Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake starts with a boxed cake mix with a deliciously sweetened cinnamon filling and topped with cream cheese frosting!
CINNAMON ROLL POKE CAKE
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake starts with a boxed cake mix, topped with a deliciously sweetened cinnamon filling and topped with homemade cream cheese frosting! This is the same frosting I use on my RED VELVET CHEESECAKE CAKE and my FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE. It is divine!
WHAT IS A POKE CAKE?
Poke cakes are just cakes that have had holes poked in them and some sort of filling is then poured into those holes. Then the cake is topped with some sort of frosting (to help hide the poked holes.) I have made a bunch of poke cakes over the years and shared them here. The very first one I shared on the blog was an OREO PUDDING POKE CAKE then BANANA PUDDING POKE CAKE, BOSTON CREAM POKE CAKE and the list goes on!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
for the cake:
vanilla or white cake mix
ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)
for the filling:
sweetened condensed milk
salted butter
brown sugar
ground cinnamon
For the frosting:
cream cheese
salted butter
powdered sugar
vanilla extract
heavy cream or milk
cinnamon sugar (optional)
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLL POKE CAKE:
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350f degrees, Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour prepared batter into prepared baking fish.
After baking, allow the cake to cool. Then using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes (in about 1-inch intervals) into the cooled cake.
For the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Pour the filling mixture into the holes and spread it out using the back of a spoon or a butter knife.
For the frosting: In a medium bowl, mix together softened cream cheese and softened butter with an electric mixer.
Then slowly mix in powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk (or heavy cream.) Mix until smooth.
Spread frosting onto cake.
Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the frosting. Then put cake into the fridge for about an hour to allow the cake's filling to set up.
Then serve!
Enjoy!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? HAVE A LOOK AT THESE!
CHERRY ALMOND POKE CAKE
LEMON RASPBERRY POKE CAKE
AIR FRYER CINNAMON ROLLS
ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE
ULTIMATE LEMON POKE CAKE
CARROT PUDDING POKE CAKE
Originally published: May 2019
Updated & republished: September 2020
CINNAMON ROLL POKE CAKE
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 (15 oz) box vanilla cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake eggs, oil & water
For the filling:
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 tbsp melted salted butter
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the frosting:
- ½ block (4 oz) cream cheese, softened to room temp.
- ⅓ cup butter, softened to room temp.
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp heavy cream or milk
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350f degrees, Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour prepared batter into prepared baking dish.
- After baking, allow the cake to cool. Then using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes (in about 1-inch intervals) into the cooled cake.
For the filling:
- In a small bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Pour the filling mixture into the holes and spread it out using the back of a spoon or a butter knife.
For the frosting:
- In a medium bowl, mix together softened cream cheese and softened butter with an electric mixer.
- Then slowly mix in powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk (or heavy cream.) Mix until smooth.
- Spread frosting onto cake.
- Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the frosting. Then put cake into the fridge for about an hour to allow the cake’s filling to set up. Then serve!
OMG this looks and sounds so AMAZING!! And easy... my kind of dessert! I'll definitely be trying this soon... I'll let u know how it turn's out. 🙂 Yumm!
Hope you love it!!
I made this yesterday and took it to work, everyone loved it including myself. Was excellent, super moist. Will definitely make again. Thank you so much for the recipe, I'm going to try your Banana Froster Poke Cake next.
Hi Sharon! Yay!! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review. I am so, so happy to hear that!! Hope you love the banana version!
Brandie. Can I make the cake and frost it two days later. Btw this is the most requested dessert I make. Everyone loves!!!
Hey Linda - so happy everyone loves this recipe - yay!! So, to answer your question, I haven't tested that so I can't say for absolute certain but it seems to me that it would work. Let me know if you try it!! 🙂
I'm getting ready to make this tonight for work tomorrow - very excited to try it! I noticed that you used cooking spray with flour - is it necessary to flour the pan or is that perhaps just the type of cooking spray you had on hand?
Hi Joanne - nope, not necessary. I just prefer to use the Baker's Joy spray for baking. Hope everyone loves it!
I made the cake, had great reviews, however, they mentioned the mixture in the poke holes was crunchy -the brown sugar granules they could feel the texture, anyway to get around that?
Hi Bernadette! So happy to hear everyone loved it! You could melt the butter down with the brown sugar in a small saucepan (melting it slowly and stirring frequently) before pouring it all in to the cake. 🙂
The BEST cake I've ever tasted!!! I'm an anorexic with no binge/purge problem, and I have made 5 of these cakes in the last 7 weeks; I have been pretty much the sole consumer!!! The few measly people I have let have some have gone nuts, also; I don't think that you can top this recipe, but if you think that you can, please by all means, share that recipe, too!
Ha! You win comment of the year Susan!! Thank you so, so much for taking the time to come back and love such a SWEET review!!
Simply delicious and a hit at the party.
This is the best cinnamon roll cake ever
I wouldn't change anything. Thankx for the recipe
I wish I had better pictures for this recipe. They just don't do it justice. Thank you so much Veronica!!
Is it ok to use a yellow cake mix instead of white? It looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Mindee - I don't see why not! 🙂
Wonderful recipe! I'm going to make this tomorrow for mothers day! Only one question... should leftovers be stored in the refrigerator?
Absolutely delicious
Love the easy recipes they are so good