Julie Clark
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Pumpkin Poke Cake
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This chocolate chip pumpkin poke cake is filled with melty chocolate chips and topped with a light whipped mascarpone frosting. The taste of the pumpkin paired with the whipped topping makes for an irresistible cake.
There are so many cake recipes that I could say were my favorite, like almond cream cake or zucchini chocolate chip cake. But none are quite like this pumpkin poke cake. It’s like the cake that you may forget about but when fall rolls around, it always proves itself to be a front-runner since it is full of fall flavors.
Why This Pumpkin Poke Cake Deserves a Spot on Your Table
Poke cakes are such a timeless dessert. I grew up eating strawberry jello cake with Cool Whip on warm summer days. And now one of my summer favorites is strawberry crunch poke cake.
After making our chocolate tres leches cake this summer, I had the idea of making a pumpkin poke cake with a sweetened condensed milk soak. This recipe starts with a box cake mix and has pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice in the cake batter.
I chose to set aside the cream cheese frosting that normally goes so well with pumpkin and instead made a mascarpone whipped frosting that is lightly sweet. It makes such an easy pumpkin dessert and is great for the holidays because you can make it in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
This cake is excellent served as is, or drizzle it with caramel sauce and top with pecans for a little texture and crunch.
You may also love our cinnamon cupcakes, cookies with toffee bits and pumpkin bundt cake.
Enjoy! -Julie
Key Ingredients
- I chose to use a spice cake mix since the cake was going to be spiced anyway. But a yellow cake mix or white cake mix would also work well.
- Use pumpkin puree from a can, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Make homemade pumpkin pie spice!
- Mascarpone is a soft cheese that you can buy near the cream cheese or in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store. I also use mascarpone in our berry dip and raspberry tarts.
Pumpkin Poke Cake with Chocolate Chips
This pumpkin poke cake is filled with melty chocolate chips and topped with a light whipped mascarpone frosting. The intensity of the pumpkin paired with the light topping makes for an irresistible cake!
Servings 15
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 box Betty Crocker spice cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ cups mini chocolate chips
FOR THE DRIZZLE:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 6 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, oil, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35- 40 minutes until the cake tests done with a toothpick. 1 box Betty Crocker spice cake mix, 3 large eggs, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ¾ cup water, ½ cup vegetable oil, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1½ cups mini chocolate chips
- While the cake is baking, in a small bowl combine the condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- When the cake comes out of the oven, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.Slowly pour the condensed milk over the cake, allowing it to soak into the holes. Use a rubber spatula to smooth if needed.
- Using a hand mixer, blend the cheese, powdered sugar, pie spice and vanilla on low until fully incorporated. 6 ounces mascarpone cheese, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the heavy cream to the mixture and mix on low, scraping the sides, until it is fully mixed in. Whip the mixture on high for 2 minutes, or until the cream stiffens and holds its shape. 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- Spread the whipped frosting over the cooled cake. Top with mini chocolate chips, walnuts, or with a caramel drizzle. 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 328mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 3215IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 1mg
How to Make Pumpkin Poke Cake: Step by Step
Make the cake. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, oil, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the greased 9×13″ cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes.
Make the milk soak. Combine the condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl and mix well. Poke holes all over the cake, then slowly pour the condensed milk over the cake, allowing it to soak into the holes. Use a rubber spatula to smooth if needed.
Make the frosting. Using a whisk attachment, blend the cheese, sugar, pie spice and vanilla on low until fully incorporated. Add the heavy cream to the mixture and mix on low, scraping the sides, until it is fully mixed in. Whip the mixture on high for 2 minutes, or until the cream stiffens and holds its shape. Spread the whipped frosting over the cooled cake or pipe it in pretty swirls if you’d like! Top the pumpkin poke cake with more chocolate chips.
