizzle into the holes. Then we bring in the classic cream cheese flavor as it’s whipped into the Cool Whip for a fluffy, creamy topping.

​This pumpkin poke cake recipe is a great dessert for Thanksgiving dinner with its fall flavors.  Give it a try and you’ll be making it all pumpkin season long!

Ingredients Needed

• All-Purpose Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – If you don’t have any, you can make your own or just use ground cinnamon.
• Vegetable Oil
• Pumpkin Puree – Don’t confuse this with pumpkin pie filling – you want a can of pumpkin puree (the only ingredient on the label is “pumpkin”)
• Eggs – I use size large eggs.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – If you don’t have this, you could also use a jar of caramel topping for a pumpkin caramel poke cake!  Either is absolutely delicious.
• Cream Cheese – I recommend using the full-fat version for this application (rather than the ⅓ less fat).
• Powdered Sugar
• Milk
• Vanilla Extract
• Toffee Bits – You can use the kind with or without chocolate.
• Pecans – Optional, but a yummy addition!

How to Make Pumpkin Poke Cake

First, make the cake.

Get the oven preheated and prep the pan by spraying it with cooking spray. Then, you’ll mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Then you’ll add the remaining ingredients and stir (by hand or with an electric mixer on medium speed) until smooth.

This cake batter will be poured into the pan and baked until a toothpick pressed into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Add the drizzle.

When the cake is still warm, use the end of a wooden spoon or a straw to poke holes into the cake. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake slowly, allowing for it to soak into the cake. You can use a spoon to spread it out if needed.

Cool and top.

As the cake cools, you can work on the topping. This topping is like a super fluffy cream cheese frosting and it’s SOOOooooo good! 

First, you’ll want to mix the cream cheese alone until it’s smooth. This will ensure that you don’t have chunks of cream cheese in your topping. Then, you’ll add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Once that’s well mixed, you’ll add the whipped topping.

Spread that over the cooled cake and then sprinkle with crunchy toffee bits and pecans, if you’re using them.

I recommend letting the cake set in the fridge for a few hours before serving. I find that it really helps the pumpkin flavor mesh with the topping and holds its shape better, too.

Other Easy Pumpkin Desserts

Pumpkin Crisp – One of the most popular recipes on Dance Around the Kitchen! The smooth, perfectly spiced pumpkin filling and the crunchy topping is truly a match made in heaven!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars – Another favorite on Dance Around the Kitchen! With layers of streusel, cheesecake filling and a swirl of pumpkin, they’re gorgeous and so delicious!

Pumpkin Lush – Four layers make up this layered pumpkin dessert.  It’s a hit this time of year….and year-round!

Pumpkin Streusel Pie – Flavorful streusel topping makes an ordinary pumpkin pie super extraordinary!! Add a dollop of whipped cream and you’ll be in pumpkin heaven!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding – The ultimate fall dessert! With great pumpkin flavor, plenty of warm spices and a smooth and creamy vanilla sauce, this dessert is one you’ll make again and again!