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Salted Caramel Pumpkin Poke Cake

Moist pumpkin‑spiced cake “poked” and soaked with sweetened condensed milk and salted caramel, then topped with whipped pudding mixture and gingersnap crumb crunch. A dessert that combines fall and indulgence.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Chilling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Cake Base:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Filling / Soak:

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 11.5 oz jar salted caramel sauce

Topping & Crust:

  • 1 container 12 oz Cool Whip
  • ⅓ cup instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup crushed gingersnap cookies

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9 pan.
  • In a bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, milk, oil, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon until smooth.
  • Pour into prepared pan; bake ~30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly.
  • Use the back of a wooden spoon or straw to poke holes about every inch across the cake.
  • Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over cake, letting it sink into holes. Pour salted caramel over top.
  • In another bowl, mix Cool Whip and instant pudding mix until combined; spread over top.
  • Sprinkle the crushed gingersnap cookies evenly over the creamy topping.
  • Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight until set.
  • Cut into slices and serve.

Notes

  • Use room‑temperature ingredients so mixes blend cleanly.
  • Pour the condensed milk and caramel slowly to help absorption.
  • Chill thoroughly before slicing so the topping and infusion hold.
  • Crushed cookies should be fresh for best texture.
  • Store in airtight container in the fridge.