Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake

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You will fall in love with this easy-to-make Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake! A moist and tender spiced pumpkin cake, poked and filled with salted caramel sauce, then topped with a rich, creamy cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect cake to make for any fall gatherings, weekend get-togethers, or whenever you’re craving a decadent and delicious pumpkin cake.

While caramel apples are the classic fall treat, I think I’ve found my new favorite flavor combo: pumpkin caramel! This poke cake perfectly blends the earth sweetness of pumpkin with the gooey richness of caramel, and a delicious blend of spices to create a truly irresistible dessert.

Details About This Pumpkin Poke Cake

• Flavor: Like I said above, this cake is FULL of flavor thanks to the whole cup of pumpkin puree. Though, that’s not all! We add plenty of pumpkin pie spice and vanilla, too. Like in our pumpkin pie recipe, you can use pumpkin spice mix or each of those spices individually! Finally, our tangy cream cheese frosting and decadent caramel sauce are the perfect pairing to the pumpkin and spice flavors inside the cake. Every bite is truly SO DELICIOUS!
• Texture: Like with our chocolate fudge cake recipe, oil makes this cake soft and incredibly moist. Our pumpkin cupcakes are essentially the same recipe, but yields a reduced quantity of batter!
• Ease: This is a simple sheet cake, so it’s easy to prepare (no assembly/stacking required!). And just like just like our pistachio olive oil cake, carrot sheet cake, and lemon blueberry loaf, the cake batter comes together in only one bowl. Trust me, you will definitely need to have this recipe as an easy addition to your holiday menu!

How To Make This Pumpkin Poke Cake + Video

The full printable recipe is below, but here’s a quick description and a video to help you make this cake:

The first step is to spray and line your 9×13-inch pan. For this recipe, it’s best to use a metal baking pan. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients and then add wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely, then poke holes with a wooden spoon, pour caramel over the cake, and finish with the frosting. To make this cake easier, you can use store-bought caramel sauce!

https://www.tiktok.com/@bakerstable/video/7414219844389719339?_r=1&_t=8phCoAcrEnS

⊹ Want To Make Your Own Caramel? ⊹

We love to use caramel sauce in our recipes. It’s the perfect compliment to so many desserts and we use it so often that we gave it it’s own post to walk you through the steps.

What is Poke Cake?

If you’ve gotten this far and are still wondering what a poke cake is, let me explain. It’s a type of cake that’s baked, then poked with holes before being filled with a liquid or syrup, like seen above. This process adds extra moisture and flavor to the cake. It’s really that simple!

Also, you may have noticed that other poke cake recipes online are made with boxed cake mixes and flavored gelatin, but we wanted to give the iconic dessert a homemade makeover that’s perfect for fall/thanksgiving.

When you make this Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

Happy baking!
x, Caylie

4 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake

Author: Traci Crossland

Fall in love with this decadent pumpkin caramel poke cake. A moist and flavorful cake filled with gooey caramel and topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting. The perfect autumnal dessert!

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Prep Time: 35 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 15 slices

Ingredients

 

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Cake

• ▢ 3 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup pumpkin purée
• ▢ ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Caramel Sauce

• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

• ▢ 2 cups cream cheese, room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

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Instructions

 

Cake

• Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
• Spray a 9-inch x 13-inch pan with baking spray. Set aside.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk milk, eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together.
• Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.
• Whisk until combined.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Caramel Sauce

• Combine sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan.
• Cook, stirring continually, over medium-low heat until sugar melts and turns light gold.
• Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter.
• Mix in cream a little at a time.
• Stir in vanilla.

Frosting

• Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add powdered sugar in thirds, beating until smooth after each addition.
• Stir in vanilla.

Assembly

• Turn cooled cake out onto serving platter.
• Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake.
• Pour caramel sauce over cake, reserving ¼ cup.
• Spread to cover entire top and ensure it fills the holes.
• Spread frosting over top of cake.
• Swirl remaining caramel sauce into frosting.

Notes + Tips!

1. Pumpkin: We recommend using canned pumpkin puree over homemade/fresh for this recipe. Though, if you’re looking for a way to use up your homemade puree, 1 cup of fresh should work fine. Just remember that if you are using fresh, blot out as much excess moisture as you can using a clean towel. The flavor in this cake may vary based on the use of fresh vs canned. 
2. A Few Recipe Notes: Room temperature is about 70℉/21℃. | For the caramel, once the begins to sugar melt, the color will develop rapidly. Be careful not to overcook/burn it!

Tools You May Need (affiliate links)

• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (Set of 6) 
• 9-Inch Better Wire Whisk
• 9×13 Inch Sheet Pan
• Cake Tester
• All-Clad 2 Quart Pot
• Hand Mixer
• Offset Spatula

When you make this recipe, remember to tag @bakerstble or hashtag it #BakersTable!