Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake is a moist vanilla cake filled with a cinnamon brown sugar mixture and finished with homemade cream cheese frosting. It has all the cozy flavors of a cinnamon roll in an easy to make cake!
Poke cakes are some of my favorite desserts to make and I’ve made plenty of delicious versions including Butterfinger, Strawberry Crunch and Lemon.
They’re easy to prepare by simply baking the cake, poking holes, pouring in the filling and finishing it with frosting. You can also make poke cakes ahead of time as they freeze really well.
Whenever you’re craving cinnamon rolls but don’t have the ingredients or feel like making them from scratch, try this Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake. It delivers the same warm cinnamon flavor in cake form and the whole family will love it!
Why you’ll Love This Recipe
- A boxed cake mix save time and keeps this recipe simple
- It tastes like cinnamon rolls without all the work
- Perfect dessert for sharing at parties, holiday and potlucks
- Can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until ready to serve
- Budget friendly using staple ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake Ingredients
- Boxed cake mix: I used white cake mix but you can also use vanilla or yellow cake mix.
- Ingredients on cake box: Water, eggs, oil
- Sweetened condensed milk: Creates a rich and creamy filling that soaks into the cake.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. You’ll need four tablespoons melted for the filled and ⅓ cup softened to room temperature for the frosting.
- Cream cheese: Allow it to soften at room temperature so it mixes easily into a smooth and creamy frosting.
- Will also need: Brown sugar, ground cinnamon, powdered sugar, vanilla extra, milk and salt.
How to Make a Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the box. Pour it into the prepared pan and bake as directed.
Step 3: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a thick straw to poke hole evenly across the top of the cake.
Step 4: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Step 5: Slowly pour the cinnamon mixture over the cake, making sure it fills the holes. Use a spatula to spread any remaining mixture evenly over top. A food syringe can also help push the filling into the holes. Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill it for one hour.
Step 6: To prepare the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth.
Step 7: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the chilled cake. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Helpful Tips for Making Poke Cake
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the filling so it doesn’t become overly soft.
- Make the holes large enough for the filling to soak into the cake, but don’t poke all the way through to the bottom of the pan.
- Space the holes about one inch apart so the cinnamon filling is evenly distributed.
- Pour the filling slowly giving it time to soak into the holes.
- Keep the finished cake refrigerated because the frosting contains cream cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the cake will stay fresh up to four days.
Yes, you can. Place the cake in a freezer-safe container or wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to two months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- Ingredients from the back of box water, oil, eggs
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup butter room temp
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the box. Pour it into the prepared pan and bake as directed.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a thick straw to poke hole evenly across the top of the cake.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Slowly pour the cinnamon mixture over the cake, making sure it fills the holes. Use a spatula to spread any remaining mixture evenly over top. A food syringe can also help push the filling into the holes.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill it for one hour.
- To prepare the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy.
- Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth.
- If the frosting is too thick, add milk a small amount at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the chilled cake. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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