Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake starts with a boxed cake mix with a deliciously sweetened cinnamon filling and topped with cream cheese frosting!
AN EASY CINNAMON ROLL INSPIRED 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)
- vanilla or white cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)
- sweetened condensed milk
- salted butter
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- cream cheese
- salted butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- heavy cream or milk
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!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? HAVE A LOOK AT THESE!
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake (+Video)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 ounce box vanilla cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake eggs, oil and water
For the filling:
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 Tablespoons melted salted butter
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the frosting:
- ½ block (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon 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!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: May 2019
Updated & republished: September 2020
Jill
Delicious and so easy to make.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thanks so very much Jill!
Karen boersen
Love the easy recipes they are so good
Donna Owens
Absolutely delicious
Jen
Wonderful recipe! I'm going to make this tomorrow for mothers day! Only one question... should leftovers be stored in the refrigerator?
Mindee
Is it ok to use a yellow cake mix instead of white? It looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Mindee - I don't see why not! 🙂
Veronica Chandler
This is the best cinnamon roll cake ever
I wouldn't change anything. Thankx for the recipe
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I wish I had better pictures for this recipe. They just don't do it justice. Thank you so much Veronica!!
Gina
Simply delicious and a hit at the party.
Susan
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!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
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!!
Bernadette Maguire
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?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
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. 🙂
Joanne
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?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Joanne - nope, not necessary. I just prefer to use the Baker's Joy spray for baking. Hope everyone loves it!
Sharon
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.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
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!
Linda Peyton
Brandie. Can I make the cake and frost it two days later. Btw this is the most requested dessert I make. Everyone loves!!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
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!! 🙂
Tess
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!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hope you love it!!