Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake with Pumpkin Glaze – The Gifted Gabber

I am so excited to bring you a brand new recipe today! I tinkered around and created a pumpkin spice poke cake with pumpkin glaze in the image of the most popular recipe on my blog – my butter pecan praline poke cake! 

This pumpkin poke cake recipe yields a delicious ooey gooey pumpkin cake. Just like with my butter pecan praline poke cake, I put pecans in it. You do not have to put pecans in yours if you don’t want to. I just like a little crunch and texture in my sweets. 

Making the Batter for Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake

The batter for pumpkin spice poke cake is pretty straight forward. I mean…dum, tum, tum…this pumpkin poke cake uses a spice cake mix for the base! See? Straight forward. Whereas my butter pecan poke cake uses icing in the batter, this pumpkin spice poke cake uses canned pumpkin to add a richness to the spice cake batter. 

Making Pumpkin Glaze for Pumpkin Poke Cake

I love making poke cakes with sweetened condensed milk over the Cool Whip topping. Then again, I’ve always loved cakes with glaze icing. 

Although I knew exactly what kind of pumpkin glaze I wanted to make for this poke cake, I had a really hard time deciding what to call it. Is it a pumpkin spice glaze? A cinnamon glaze? A pumpkin spice sauce? Stumped. I decided to keep things simple by just calling this a pumpkin glaze recipe. 

In addition to being a lovely topping for this pumpkin poke cake, this pumpkin glaze would be a fabulous pumpkin bread glaze. 

Making the pumpkin glaze does involve one stove top step. But the step is super simple and pretty quick! 

Simply, melt the butter first and then add all of the other pumpkin spice glaze ingredients! Note, I did add 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg to mine – which is not pictured in this shot above. 

Let the glaze simmer a bit on the stove and then pour it over the warm cake, following the instructions below. 

Glazing the Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake with this Pumpkin Bread Glaze

To make holes in my poke cakes, I just use the round handle of  a wooden spoon. You may prefer a tool that is smaller in circumference for smaller holes. My holes are bigger, and I am fine with it. I just aim to be consistent in the placement of the holes. 

You will also see that this particular cake cracked on top.

Why does a cake crack on the top?

One reason why a cake cracks is because the temperature may be too high or (in my case) the cake may be placed too high in the oven. Middle rack is the best area for a cake. My oven rack was in one of the higher positions and I didn’t notice it until the cake was already baking in the oven. No big deal.  Hey, I’m a working teacher mama blogger who gets things done when I can get them done! In the future, I may reshoot the photos for this cake. Until then…

The glaze is going to cover the cracks anyway, and it’s a POKE CAKE anyway! All the more crevices for that yummy pumpkin sauce to seep in! 

See? All covered up! 

Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake with Cinnamon Pumpkin Glaze

This delicious pumpkin poke cake with a cinnamon pumpkin sauce glazed over the top will impress your guests. Little will they know it all started with a spice mix cake mix!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 servings

Calories 359 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake Batter

• 1 box spice cake mix Duncan Hines brand is readily available in stores
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 can canned pumpkin with 1/4 cup reserved for later
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped optional

Cinnamon Pumpkin Glaze

• 4 tbsp butter salted or unsalted
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin reserved from earlier
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg optional
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped optional

Instructions

 

Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake Batter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 9x13 metal or glass cake pan.
• In large mixing bowl, combine all batter ingredients, except for pecans.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Add pecans and stir until blended.
• Pour batter into greased cake pan.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are browned, top is no longer jiggly, and edges start to pull slightly from pan. (Some ovens may need a longer cook time. Watch cake closely.)
• Set cake to cool on stove while you prepare pumpkin sauce.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Glaze

• In medium sauce pan, melt the butter.
• Add the condensed milk and pumpkin.
• Stir in the cinnamon and bring mixture to a heavy simmer.
• Remove from heat soon after pumpkin is well blended and glaze has thickened slightly.
• Gently add chopped pecans. (Optional)

Glazing the Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cake with the Pumpkin Glaze

• With the round bottom of a wooden spoon or utensil, poke 15-20 small holes into cake.
• Slowly pour the hot glaze over the warm cake, allowing glaze to fill holes.
• Allow cake to cool for at least two hours before cutting and serving.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 6gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 266mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 2gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 4861IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 2mg

Keyword pumkin spice cake, poke cake, pumpkin cake, pumpkin glaze, pumpkin sauce

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

I hope you make this ooey gooey pumpkin poke cake for you own enjoyment! If you like spice-filled desserts, be sure to check out my buttermilk spice muffins and my cinnamon oatmeal cookies! Also, there is my cinnamon carrot pie, arroz con leche, sweet plantains, and cinnamon roll muffins! And there there are also my easy cinnamon waffles! In the pumpkin spectrum, we have easy pumpkin dip and pumpkin spice latte! And if cake mix recipes are your jam, don’t forget about this amazing chocolate cake, this upside down blueberry cake, and our lemon strawberry poke cake from our other blog!