Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake with Whipped Caramel Cream Frosting
A stunning dessert, this pumpkin caramel poke cake is so moist and perfectly spiced, and that whipped caramel cream frosting is to-die for!
If you need a showstopper of a fall dessert (pumpkin! caramel!), look no further. This cake comes together in three easy steps, which are detailed in full below!
Make the Cake
This easy one-bowl pumpkin cake batter is whisked together by hand. It comes together fast!
Literally all the ingredients except the flour are mixed together and then the flour is added and mixed until the batter is evenly combined.
Bake the cake in a 9X13-inch baking pan. Many types of pans will work: glass, ceramic, metal.
For metal pans, it’s preferable to use a light-colored metal pan as dark-coated metal pans can over bake the sides of the cake before the center is done.
Make the Easy Caramel Sauce
While the cake bakes, toss all the caramel sauce ingredients in a small saucepan (except for the vanilla).
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup salted butter, cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup milk, preferably not skim (I use 2%) – resist the urge to sub in heavy cream or half-and-half! Surprisingly, the sauce turns out far superior using regular milk.
- Pinch table salt
Once the butter is melted, simmer the caramel sauce for two minutes. Pull off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
For such a simple and quick caramel sauce, this stuff is amazingly divine!
It thickens as it cools and is the perfect consistency for this cake and the frosting, but it is also wonderful for dipping sliced apples, drizzling over ice cream, or wherever else caramel sauce is needed. (Hint: everywhere and on everything.)
Make the Caramel Cream Frosting
Oh, this frosting. It is unbelievably delicious. Caramel + cream cheese + cream.
For what it’s worth, you can hardly taste the cream cheese at all, but it adds necessary structure and creaminess to the frosting (and helps the frosting not to get liquidy if made ahead of time).
- Whip the cream cheese until soft and creamy.
- Add 3/4 cup of the completely cooled caramel sauce.
- Add the heavy cream* and mix until thick and lusciously creamy.
*Heavy Whipping Cream Note: I use heavy whipping cream with 40% fat (Darigold from Costco), which means it thickens well when mixed into the caramel/cream cheese without needing to be whipped on its own first. If you are using heavy whipping cream with less fat, you may need to whip it to soft peaks first before folding into the mixed cream cheese + caramel.
Assemble the Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake
- Poke holes all over the baked pumpkin cake. It can be slightly warm or fully cooled (to room temperature) at this point.
- BEST POKING APPARATUS goes toooooo: my super-sized knitting needle (which I have actually never knitted with 😆). You can use a wooden spoon handle, chopstick, or anything else that will create holes large enough for the thick caramel to soak in (the small tines of a fork will be too tiny for the thick caramel).
- Gradually drizzle 1 cup of the warm (but not hot) caramel sauce over the top of the cake and use a spatula to smooth and gently press the caramel into the holes. If the caramel is taking a while to sink into the cake, wait a few minutes to give the caramel time to sink into the cake, and then proceed until the full 1 cup of the caramel has been used.
- Let the cake and caramel cool completely before frosting. At this point, the cake can be covered and kept at room temperature for several hours before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cake and sprinkle with toffee bits.
Additional caramel note because I feel it is important to restate things a million times: It is best to spread the caramel sauce over the cake while the sauce is still slightly warm. If the caramel sauce has cooled or been chilled, lightly warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave and whisk to recombine before using. (The portion of caramel sauce used in the frosting should be completely cooled to room temperature.)
There are several additional notes in the recipe below, so make sure to read through it thoroughly before making the recipe!
My friend, Deb, introduced me to this cake. She made it for a holiday dinner with our family and has since made it for several baby showers, and it is always a hit (as in, people are swarming her for the recipe, and I’m begging for an invite even though I despise putting on real pants and leaving my house and have to pretend to know the mother and the baby just to get access to a piece of this cake).
It may look like a long, intimidating recipe, but I assure you, it is straightforward and comes together easily! I changed a few things in the original recipe to make it even more approachable and simple.
The soft, moist pumpkin cake smothered in caramel and topped with that luxurious frosting is absolutely to-die for and so worth it. Get ready for a completely perfect pumpkin dessert!
Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake with Whipped Caramel Cream Frosting
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 15-ounce can (425 g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (140 g) neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable oil
- 3 large (150 g) eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup (170 g) (12 tablespoons) butter, cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup (80 g) milk, preferably not skim (I use 2%)
- Pinch table salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Caramel Cream Frosting:
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (363 g) heavy whipping cream (see note)
- ½ to 1 cup toffee bits, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- For the cake, in a large bowl, add the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and ginger. Whisk until very well-combined.
- Add the flour and mix until the batter is fully combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch. (Add time, as needed – exact baking time will depend on pan type and exact oven temperature; don't over bake or the cake will be dry.)
- Remove from the oven and let cool until just slightly warm (it's ok if it cools completely, but the caramel soaks in better if the cake is still a bit warm).
- For the caramel sauce (make while the cake bakes), in a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, milk and salt. Heat over low heat until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes without stirring.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool to warm room temperature. You'll use 1 cup of the caramel sauce for the cake and the remaining 3/4 cup caramel sauce for the frosting.
- When the cake has mostly cooled but is still slightly warm, poke holes all throughout the top of the cake, making sure to poke all the way to the bottom of the cake. You can use a wooden spoon handle, chopstick, large knitting needle (my "utensil" of choice!) or anything else that you have on hand. The holes need to be large enough for the thick caramel to soak in (so don't use something as small as the tines of a fork).
- Gradually drizzle 1 cup of the warm (but not hot) caramel sauce over the top of the cake and use a spatula to smooth and gently press the caramel into the holes. If the caramel is taking a while to sink into the cake, stop pouring the caramel sauce over the top, wait a few minutes to give the caramel time to drizzle down into the cake, and then proceed until the full 1 cup of the caramel has been used.
- Let the cake and caramel cool completely before frosting. At this point, the cake can be covered and kept at room temperature for several hours before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- For the whipped caramel cream frosting, in a bowl with an electric handheld mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), add the cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup caramel sauce (this portion of sauce should be completely cooled before using). Mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the heavy cream (see note before adding!), and mix on low speed until the mixture is evenly combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the frosting is thick and creamy (and can easily be spread like frosting).
- Spread the frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake. Sprinkle with toffee bits, cut into squares, and serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired by a cake my friend, Deb, made); took the cake layer and adapted it slightly from these pumpkin bars, caramel recipe adapted from allrecipes
Thanks was a massive hit at Thanksgiving! A definite keeper recipe!!
My family LOVED this! My son made it to take to a youth bake off and had reviews there too.
Can I bake the cake Sunday (including poking the holes); front Monday and serve Tuesday?
I haven’t made it that far in advance, but it’s worth trying!
My darling husband brought home pumpkin pie filling, not pureed pumpkin. My own fault. I wrote the grocery list for myself, but he kindly offered to go since he was going out for beer anyway. I knew what pumpkin meant on my list. He guessed. I was making this for company and no time to replace said pie filling. I increased the flour 1/4 cup and decreased the white sugar by 1/3 cup. Dare I say the cake turned out perfectly. I am going to make it again this weekend properly to compare, but really was the most perfect cake the first time.
My daughter made this recipe. It was amazing – and I think even better the next day! It has now become our family’s favorite pumpkin dessert recipe – it beat out the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake. (That cake had been our favorite since 2020 when we had plenty of time and baked tons of different pumpkin recipes in search for the perfect one.) Thank you for creating amazing pumpkin recipes!
Such good feedback – thanks, Liz!!
Great cake. Easy to make. The carmel was so easy. An absolute no fail carmel sauce. Did I mention the frosting we like something I had never had before.
This is a wonderful, moist cake. The flavor is exceptional.
So yummy!
First of all im halfway through backing this and SO impatient to try because it smells and already tastes so good! I had to put my caramel in the fridge overnight though and it seemed to have separated, any tips on how to fix that or is just stirring enough?? I’m also curious on why the caramel can’t be poured over the cake hot. Cant wait for the finished result!
If the caramel separated, usually heating it on low and whisking to recombine should work. Pouring the caramel over the cake when it’s hot can make the cake soggy…it helps if it cools just a bit.
This was very easy to make. I did use store bought caramel sauce(Aldi). Instead of toffee bits we topped it with roasted pecans. Delicious! We will make this again.
Thanks, Kobi!
Mel. I make your recipes weekly possibly daily. I own your cookbook (a signed copy no less). I’m a huge fan. But dare I say, this is the best recipe you’ve ever posted?!?!?!? Like, this cake is insanely good!! I’m already thinking I should make this instead of pie for thanksgiving idk! But thank you for this recipe!! Never stop posting because you always make me look good!
Oh my gosh, Guiliana, this is the best comment. Thank you! So, so happy you loved this one!
Could I divide the cake batter into two square baking pans? I’d like to make one and give one to a friend. Thanks!
I think so! The cake layer will likely be a bit thinner split up that way, but it should work fine (keep an eye on the baking time).
This recipe is SO good!!!!!! I made this for a chili cook off party, and it’s got a great texture. I did leave out some nutmeg, and wished I had reduced the cream cheese just a tiny bit, but when served chilled, this cake is 😘😘😘😘😘
Thanks for the review, Tara!
Absolutely delicious! Made it into a Yankees World Series themed birthday cake and everyone loved it. I used a chopstick to make the holes and had to really spread the caramel but it soaked in perfectly. Will definitely be making this again. LETS GO YANKEES
Wow, that sounds amazing, Victoria!
I don’t like pumpkin, but I’m thinking I may have to try the caramel sauce this way in a chocolate or vanilla cake. Maybe with a whipped cream frosting and toffee bits?
Sounds like a great idea!
So good! Family is devouring it. I used a bamboo skewer for the holes in the cake, but the caramel didn’t soak in as well as I would have liked, so next time I’ll use something bigger that will allow the viscous caramel to soak in
Thanks for the review, Anne!
I noticed that the reserved 3/4 cup caramel sauce was not listed in the whipped frosting ingredients
Correct. I didn’t list it in the ingredients section because it’s not an independent ingredient (and could be confusing if someone thinks they need an additional 3/4 cup caramel sauce). That 3/4 cup comes from the caramel sauce ingredients listed above the frosting ingredients. Sorry it’s a bit confusing, hopefully that helps. It is detailed in the instructions.
Made it today for a baby shower and got rave reviews!! It’s exceptional!!!
It’s such a fantastic baby shower dessert!! So happy it was a hit!
Amazing! Love the flavor and texture. Thank you so much!!
Thanks, Amy! I’m thrilled you loved it! It’s such a fun, special cake!
Is there a reason you can’t use pumpkin pie filling?
Pumpkin pie filling has added ingredients like eggs and sugar and spices and is much runnier, so it will affect the overall flavor and texture of the cake.
Haven’t made this yet but wanted to know if you can use something in place of the oil.
You could try melted butter. Applesauce may also work in place of some of the oil.
I had everything for this cake so of course I made it immediately! It is SO good! The pumpkin cake is delicious then you drench it in caramel and that caramel cream cheese whipped frosting and it is fall perfection in a cake!! For being a from scratch cake and caramel sauce, it was really easy to put together. Thanks Mel! I always know my family will love a recipe if it is from you!!
Yay, Amy! Thanks for leaving a review; I’m so happy you loved this!!
How long is the bake time when using a bundt pan?
I haven’t made this in a bundt pan, but I’d check right around 40-45 minutes.
This looks perfect for our holiday book club!
Do you need a cream cheese frosting on it or could you put cool whip on the cake if it’s chilled first? Cool whip seems a bit lighter…
I think with cool whip, you’ll be missing that delectable creamy/caramel flavor, but you could experiment if that’s your preference.
You could try mixing a small box of instant butterscotch pudding with a cup of milk, then add this to a small container of cool whip. Still nice and light but has some flavor from the pudding. This is my “I am lazy” version of frosting.
This is delicious! It is almost identical to the Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake with Caramel Whipped cream that comes from Cake by Courtney.
Hi Kathy – thanks for the comment. I just took a peek at Courtney’s recipe – actually it’s quite different than this one. The cake batter has varying quantities of ingredients (my cake recipe is modeled after a pumpkin bar recipe on my site), and the caramel recipe is vastly different in ingredients and method (Courtney’s caramel recipe, while I’m sure very delicious, is much more involved and fussy than this simple caramel recipe). And her frosting doesn’t include cream cheese. So…definitely a similar vibe but very different base recipes! A quick google search shows there are several variations of this delightful pumpkin caramel poke cake floating around (I’m guessing my friend, Deb, who gave me this recipe, gleaned inspiration from those…and then I changed it up entirely, haha).
I am excited to try this recipe exactly as it is (I’ve been a fan of yours for 15 years now!) but I’m also wondering your thoughts on subbing sweet potato puree for the pumpkin puree, as our garden went a little crazy on the sweet potatoes this year. In your baking experience, can I generally sub that 1:1?
I haven’t tried that with this particular recipe, but usually sweet potato puree will sub pretty well for pumpkin. I’d say go for it!
Oh my gosh, you are a foodie soulmate for sure ! I haven’t checked your website for new recipes for a few weeks until right now. Last night I wanted sweet potato cake but a small one so I looked up a sweet potato cupcake recipe. Then I made simple syrup and added a few tbsp of rum. I don’t drink but someone gifted it to us so I made vanilla extract from it. I poked holes in the cake with a skewer and poured the syrup, it didn’t completely saturate the cake but it was nice and moist. I also made cream cheese frosting. The cake recipe was almost the same as this but with sweet potato puree. I had two big sweet potatoes so I’m thinking about making your carrot cake coffee cake with sweet potato in it instead of carrots
Sounds delicious, Gigi!
In the recipe above it doesn’t show any caramel in the frosting. The post read like there is caramel in the frosting too.
Step #7 in the recipe indicates how to use the caramel (1 cup for drizzling over the cake and 3/4 cup in the frosting). And then step #11 tells how to make the frosting (using the caramel). Does that help?
Melissa, see step #11.
Hi Mel: This sounds yummy and I will make it. However, there’s lots of sugar here: cake, caramel, icing and crumbles ( if using). If I were to cut down sugar, would I limit the amount in the cake itself? And if so, what amount do you think might work?
Thank you, Wendy
Hi Wendy, you’ll have to experiment cutting down the sugar in this recipe as I haven’t tried it. (There is no additional sugar in the frosting – the sweetness comes from the caramel sauce.)
The only thing holding me back from making this is the comment about it being best 1-2 hours after assembly. Does the cream breakdown or something? Unless its a party 15 servings of cake is a lot and would normally last a few days at my house.
Hi Karl, you can definitely keep munching on the leftovers for several days. I found that I liked the texture of the cake before it was refrigerated…but my family loved it the next day.