Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake

Celebrate the season with pumpkin poke cake!

18 Comments

MAKES: 15 squares

CHILL TIME: 4 Hr

COOK TIME: 25 Min

You're going to love this seasonal version of our favorite poke cake recipe. The creamy vanilla pudding, delightful whipped topping, and the delicious pumpkin flavor make this easy poke cake recipe our most decadent way to enjoy fall time desserts. Our Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake is perfect through-and-through!

Poke cakes are one of those desserts that everyone is happy to see on the table. Whether you're making it for your spouse and kids, or whether you're bringing it to a big group gathering, you can be sure that this pumpkin poke cake will satisfy. We love the combination of the creamy vanilla pudding with the rich spices in the cake. It's a combination that might go out of season, but it never goes out of style.

We also love that this recipe is super easy to make. It requires a little advanced planning, since you have to let the cake chill, but the hands on time is nice and short. This pumpkin poke cake is so easy to make that you won't even mind if your family asks you to make a second one!

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What You'll Need

1 (15.25-ounce) package spice cake mix
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
2 eggs
3/4 cup water
2 (4-serving size) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, and water until thoroughly combined. Pour into baking dish.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke 25 to 30 holes in cake.
In a large bowl, whisk pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and milk until slightly thickened. Pour mixture into holes and spread evenly over top of cake. Spread whipped topping on top, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Mr. Food Test Kitchen Tip

If you want to take this to another level, maybe garnish it with pumpkin candy decorations that you can find in the baking aisle, or your favorite holiday treats, like candy corn.
Looking for more amazing poke cake recipes? Try our Hawaiian Poke Cake for something tropical, or our Cinnamon Bun Poke Cake for something extra sweet.
You'll find even more delicious poke cakes here in this collection of our All-Time Best Poke Cake Recipes!
Be sure to check out our White Cake Recipes for a dessert that's classically delicious!

Nutritional InformationShow More

Servings Per Recipe: 15

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Calories 245
Calories from Fat 69
Total Fat 7.7g 12 %
Saturated Fat 5.5g 27 %
Trans Fat 0.1g 0 %
Protein 4.4g 9 %

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Cholesterol 29mg 10 %
Sodium 345mg 14 %
Total Carbohydrates 38g 13 %
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
Sugars 26g 0 %

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acook 8340041

Dec 02, 2016

I really liked this poke cake! While I'm not a huge pumpkin fan, this recipe has to be the exception. The pumpkin-y flavor in every bite was delicious. I will be making it every fall from now on!

tracybertie 576875 6

Nov 10, 2016

Tried this recipe? What did you think?

wyantjoann

Oct 30, 2016

Hi there, I was wandering if the test kitchen or anyone has tried the "Pumpkin Pie" flavored pudding mix for this? It's a seasonal pudding they bring out. Just curious, either way I will be making this for the holidays. ) Thanks and have a nice Holiday.

Test Kitchen Team

Oct 31, 2016

Hi there! While the Test Kitchen has not made this recipe with pumpkin pie flavored pudding, we believe that it is an acceptable substitution. Enjoy!

ddmorado 1734451

Oct 18, 2016

so, whats the difference between this and pumpkin bars? I cant get spice cake mix here in Mexico. Maybe you have a made-from-scratch spice cake recipe you could share for those of us who do not have all those conveniences available? Please?

Test Kitchen Team

Oct 19, 2016

Hello! - You can also make this using a box of yellow cake mix and adding in the spice ingredients yourself (about 1-1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice). We've also got a recipe for "Roaring Twenties Cake," which is a made-from-scratch spice cake. We have not tested this recipe starting this way, so we're not sure if it would work exactly. However, if you decide to give it a try, please keep in mind that our homemade spice cake is made for a smaller pan, so you'll have to cut all the other ingredients in this recipe by half. If you decide to give it a try, we'd love to hear how it turned out for you!

debbiew1 2109035

Oct 15, 2016

Tried this recipe? What did you think?

spoodledike79 5938 444

Oct 11, 2016

Poke the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon. Works great. Press the filling down in each hole, they spread the rest of it over the top. The cake looks wonderful. Can't wait.

timricker1 3935392

Oct 05, 2016

I don't have pumpkin pie spice. What can I substitute? (I do have cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, but what portions would I use)?

jhomer5 0079175

Oct 04, 2016

Could I use canned pumpkin pie mix and omit the spice?

Test Kitchen Team

Oct 05, 2016

Hi there! While the Test Kitchen has not made this recipe with this substitution, we do believe that it's okay to do so. Let us know how this works out for you. Enjoy!

nopalito

Oct 03, 2016

When poking the cake, try using a fried turkey injector without the needle to fill the holes in your cake. Just fill the barrel with the "poking" mixture and inject into each hole. It will be a little messy, but worth the mess when you cut into your cake. Then simply pour the rest of the mixture over the cake.

JeanneMSvaal 08949 58

Oct 02, 2016

I look forward to making this recipe in the coming weeks....I was wondering what was sprinkled on top of the whipped topping (cool whip).....was it pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon..... before you cut the cake and add the candies??

Test Kitchen Team

Oct 04, 2016

Hi there! When the Test Kitchen made this recipe, we topped the cake with some cinnamon. You can use pumpkin spice as well if you'd like. We hope that you enjoy this cake as much as we did when we made it in the Test Kitchen. Enjoy!

slyndysal 3325241

Sep 24, 2016

Thank you for the cook book. I am going to take it to Florida for the Holidays and bake so many wonderful cookies. Thank you, again, And (early, Merry Christmas.

Test Kitchen Team

Sep 26, 2016

Thank you for comment! Same to you. Enjoy!

jackiebetron 10290 74

Sep 24, 2016

This cake was so easy to make and that's what I love, easy recipes. The taste of the cake is so yummy. Im going to make this again and again and again. Thank you for the recipe.

Foodismylife

Sep 22, 2016

Yes, yes, yes! This cake is sooooooo good and really easy to make. It's a must-have if you love pumpkin flavored desserts. I love that it's moist all the way through, and that each bite has some creamy pudding to it (that's the beauty of poke cakes!!).