Pumpkin Poke Cake 
Active Time: 15 mins
Chill Time: 1 day 1 hr
Total Time: 1 day 1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin purée
1 (15.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup whole milk
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 (8 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed
Topping ideas: chopped pecans, caramel topping sauce, toffee bar pieces, cinnamon spice, walnuts, mini white chocolate chips, chocolate-covered almond pieces, Mellowcreme Pumpkins, Halloween sprinkles
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray a 9- x 13-in. glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Make cake batter:
In a medium bowl, stir together the yellow cake mix, pumpkin puree, and milk until well combined.
Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. This is a very thick batter, so be sure to spread it as evenly as possible.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool in the dish on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes, until cooled slightly.
While the cake is cooling, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice.
Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake.
Pour the condensed milk mixture over the entire cake, taking special care to fill all the holes.
Cover and chill at least 3 hours, up to 24 hours. (A full 24 hours will give you the most moist, flavorful cake.)
Frost the cake with the whipped topping.
Add your toppings of choice. We used caramel sauce, toffee bar pieces, and chopped pecans.
Chill the cake for at least 1 hour before serving. Store in the refrigerator, and eat within 3 days.
Recipe Tips:
Pumpkin poke cake is a fairly easy recipe. Most bakers, even the ones who haven’t baked a lot, will have success. But with these extra helpful tips, you’ll find this cake even easier to make:
Milk swap: Make sure you get sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. The sweetness of the condensed milk is important for the cake’s flavor.
Let the cake cool: You don’t have to let the cake cool completely before adding the milk mixture. In fact, the cake will soak up the milk better if it’s still mostly warm when the milk is added. So once the cake is pulled from the oven, give it 10 to 15 minutes to cool slightly, then add the milk.
Right-sized holes: Don’t poke holes that are too small or too large. You should use a tool that’s not much bigger than the size of an ink pen. The handle of a wooden spoon is a great option, as is a straw. A toothpick or wooden skewer is too small.
Variations:
Garnishes: Customize your cake by choosing toppings that are unique to you and your loved ones’ tastes. While we used caramel drizzle, pecans, and Heath bar pieces, you can switch it up! Think walnuts, mini chocolate chips, chocolate-covered almond pieces, Mellowcreme Pumpkins, Halloween sprinkles, or even the ever-controversial candy corn.
Cake mix: We used yellow cake mix for our recipe, but next time, try spice cake or pumpkin cake.
Frosting: We like how light and fluffy whipped topping is against the rich, moist cake, but you could go for another option. Try cream cheese frosting or mascarpone frosting.
How To Store Pumpkin Poke Cake.
Cover any leftover pumpkin poke cake with storage wrap, and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cake will get more saturated as it sits, and after a while, it’ll be more of a pudding than a cake.
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living.com
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