This pumpkin poke cake skips the caramel and fills a spiced cake mix with white chocolate pudding instead so it stays nice and moist. It’s a super easy make ahead fall dessert!
Why this recipe works
Spiced pumpkin cake, poked and filled with white chocolate pudding, then topped with whipped cream. Nearly every other pumpkin poke cake recipe you will find pours sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce into the holes, which sounds amazing, but tends to be overly sweet and wet. Plus, poke cakes are known for their pudding, so how could we possibly leave it out?
We’re starting with a pumpkin cake mix which makes this recipe quick and easy, but for the best flavor and texture, it’s best to let your poke cake rest in the fridge for a couple of hours. I would call this a doctored cake mix because there’s no oil and no water in the batter. The canned pumpkin and the applesauce keep the crumb tender and adds moisture, it honestly tastes homemade!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
PUDDING – Vanilla or French vanilla instant pudding will both work here if you can’t seem to find white chocolate pudding. Be sure to use instant pudding, not the cook n serve kind.
SPICE CAKE MIX – I used a 15.25 ounce box, but weights have changed and vary from brand to brand. Any brand of spice cake mix will do and if your weight is off by an ounce or two, it will be totally fine. If you prefer to make it from scratch, I have a great homemade pumpkin cake recipe!
PUMPKIN PUREE – You’ll want plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in, and oddly enough, we don’t need that extra flavor here. You get enough from the spice mix and pudding!
APPLESAUCE – This replaces the oil the cake mix box calls for. I use an unsweetened 4 ounce snack container, the kind that come in packs. It’s already measured out for you so you don’t have an open container of applesauce in the fridge.
MILK – Whole milk gives the pudding the richest set, though whatever you keep in the door of your refrigerator will thicken fine.
WHIPPED TOPPING – Cool Whip Lite is easy, stable, and doesn’t require any mixing, but you can swap it with a cup of heavy whipping cream beaten with a tablespoon of powdered sugar if you’d prefer to make it yourself. Fresh whipped cream is softer and doesn’t hold up as long, so if you plan on making this cake ahead of time I would suggest using Cool Whip or not adding your whipped cream until an hour or two before serving.
How to Make Pumpkin Poke Cake with Pudding
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, and applesauce in a mixing bowl. Mix for 30 seconds on low to combine, then increase speed to medium-high for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 26-33 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for ten minutes.
- Once cooled, poke holes in the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon. We made large holes rather far apart, you can space them closer together if you want more pudding disbursed.
- Add pudding mix and cinnamon to milk in a large measuring cup and whisk together well.
- Pour pudding carefully into each hole. When each hole is full (you will have pudding left over), spread any excess pudding that is already on the cake evenly across the top. Chill both the cake and the leftover pudding separately for about two hours.
- Remove cake from the refrigerator and spread the remaining pudding over the top of the cake.
- Stir the whipped topping and drop it in dollops onto the top of the cake. Carefully spread it over the cake. Add any optional garnishes such as chopped walnuts and caramel drizzle. If you are making this ahead, wait to add crunchy toppings like nuts until just before serving. Keep refrigerated when not being served.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
A poke cake is a sheet cake that’s poked with holes after baking so a filling can soak down inside. The filling is usually pudding, jello, or a sweetened milk mixture, and it is what gives poke cakes their distinctive striped look when you cut a slice. They were popularized in the early 1970s using quick and easy pantry staple ingredients.
They are two different things that often get grouped together. A poke cake is baked first and then filled through holes you make yourself. A pumpkin dump cake is assembled by dumping the ingredients into the pan in layers and baking it all at once, so it comes out more like a cobbler with a crisp top. If you want the creamy striped interior, you want a poke cake.
Use the handle of a wooden spoon rather than a fork or a straw. Pudding is thicker than jello and it needs a larger channel to travel down. I make fairly large holes spaced a good distance apart, which gives you defined pockets of pudding when you slice it. If you would rather have the pudding spread more evenly through the cake, space the holes closer together.
If this is the case, it likely sat too long before it went onto the cake. Instant pudding starts setting the moment it hits the milk, so you want it thin and pourable when it goes into the holes, not thickened. Poke all of your holes first, before you mix anything, so the cake is ready and waiting. Then whisk the pudding mix, milk, and cinnamon together and pour it over the cake right away. If it does start to firm up on you, whisk it hard for a few seconds to loosen it back up before you pour.
The canned pumpkin and the applesauce replace them both. Skip whatever the back of the cake mix box tells you and follow the recipe card here instead.
Yes. Vanilla or French vanilla instant pudding both work well. Just make sure it is instant.
Yes. There is pudding and whipped topping on this cake, so it needs to stay in the refrigerator whenever it is not being served.
Absolutely, in fact, you sort of need to. The cake and the reserved pudding both need about two hours in the refrigerator before the cake is assembled and topped, so plan for that. You can also go further and assemble the whole thing the day before. It holds really well overnight in the refrigerator, which makes it an easy one to prep the night before Thanksgiving!
You can, but you will need to add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the batter to make up for the lack of flavor. Everything else stays the same, including the cinnamon that goes into the pudding.
Storage and Freezing Information
Keep this cake covered in the refrigerator whenever it is not being served. Leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days.
The pudding and whipped topping layers actually hold up well to thawing, so you can easily freeze this poke cake. I prefer to freeze it in slices rather than the entire pan, though. If you do so, flash freeze the slices on a baking sheet first. Once solid, wrap each slice individually and store them in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator.
You can also bake and freeze the cake layer on its own. Let it cool completely, wrap it well, and freeze. When you want to finish it, thaw the cake, poke your holes and go ahead with the pudding and topping from there.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish your pumpkin poke cake with chopped nuts and a caramel drizzle. I used to make this plain with just the whipped topping, which was amazing all on its own. Serve chilled, cut into squares, and enjoy!
This is a cake that wants to be the easy thing on a crowded table. It comes out of the refrigerator ready to cut and holds its own next to a pumpkin slab pie if you are the sort of household where one pumpkin dessert is never enough. For a fall gathering, I like putting out a tray of pumpkin cinnamon rolls earlier in the day and a bowl of roasted pumpkin seeds on the counter. If you are building a whole dessert spread, a pan of pumpkin cheesecake brownies gives people a second option that is not another sheet cake.
More Easy Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Chocolate Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Pumpkin Trifle
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
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Pumpkin Poke Cake with Pudding
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate It Text ItIngredients
- 1 box Spice flavored cake mix I used a 15.25 ounce box
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree PLAIN, canned
- 3 eggs at room temp
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce the 4 ounce snack containers are perfect
- 3.3 ounces white chocolate instant pudding
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip Lite OR 1 cup heavy whipping cream whipped with a tablespoon of powdered sugar
Optional Garnish
- chopped nuts such as walnuts
- caramel sauce for drizzling
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can substitute vanilla or french vanilla for white chocolate pudding.
- Be sure to use INSTANT pudding.
- I use one unsweetened 4 ounce snack container of applesauce, the kind that comes in packs. It’s already measured out for you so you don’t have an open container of applesauce in the fridge.
- Whole milk gives the pudding the richest set, though whatever you keep in the door of your refrigerator will thicken fine.
- I used a 15.25 ounce box, but weights have changed and vary from brand to brand. Any brand of spice cake mix will do and if your weight is off by an ounce or two, it will be totally fine.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, and applesauce in a mixing bowl. Mix for 30 seconds on low to combine, then increase speed to medium-high for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 26-33 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for ten minutes.1 box Spice flavored cake mix, 15 ounces pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- Once cooled, poke holes in the cake using the handle of a wooden spoon. We made large holes rather far apart, you can space them closer together if you want more pudding disbursed.
- Add pudding mix and cinnamon to milk in a large measuring cup and whisk together well.3.3 ounces white chocolate instant pudding, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 cups milk
- Pour pudding carefully into each hole. When each hole is full (you will have pudding left over), spread any excess pudding that is already on the cake evenly across the top. Chill both the cake and the leftover pudding separately for about two hours.
- Remove cake from the refrigerator and spread the remaining pudding over the top of the cake.
- Stir the whipped topping and drop it in dollops onto the top of the cake. Carefully spread it over the cake. Add any optional garnishes such as chopped walnuts and caramel drizzle. If you are making this ahead, wait to add crunchy toppings like nuts until just before serving. Keep refrigerated when not being served.8 ounces Cool Whip Lite
Expert Tips & FAQs
- The optional garnishes (nuts and caramel) are not included in the nutrition facts listed below.
- Keep this cake covered in the refrigerator whenever it is not being served. Leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
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Cheri Oggy says
I absolutely love poke cakes and this one sounds both easy and delicious!!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Cheri, it is really good. Hope you get a chance to try it!