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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Pumpkin Poke Cake

    By: Jessica · Posted: Sep 3, 2022 · Updated: Oct 25, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Jump to Recipe 3 comments
    5 from 5 votes
    pumpkin poke cake recipe

    Pumpkin Poke Cake Recipe: With only 4 ingredients, this may just be your new favorite easy pumpkin dessert! It uses a cake mix, pudding mix, milk, and pumpkin puree!

    Quick Overview: You’ll bake this cake recipe for 25 minutes and then chill for 2 hours! Simple, easy, sweet, and perfect for fall! Next, you’ll want to try these pumpkin cheesecake bites, so you can really capture the taste of fall!

    Pumpkin Poke Cake on Plate with bite on fork

     

    Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

    During pumpkin season, pumpkin spice poke cake or, if you choose, to add caramel, this pumpkin caramel poke cake, will be one of your new favorite pumpkin desserts! (Well, besides these pumpkin cheesecake bars and this pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust, of course!)

    You will want to make this easy poke cake recipe a few hours in advance, as it has a 2 hour chill time but it’s going to be WORTH IT! (Since this has a chill time, you might as well make this no bake peanut butter pie while you’re at, so it can be chilling too!)

    Although this pumpkin pie poke cake calls for a spice cake mix, you can easily use a white cake mix or yellow cake mix, and choose which pudding mix you prefer, making this a totally customizable dessert! (See more about this below!)

    Jump to:
    • Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • How to Serve Pumpkin Poke Cake
    • Substitutions
    • Topping Ideas
    • Storage
    • More Pumpkin Desserts and Cake Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients

    Like our lemon poke cake, you won’t need a lot of ingredients to make this dessert, so go ahead, grab your favorite flavors from the grocery store, and get ready to make this dessert on repeat during the time of year where you crave fall flavors!

    pumpkin poke cake recipe ingredients
    Ingredients for pumpkin poke cake
    • 15.25 ounce Spice Cake mix (or yellow cake mix or white cake mix if you prefer – it may just lack the “spice” of fall flavors, so you may want to add a little pumpkin pie spice.)
    • 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
    • 2 – 3.4 ounce instant pudding mix (Use can choose to use 2 cheesecake flavor puddings or combine 1 white chocolate pudding with 1 vanilla pudding!)
    • 4 cups of milk (for the standard pudding box directions)

    Instructions

    1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
    pumpkin puree in bowl with cake mix
    Cake Mix and pumpkin puree
    1. Next, in a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin puree until fully mixed. 
    Pumpkin puree and cake mix, mixed together
    Pumpkin puree and spiced cake mix in bowl, mixed together
    1. Pour the cake batter in to a greased 8×10, square or 9×13 baking dish and spread evenly.
      (This recipe was made in an 8×10 size baking dish so if you do use a bigger cake pan, the bake time may vary if a larger. So be sure to watch the cake, as a bigger baking dish will make the batter more thin, and cook faster.
    Pour cake mix and pumpkin in to baking dish
    Pour cake mix batter in to baking dish
    1. Then, bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in to the center, comes out clean.
    Baking dish filled with pumpkin cake batter
    Cake batter in baking dish ready for baking

    Poke and Fill

    1. As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, grab a wooden spoon that has a narrow end, and poke holes, about 1 inch apart, over the entire top of the cake.
    holes poked in to baked cake
    Once baked, poke holes in top of cake with wood spoon handle
    1. In a small bowl, mix the instant pudding according to the package directions.
    Pudding mixture - in mixing bowl
    Prepare instant pudding
    1. Next, scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and pour the pudding over the top of the cake, slowly, allowing the mixture to settle into the holes. 
    Pour pudding over the top of warm cake
    Pour instant pudding mix over cake and in to holes
    1. Next, refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
    After cake has chilled, remove from refrigerator
    Chill cake in refrigerator for 2 hours

    Finally, decorate with sprinkles, cinnamon, or white chocolate chips if preferred! See our list of ideas below!

    Sliced pumpkin poke cake on plate
    Serve chilled

    Or, if desired, you can drizzle with Torani Pumpkin Pie syrup, caramel syrup or chocolate syrup!

    Drizzle caramel sauce on cake
    If desired, drizzle with caramel sauce or favorite toppings

    How to Serve Pumpkin Poke Cake

    Surprisingly, this cake is delicious, served cold! But it can also be served at room temperature if desired.

    Slice of pumpkin poke cake with bite on fork
    Pumpkin Caramel Drizzle Cake

    Substitutions

    If you don’t have spice cake mix on hand, you can use different flavors of cake mix. Such as white cake mix, or yellow cake mix. However, when using a different cake mix flavor, it can lack the fall flavors of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, etc. So it may not give the exact flavor of this exact recipe but I’m sure it would still be delicious!

    Topping Ideas

    If you’d like to top the top layer of this cake, you can add:

    • nuts (pecans, walnuts)
    • mini chocolate chips
    • chopped candies
    • syrups
    • cinnamon
    • sprinkles
    • toffee bits
    • brown sugar
    • ice cream toppings (like caramel sundae sauce)
    • whipped topping (or Cool Whip)

    Storage

    If you have leftover pumpkin cake, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, to stay moist. If desired, you can also freeze the cake, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.

    More Pumpkin Desserts and Cake Recipes

    Poke cake recipes are so easy! If you love easy dessert recipes, then I know you’ll also love this pumpkin fluff, pumpkin cream cheese bread, and this ugly duckling cake!

    Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

    Recipe

    Slice of pumpkin poke cake on plate with fork

    Pumpkin Poke Cake

    Jessica Burgess
    Pumpkin Poke Cake Recipe: With only 4 ingredients, this may just be your new favorite easy pumkin dessert! You'll need: a cake mix, pudding mix, milk and pumpkin puree!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 8 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Chill Time 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 33 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 281 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 15.25 ounces boxed spice cake mix 1 box
    • 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
    • 2 boxes instant pudding mix (2 Cheesecakes or 1 vanilla and 1 white chocolate) 3.4 ounces each
    • 4 cups milk to make standard pudding directions
    • optional toppings (caramel drizzle, chocolate chips, etc.)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
    • Using a spoon, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin puree in a mixing bowl, until fully combined. 
    • Spread the batter evenly in to a greased 8×10, square or 9×13 baking pan. (This recipe was made in an 8×10 size baking dish so bake time may vary if larger, wider pan is used.) 
    • Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in to the center, comes out clean.
    • As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, poke holes, that are about 1 inch apart, with the skinny, with the end of a wooden spoon, over the entire surface of the cake.
    • Prepare the instant pudding, using the 4 cups of milk, according to package directions.
    • Pour the pudding liquid over the surface of the cake, slowly, allowing the mixture to settle into the holes. 
    • Place the baking dish/cake in the refrigerator, for at least 2 hours before serving.
    • Decorate with sprinkles, cinnamon, Torani Pumpkin Pie sauce or white chocolate chips if desired. (See blog post for more ideas!)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 5648IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords poke cake recipe, pumpkin cake, pumpkin dessert recipes, pumpkin poke cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

      5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    1. Diana says

      May 16, 2022 at 9:02 am

      5 stars
      I made this over the weekend when we had family over, and everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
    2. Toni says

      May 16, 2022 at 8:46 am

      5 stars
      Such an amazing dessert!! Really impressive and easy to make!

      Reply
    3. Taylor says

      May 16, 2022 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      We LOVED this cake! So moist and fluffy with amazing pumpkin flavor. We topped ours with cool whip and it was so so delicious. Will definitely make again!

      Reply

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    Jessica Burgess of Fantabulosity, slicing an avocado.

    Hi, I'm Jessica! - Owner and Creator of the blog and brand, Fantabulosity.

    I’m here to teach you how to make quick and easy recipes, using simple ingredients, that your family will love.

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