Apple Spice Poke Cake Recipe

Apple Spice Poke Cake is a moist spice cake soaked with a creamy apple pudding filling, then topped with whipped topping, caramel and crunchy nuts. It starts with a boxed cake mix, so you get all of your favorite fall flavors in about an hour with very little effort.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Spice cake mix. One standard 15.25-ounce box does the job. No spice cake mix at the store? Use a yellow cake mix and add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the dry mix.
• Eggs, water and vegetable oil. These are the three add-ins the box calls for (we used 3 eggs, 1 cup of water and ⅓ cup of oil). Canola oil or melted, cooled butter works in place of vegetable oil.
• Apple pie filling. One 20-ounce can of apple pie filling gives the filling its sweet, spiced apple flavor. Canned peach or cherry pie filling can stand in if that is what you have.
• Vanilla instant pudding mix. Use a 3.4-ounce box of instant pudding, not the cook-and-serve kind. Instant pudding thickens with cold milk, and that is what turns the blended apples into a thick, spoonable filling. Cheesecake or butterscotch instant pudding are fun swaps.
• Milk. One cup of whole or 2% milk. Unsweetened almond or oat milk will thicken the pudding just as well.
• Whipped topping. One 8-ounce container of frozen whipped topping, thawed. For homemade, whip 2 cups of cold heavy cream with ¼ cup of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Caramel sauce and chopped nuts. Both are optional but highly recommended. Sundae nuts, pecans or walnuts all work.

What Is a Poke Cake?

Basically a poke cake is any cake that you literally poke holes in after baking with the intention of pouring something sweet, syrupy or creamy over the cake so it fills in the holes. Popular fillings include sweetened condensed milk, pastry cream, fudge or, in our case, fruit. Poke cakes popped up in American kitchens around 1970, when they were featured in a Jell-O advertisement. They have been around ever since and seem to be having a moment recently, with lots of inventive recipes showing up all over the place.

Poke cakes are a great way to infuse a cake with flavor and moisture. With this Apple Spice Poke Cake, we decided that blended apple pie filling would be the perfect way to get that fruity taste to meld with the fall spices so every single bite is flavorful.

How to Make Apple Spice Poke Cake

The full recipe card with exact amounts is at the bottom of the post, but we kept our step-by-step photos here because a poke cake is easier to make when you can see what each stage should look like.

Mix the batter. Combine the spice cake mix, eggs, water and vegetable oil in a large bowl.

Mix with a hand mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once so no dry pockets are left behind.

Bake the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (or the temperature on your cake mix box). Pour the batter into a lightly sprayed 9x13 baking pan and bake for 26 to 29 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool, then make the filling. Allow the cake to cool completely. Once it is cool, mix together the apple pie filling, vanilla pudding mix and milk in a blender until the apples are liquified into a smooth filling.

Poke and fill. Poke holes all over the cake with the end of a wooden spoon, then pour the apple pudding filling over the cake and spread it back and forth so it settles into every hole.

Add the topping. Spoon the thawed whipped topping on top of the apple filling.

Gently spread the whipped topping evenly with a spatula, all the way out to the edges of the pan.

Garnish and serve. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with chopped sundae nuts. Cut and enjoy!

Helpful Tips

Let the cake cool completely. A warm cake will melt the whipped topping and cause the filling to run right off the top instead of soaking in. Give the cake a full hour on a wire rack, and it should feel cool to the touch before you poke it.

Poke plenty of holes. Use the handle of a wooden spoon and space the holes about an inch apart, working in rows across the whole pan. Any shaped handle will do. If yours is thin, just poke in concentric circles until you get the hole size you are looking for. More holes mean more apple flavor in every bite.

Blend the filling until it is smooth. Chunks of apple will not fit into the holes, so let the blender run until the pie filling and pudding are completely smooth. If it seems too thick to pour, stir in an extra tablespoon or two of milk.

Stick with instant pudding. Cook-and-serve pudding needs heat to thicken, so it will not set up when blended with cold milk. Check the box before you buy, since the two kinds sit side by side on the shelf.

Chill before slicing if you have time. The cake is delicious right away, but an hour or two in the refrigerator lets the filling firm up so you get neat, clean squares. Wipe your knife between cuts.

Variations

• Caramel apple. Stir ¼ cup of caramel sauce into the blended apple filling for a caramel apple flavor in every hole, then finish with an extra drizzle on top.
• Cream cheese topping. Swap the whipped topping for a cream cheese whipped topping or a thin layer of cream cheese frosting for a tangy contrast to the sweet apples.
• Toffee crunch. Sprinkle crushed toffee bits over the whipped topping instead of nuts. If you love toffee, our Heath Bar Cake is another easy cake to try.
• Carrot cake mix. A carrot cake mix brings its own warm spices and pairs beautifully with the apple filling.
• Different fruit. Try canned peach or cherry pie filling with a yellow cake mix for a poke cake that works in any season. More of a cookie person? Our Cake Mix Cookie Bars are another shortcut dessert.

Serving Ideas

Serve squares of Apple Spice Poke Cake chilled or at room temperature with a cup of hot coffee or warm apple cider. For a real treat, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or our Salted Caramel Coconut Milk Ice Cream alongside. This is also a wonderful potluck, tailgate or Thanksgiving dessert, since a single 9x13 pan serves a crowd and travels right in the pan.

We garnished our cake with caramel and nuts. Pick up your favorite caramel sauce (we like Ghirardelli) and a bag of chopped nuts of your choice. Grab salted nuts if you are a fan of the sweet and salty flavor combination.

Is this cake only for fall? We keep calling it a fall cake, but you can make it any time of year. Every ingredient is available year round, and sometimes in the dead heat of summer a fall-flavored cake is just what you are looking for. If you are in the mood for more autumn baking, browse our Best Pumpkin Recipes for Fall.

Storing & Freezing

Because this cake has a pudding-based filling and a whipped topping, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil, or move squares to an airtight container, and it will keep well for up to 4 days.

To freeze, wrap individual squares tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw the squares overnight in the refrigerator before serving. The filling can be a touch softer after freezing, but the flavor is still just as good. Add a fresh drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of nuts after thawing so the garnish looks freshly made.

More Apple & Caramel Desserts

If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:

• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Recipe
• Apple Crisp with Canned Apple Pie Filling
• Easy Apple Crumble Pie
• No-Churn Salted Caramel Pecan Ice Cream

Recipe