Better than Pumpkin Pie Poke Cake
We all know that after Thanksgiving dinner comes the best part - pumpkin pie. This Better than Pumpkin Pie Poke Cake puts those pumpkin pie recipes to shame. It has all of your favorite fall flavors and so much more. It's made easy with the help of cake mix and canned pumpkin so that you can spend more time with your family and less time in the kitchen. This pumpkin cake is filled with sweetened condensed milk and topped with a cream cheese and Cool Whip frosting. As if that wasn't enough, add caramel, graham cracker crumbs, and pecans, and you've got a dessert that's so much better than pumpkin pie.
Notes
This poke cake recipe is inspired by one of our top fall desserts, Pumpkin Poke Cake, from Something Swanky.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (8-ounce) tub Cool Whip, defrosted
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- Caramel sundae sauce
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Chopped pecans
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl until a thick batter forms.
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Pour batter into a greased 2.75-quart baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for at least an hour or up until cake is completely cooled.
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Poke uniform holes into the cake using the end of a wooden spoon. Wipe off excess crumbs between pokes, if needed. Take care not to poke too close to the edges.
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Pour sweetened condensed milk over cake. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to smooth it across the entirety of the cake and pat down into holes. Refrigerate for one hour.
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In another bowl, combine Cool Whip with cream cheese and stir until combined. Mix in sugar until thoroughly incorporated.
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Spread Cool Whip mixture over the cake. Allow cake to set in fridge overnight.
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To serve, drizzle with caramel sundae sauce and garnish with graham cracker crumbs and chopped pecans.
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SissieSass
Sep 30, 2017
I agree with Edmund K that this is a must try. I love pumpkin everything too and I really want to see what this turns out like, but I am going to need a little piece with the sweetened condensed milk. Did this turn out extremely rich? My hubby is funny about really sweet stuff.
Editor Kaitlin
Oct 04, 2017
Hi SissieSass, The pumpkin spice flavor helps balance the sweetness of the other ingredients. I hope that helps! --Kaitlin, AFCAS Editor
Edmund K
Mar 03, 2017
For all the time I've spent in the kitchen, I've never really experimented with a poke cake. I love pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread and this is something I would definitely try. The caramel drizzle and the pecans are the perfect topping for this. I can't wait to give it a shot and see what friends and family think.
Princess Carolyn
Oct 07, 2016
This looks so good! I've had versions of this recipe before, but this one seems like one of the best. Delicious.
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