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Square of pumpkin caramel poke cake with bite taken out and topped with frosting and toffee bits.

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake with Whipped Caramel Cream Frosting

Yield: 15 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cooling Time:: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 15-ounce can (425 g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup (140 g) neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 large (150 g) eggs
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour

Caramel Sauce:

  • 1 ½ cups (318 g) packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (170 g) (12 tablespoons) butter, cut into pieces
  • ⅓ cup (80 g) milk, preferably not skim (I use 2%)
  • Pinch table salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Caramel Cream Frosting:

  • 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (363 g) heavy whipping cream (see note)
  • ½ to 1 cup toffee bits, for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • For the cake, in a large bowl, add the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and ginger. Whisk until very well-combined.
  • Add the flour and mix until the batter is fully combined.
  • Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch. (Add time, as needed - exact baking time will depend on pan type and exact oven temperature; don't over bake or the cake will be dry.)
  • Remove from the oven and let cool until just slightly warm (it's ok if it cools completely, but the caramel soaks in better if the cake is still a bit warm).
  • For the caramel sauce (make while the cake bakes), in a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, milk and salt. Heat over low heat until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes without stirring.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool to warm room temperature. You'll use 1 cup of the caramel sauce for the cake and the remaining 3/4 cup caramel sauce for the frosting.
  • When the cake has mostly cooled but is still slightly warm, poke holes all throughout the top of the cake, making sure to poke all the way to the bottom of the cake. You can use a wooden spoon handle, chopstick, large knitting needle (my "utensil" of choice!) or anything else that you have on hand. The holes need to be large enough for the thick caramel to soak in (so don't use something as small as the tines of a fork).
  • Gradually drizzle 1 cup of the warm (but not hot) caramel sauce over the top of the cake and use a spatula to smooth and gently press the caramel into the holes. If the caramel is taking a while to sink into the cake, stop pouring the caramel sauce over the top, wait a few minutes to give the caramel time to drizzle down into the cake, and then proceed until the full 1 cup of the caramel has been used.
  • Let the cake and caramel cool completely before frosting. At this point, the cake can be covered and kept at room temperature for several hours before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
  • For the whipped caramel cream frosting, in a bowl with an electric handheld mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), add the cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup caramel sauce (this portion of sauce should be completely cooled before using). Mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the heavy cream (see note before adding!), and mix on low speed until the mixture is evenly combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the frosting is thick and creamy (and can easily be spread like frosting).
  • Spread the frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake. Sprinkle with toffee bits, cut into squares, and serve.

Notes

Caramel Sauce: the caramel sauce can be made several days in advance and refrigerated. If using cold/thick caramel sauce, warm slightly before using to spread over the cake. If the caramel sauce is overheated, it can turn grainy, so watch closely and warm over low heat.
Heavy Cream: I use heavy whipping cream with 40% fat (Darigold from Costco), which means it thickens well when mixed into the caramel/cream cheese without needing to be whipped on its own first. If you are using heavy whipping cream with less fat, you may need to whip it to soft peaks first before folding into the mixed cream cheese + caramel. 
Make-Ahead: this cake can be assembled and refrigerated before serving. It tastes best if served within 1 to 2 hours of assembling the cake. If you want to make it more than two hours ahead of time, I would suggest refrigerating the frosting separately and spreading it over the cake right before serving. The cake can be baked and drizzled with caramel several hours before frosting (cover and keep at room temperature).