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Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake

Averie Sunshine

4.49 from 100 votes

Updated: Sep 30, 2026

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Pumpkin Poke Cake 🎃🧡🍁 is so EASY and the BEST PUMPKIN CAKE ever! Two kinds of caramel sauce, toffee bits, chocolate chips, whipped topping and plenty of rich pumpkin spice flavor in this total WINNER you must make! People rave about this cake and it tastes so much more complicated than it really is! 😉

• 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 and caramel sundae sauce or topping are mixed together and this gets poured into the holes. Caramel sundae topping (like Smuckers) is thinner than the salted caramel sauce which enables it to sink in nicely to the poked holes.
• Whipped topping such as Cool Whip. You can use lite or fat free.
• Toffee bits
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips and I really love mini chocolate chips rather than full size so they scatter more evenly and you get little bits of chocolate in every bite.
• Salted caramel sauce is the finishing touch I love. Homemade salted caramel sauce is great, or use store bought like Trader Joe’s salted caramel sauce which is my default if I’m not making my own.

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 

1. Mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, egg, oil, and pumpkin pie spice. Turn into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and bake until done. 
2. Remove cake from the oven when it’s done and use the blunt end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.
3. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sundae topping, then evenly pour over the cake. 
4. Refrigerate cake for about 15 minutes, then evenly spread the whipped topping over the surface, sprinkle with toffee bits, chocolate chips, and evenly drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
5. Return to refrigerator for another 2 hours before serving. 

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.

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4.49 from 100 votes

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake

By Averie Sunshine

🎃🧡🍁 So EASY and the BEST PUMPKIN CAKE ever! Two kinds of caramel sauce, toffee bits, chocolate chips, whipped topping and plenty of rich pumpkin spice flavor in this total WINNER you must make! People rave about the cake and it tastes so much more complicated than it really is!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Video

Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking pan

Ingredients 

• ▢ 16.5 ounce box spice cake mix, (I like Duncan Heines, use your favorite brand; if it's a different size by 1-2 ounces, that's fine)
• ▢ 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ⅓ cup canola oil, (vegetable oil may be substituted)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 12 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ 12 ounce jar caramel sundae topping
• ▢ 8 ounce container whipped topping, thawed (I used fat free)
• ▢ ½ cup toffee bits
• ▢ ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ▢ ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce (storebought or homemade

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
• To a large bowl, add the cake mix, pumpkin puree, egg, oil, pumpkin pie spice, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on high until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Bake for about 27 to 30 minutes, or until cake is set in the center, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter.
• While the cake bakes combine the sweetened condensed milk, caramel sundae topping, and whisk to combine; set aside.
• Remove cake from the oven when it’s done and use the blunt end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake. I didn’t count but I estimate I poked the cake in about 60 places, evenly spaced over the surface.
• Slowly pour the sweetened condensed milk and caramel mixture over the cake, taking your time to evenly distribute it. 
• Place cake in the fridge for about 15 minutes to cool slightly before adding the whipped topping so it doesn’t melt.
• Remove cake from the fridge, evenly spread the whipped topping over the surface, evenly sprinkle with toffee bits, chocolate chips, and evenly drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
• Cover cake and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best) before slicing and serving.

Notes

Storage: Store this pumpkin poke cake in the fridge airtight for up to 5 days. It actually gets better with age as the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce oozes into the cake. Do not freeze the cake; the condensed milk mixture will affect the texture of the cake once frozen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 545cal, Carbohydrates: 85g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 438mg, Potassium: 318mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 68g, Vitamin A: 5793IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 168mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally posted August 26, 2016 and reposted August 26, 2022 with updated text.