This pumpkin spice cake is soaked in sweet milk which is our family’s favorite way to enjoy cake. This cake reminds me of a Tres leches cake in pumpkin form, but since I didn’t use evaporated milk as the third milk, we’ll just call it a poke cake. It turned out nice and tender, with the lovely fall flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon spice tucked inside!
If you love all things pumpkin spice, check out the list of recipes below.
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Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Milk topping:
- 1 14 oz. canned sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup whole milk
Topping:
- 8 oz. cool whip can add more if desired
- cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
- Cream sugar and eggs until pale in color and creamy. Whisk in pumpkin puree and vegetable oil. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into a greased 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish (the cake will be thick in a regular 13 by 9-inch pan but is doable). Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes, then use a skewer to poke holes in the cake at 1/2-1-inch intervals. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and whole milk then pour evenly over the top of the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely, then top with whipped topping and sprinkle cinnamon over top as desired. Serve and enjoy! Storage notes and more below.
Notes
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Additional pumpkin recipes you may enjoy:
- Amish pumpkin custard pie
- Pumpkin pie cake
- Amish pumpkin cheesecake bars
- Pumpkin muffins with cheesecake topping
- Amish pumpkin whoopie pies
- Pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips
- Pumpkin torte recipe
- Soft pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting
Ingredients you will need for this pumpkin spice poke cake: whipped topping, pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, all-purpose flour, milk and vegetable oil.
Can cream cheese frosting be used for the topping?
Absolutely! However, cream cheese frosting is sweeter than whipped topping so keep that in mind if you decide to try it. I would recommend these recipes for browned butter cream cheese frosting or regular cream cheese frosting.
Step 1: Cream sugar and eggs until pale in color and creamy. Whisk in pumpkin puree and vegetable oil. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Note* Do not overmix.
Step 2: Pour the cake batter into a greased 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish (this batter makes a thick cake in a regular 13 by 9-inch pan but is doable). Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Note on cake pan sizes:
This cake batter recipe produces a good amount of cake. If you prefer your cake to be thinner, you may wish to divide the cake batter between a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and a smaller baking dish such as a ramekin or a mini casserole dish. It should still work in a regular 13 by 9-inch baking dish, but a bit on the thick side.
Step 3: Remove the cake from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes, then use a skewer to poke holes in the cake at 1-1/2-inch intervals. Combine the sweetened condensed milk and whole milk then pour evenly over the top of the cake.
Why is it important to evenly distribute the milk over the cake?
If more milk ends up in the center of the cake, the cake will inevitably be wet in the center and drier on the edges. Of course, you may wish to have the center wetter and edges drier if you know some of your guests or family don’t like milk and cake paired together.
Final step: Allow the cake to cool completely, then top with whipped topping and sprinkle cinnamon over top as desired. Serve and enjoy!
Storage notes for this pumpkin poke cake:
Because this cake is soaked with milk and topped with whipped topping I do not recommend leaving the cake at room temperature for more than an hour or two. This cake needs to be chilled in the refrigerator and can be kept for up to a week. For longer storage this cake can also be frozen, although I have not tried it personally.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a great day! Feel free to pin or print this recipe using the icons in the recipe card, but please leave a comment and recipe rating in exchange. Thank you for your support! -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight
