This week’s recipe is one of my all time favorites and hopefully it becomes one of yours too! It is a Poke Cake. There are so many different recipes and flavors you could do using this same method and believe me they will all taste delicious. This is one of my favorite flavors using this method and I hope you guys enjoy. I always tend to change up some ingredients in the recipe to what I prefer so some of these ingredients could be substituted with other ingredients.

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake:

Ingredients:

• 1 (15.25oz/ 433g) box yellow or vanilla cake mix *(using exact weight is important; see note)
• 1 cup (8oz/ 227g) canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ½ cup water
• ⅓ cup vegetable or sunflower oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (reduce to 2 teaspoons if you don’t like a lot of spice; see not for substitution)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• For the caramel topping:
• 2½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 1¼ cups (8¾oz/ 248g) packed dark brown sugar (light is fine)
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 oz/ 85g) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Other toppings:
• 1 (14 oz/ 397g) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
• 1½ cup very cold heavy whipping cream or 1 (12 oz) tub whipped topping
• ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Instructions:

For the pumpkin cake:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350F/180C. Grease or spray the bottom of a 13×9-inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin puree, water, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until well combined.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 26 to 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Meanwhile make the caramel topping.

To make the caramel topping:

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream, brown sugar and butter over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes (set a timer), stirring frequently, until thickened to the consistency of thick caramel sauce and deepens in color. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
2. Measure out ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the caramel and set aside in a small bowl. Measure out another 2 tablespoons of the topping and set aside in another small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature; they will later be used to make the whipped cream and to garnish the cake. Allow the remaining caramel topping in the saucepan to cool slightly, about 5 minutes before pouring over the cake.

To assemble the cake:

1. Poke warm cake every inch, ¾ of the way down, with the handle of a wooden spoon or the thick end of a chopstick. Slowly pour condensed milk all over cake. Let stand until milk has been absorbed into cake, about 5 minutes. Slowly drizzle the hot caramel topping, pressing slightly with a spatula into holes.
2. Allow the cake to cool completely before topping with the caramel whipped cream.
3. Spread the caramel whipped cream (recipe below) over the the cooled cake, sprinkle with the chopped pecans and drizzle with the reserved and cooled caramel topping. Warm the caramel slightly, if too stiff to work with,

To make the caramel whipped cream:

1. For best whipping results, place the bowl of the electric mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for about 10 minutes to get them really cold before using.
2. In the chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream with the chilled whisk attachment until foamy.
3. Add in the reserved, cooled *(see note below) 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons caramel topping. Whip together until the caramel is incorporated and stiff peaks form. Alternatively, if using ready-made whipped topping, simply fold in the caramel topping.
4. The caramel whipped cream, is now ready to use as directed in step 3 of ‘assembling the cake.’

My personal tips:

1. If you do not want to have to make the caramel topping just buy some at your local market believe me it will taste just as delicious
2. You could switch out the pumpkin cake for just a simple vanilla cake or chocolate cake mix
3. Cool whip works just as well as making your own whip cream
4. Use a straw with a bigger whole so that way the filling could soak into the cake

This may seem like a very fall type recipe but I make this recipe during any time of the year and I absolutely love it. This cake is one of the moistest cakes I have ever eaten and the way the cake soaks up the caramel gives the cake a delicious flavor. I hope everyone has a chance to try out this delicious cake and if you don’t- you don’t know what you’re missing.