Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 - 14 to 28 oz can pumpkin puree*
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 - 8 oz. tub cool whip
- 1/2 bag Heath Bits
- Caramel Sundae Sauce
Instructions
- Mix together the cake mix, the pumpkin puree (DO NOT add the other ingredients on the cake mix box), and the pumpkin pie spice until a batter forms. Using the 14 oz. can of pumpkin puree will yield a thicker batter. Add more pumpkin if you'd like a thinner batter (which will yield a slightly fluffier cake).
- Pour batter into a well greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350º according to the directions for a 9x13 cake on the cake mix box.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes after baking. Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake (this post from a friend has great step by step photos for this part).
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, filling the holes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Spread the cool whip over top of cake. Sprinkle on the heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top (just to your liking). Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight (best).
Notes
DO NOT USE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING. YOU MUST USE PUMPKIN PUREE IF YOU WANT THE CAKE TO BAKE CORRECTLY. The cake mix + pumpkin puree version of pumpkin cake may not be for everyone. I like it just fine, especially when it's soaked in SCM and caramel. But if you're not sure about it, feel free to substitute your own pumpkin cake recipe as the cake base. DO NOT mix together the pumpkin, cake mix, and the other ingredients on the back of the cake mix box!!!! ONLY mix the cake mix and the pumpkin puree. You must let the sweetened condensed milk soak in all the way. Letting it sit overnight will yield best results. Use the bottom of a wooden mixing spoon to poke the holes in the cake-- it's just the right size.
Recipe Notes:
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DO NOT USE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING. YOU MUST USE PUMPKIN PUREE IF YOU WANT THE CAKE TO BAKE CORRECTLY.
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Feel free to sub in your own pumpkin cake recipe for my quickie version.
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DO NOT mix together the pumpkin, cake mix, and the other ingredients on the back of the cake mix box!!!! ONLY mix the cake mix and the pumpkin puree.
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You must let the sweetened condensed milk soak in all the way. Letting it sit overnight will yield best results.
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Use the bottom of a wooden mixing spoon to poke the holes in the cake– it’s just the right size.
So the recipe calls for a small can of pumpkin but in the “link to a friend”‘s pictures it shows a can larger than a can of condensed milk… So what size in ounces is the correct one? Although it certainly looked like the friends came out just fine.
The size I recommend using is just the standard 14.5oz (maybe it’s 15?) can of pumpkin
I use the larger (29 oz.) can of pumpkin and it comes out delicious. I noticed that she had the larger can in the picture too. I also have used real whipped cream instead of cool whip and I think it comes out better. This is a delicious recipe and I am so thankful you posted it!
… do you make the cake per directions then add the pumpkin?
No, just mix the cake mix (dry) with the pumpkin puree.
Can you print this recipe
Yes! I just added the ziplist code (sorry, some things were lost in my switch to WP), so you can print now!
Delicious! A great shortcut recipe. I made it for a family function and it was a hit! Glad I ignored the inedible comment , made just as your recipe states and it was great. I used a the large Canadian size can (which is about three cups of puree). I set one cup of pumpkin aside and it was just right. I will be using that cup of pumpkin to make choc-chip pumpkin cookies later!
Hey! I was wondering what oz pumpkin purée you use? Thanks!
14.5 oz
hey ashton, I guess you changed the format on the recipe “card” and the link to my blog with the poking pics isn’t working.
Is this bc of the changes you were talking about in redecorating?
<3 Bethany @ thesepiapuppy.blogspot.com
Sorry! I lost a lot of my links when I switched to wordpress, and I’m just kind of discovering them as I go and people comment. I’ll go back and fix
How do you make a cupcake version of this?
You could just bake the batter as cupcakes instead of as a cake. But you would need to put each cupcake into some sort of plastic cup or something before you poured the sweetened condensed milk over.
This recipe sounds amazing. My question for you is how could I make this grain free? I have Celiac disease and also allergic to other grains. I can use almond, coconut, and couple other grain free flours. Do you know of a way I could this recipe and use one of those?
Thanks,
Makayla
Try googling pumpkin cake recipes and subbing the flour in those recipes for one of your grain free flours
try using one of the gluten-free cake mixes that are out on the market now. I think either Betty Crocker or Pillsbury makes one. I have tried the yellow cake before and it is pretty good for gluten-free.
I want to try this after eating some if my friends. I thought it was a little too sweet. Would using half sweet/half unsweeted milk cut down that a bit? Anybody tried that?!
I think you could easily use half SCM and half heavy whipping cream OR half & half.
where do you buy pumpkin puree? never heard of it—-
Anywhere! I bought mine at walmart. It may say 100% pumpkin or pure pumpkin instead of pumpkin puree– it’s all the same. Just as long as it doesn’t say pumpkin pie filling!
Neither one of my boys (husband & son) will have anything to do with whipped cream (I know, what’s up with that), but this cake sounds wonderful. Could I use a regular frosting on this instead, or do you have another suggestion? Thank You
You could, but I imagine that would be REALLY sweet. Like, maybe too sweet? If they don’t like whipped cream, I’d say just skip it altogether and don’t worry about a substitute. It won’t be as pretty since you’ll still be able to see the holes, but it’ll be good!
I Love this recipe!!! but i understand the whipped cream issue, a few in my family like that too! My hubby loves my regular cream cheese recipe on just about everything edible…
This can be doubled, tripled or whatever. Just play around with the ingredients to suit your tastes-
1 – 8oz tub whipped cream cheese
1tsp vanilla
1/2 stick of butter- room temperature
2.5 cups powdered sugar
With hand mixer whip cream cheese & butter
Add vanilla
Slowly add powdered sugar -about 1/2 cup at a time- until light and fluffy.
You may need a bit more or less powdered sugar depending on the room temperature (yes, it really does matter)
Also- I use generic cream cheese or whatever’s on sale & the whipped seems to make the frosting lighter & less time consuming than doing it myself. If you want to use regular cream cheese, just whip it until it’s fluffy-really fluffy. If I do it this way, I put it in my stand mixer and let it whip for about 10 minutes.
Is the mixture supposed to be really thick before baking?
This looks do good!!
Do you let sit overnight and then put the toppings on or put the toppings on and then let sit overnight?
You can really do it either way, but I add everything and then let it sit overnight.
I just baked this and could not find pumpkin purée at the grocery. I used a can of pumpkin
(not pumpkin pie filling). the can said 100% pumpkin. Is this correct? Thanks!
Same thing– so that’s perfect! I think I’m going to change the recipe to say “pure pumpkin” or “100% pumpkin.” It seems like that’s more familiar to most people. Thanks for the comment!
I found this recipe on Pinterest, and am so glad to discover your wonderful blog. I have made this recipe 2 times in the last week, first for my family, then for a potluck at work. It sure didn’t last long, and all my coworkers will be showing up on your blog for this yummy recipe. Thanks for posting this easy and delicious dessert.
Oh yay! I’m so glad
What Kind and Size Carmel Sauce?
Thanks
Totally up to you– varies depending on how much you like caramel
I use the smuckers squeeze bottle of sauce on just about everything. So I just drizzled over everything until it looked good to me!
You can also make this! Mmmm!http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Caramel-Sauce-Allrecipes_1
How many ounces or cups of heath bars?
That’s totally up to you! If you really want an amount…. I’d say 1/2 to 3/4 a cup? But, really, I just grabbed handfuls and sprinkled them over the top until it was covered
I think one can of pumpkin and box of cake mix. Almost too dry and batter doesn’t flow in baking pan. I added a little water to batter
It’s a little thicker than most batters, but shouldn’t be appear abnormally thick! I used a standard sized (14-15 oz) can of pumpkin…
Hi there….Planning to make this for my restaurant this week (will link to your blog for sure!) but as I was just reading the recipe again I noticed the disclaimer about this pumpkin cake base not being to everyone’s liking. Did you get some negative feedback on it? Are people saying it’s not sweet enough or something? It’s a gorgeous looking cake and I’m excited to make it tonight and think our diners will enjoy it!
Hi there! Sorry it’s taken me a few days to get back to you! I have received a little negative feedback, but best I can tell, there are two possible problems: A) people have used pumpkin pie FILLING instead of pure pumpkin, and it won’t bake correctly if you use the pie filling, or B) people just prefer to use their own from scratch recipes and take issue with using a box mix. The box mix doesn’t bother me, and I thought it was just perfect! Anytime I make a pumpkin cake, this is the method I use!
I made it according to your directions and it was perfect. Guests love it. Thank you!
I cut up pumpkins and and boil and puree my own….I’m guessing that would be okay to use and probably use 2 cups or just a little less to get the 14.5 oz. It sounds delicious…..similar to my Holy Cow Cake.
I’m sure that would work just fine
Can you invert this cake onto a platter before poking? Or is the cake itself too smooshy?
You could invert!
I made this and it was fantastic. I used electric beaters to mix up my cake mix and pumpkin and also added a little over 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the mix. I beat it for about a minute until it started to fluff up a bit. I also drizzled about 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the cake with the sweetened condensed milk. Good stuff!
whoops, I meant a little over 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, not 1 teaspoon.
Sounds great!!
I found this on Pinterest a few weeks ago. I made it the first time, full fat condensed milk and whipped topping and took it to church. Some was eaten, but you could tell people weren’t quite sure what it was, plus there were tons of other desserts at the meal. I was ok with that, because I took it home and finished it by dipping my spoon in a few times a day over the next few days. So a friend of mine didn’t get any the first time, and I made it again Friday night to take to their house for a meal they invited us to. Since it was just a few of us, I had more left over, even after leaving some with the family. Hooray! I get to dip again over the next few days! I LOVE this cake! And this time I used fat free condensed milk, low fat whipped topping, and I added 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice to the cake mix and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice to the whipped topping before putting it on the cake. It is slap yo mama good!
Awesome!!! So glad you liked it!
i made a pumpkin cake the other day with the cake mix, canned pumpkin, and a butterscotch pudding mix, 1/4 cup of oil, and 1/4 cup of water, 4 eggs, it was out of this world….seriously!!! So moist you almost think the cake isn’t done.
Sounds amazing!
I have a spice cake mix, do you think that would taste good instead of yellow?
I’ve heard that it’s great!
I made this recipe for a Halloween get together today and everyone was actually arguing over who got a bigger piece, who got the last one, etc!! I didn’t change a thing. It’s perfect like it is! Thank you!
I used spice cake mix, rather than yellow, and it was great!!!
Hi, can you use white cake mix, or does it have to be yellow?
I don’t care for yellow, but maybe the yellow cake wont be tasted?
thanks!
You can use white
I’ve also heard spice cake works well too!
About how many ounces or cups do you use of the pumpkin puree?
It’s about 15 oz
Sounds yummy! What is a small can of pumpkin purée. Can you give ounces so I know what to buy?
I think it’s about 15 oz!
How do you think this would taste with a spice cake mix instead of yellow??
I’ve heard it’s great! Several other readers have tried it with success
Made this following the directions precisely and it turned out flawless!Exactly what I would expect a pumpkin better than. . . cake to taste like! Love the variation!
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Yay!!
For those who don’t want to call it by it’s original name, or leave it blank, my grown sons prefer to call it “Better Than a Walk in the Park Cake.”
This was amazing! I followed the directions and my kids said it was the best dessert they had ever had. Not too shabby for a dessert of only 6 ingredients! Thanks!
OMG – I’m making the cake right now, it’s in the oven, and I just noticed you said a “small” can of pumpkin. I used the BIG can – just saw it’s a whopping 29 oz! Oh well… I hope it’s somewhat edible?
We’ll see. I was all excited about this too! That’s what I get for reading the recipe too quickly!
How did it turn out???
It was AWESOME! Everyone loved it! The 29 oz can of pumpkin just made it more pumpkin-ey…
I got requests to make it again for Thanksgiving.!
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To give the cake a little more “pumpkin pie” flavor, I used spice cake instead of yellow cake mix. I LOVE this recipe. You’re the best!
That’s an awesome idea!!!
I’m baking the cake with exact directions and baked for 30 mins but when I poke with a fork to see if its baked, it’s still mushy….the fork is full of pumpkin ….is this the ways it’s supposed to be?
Nope! Everyone’s ovens are a little different, so just continue baking until its done
No, it should be baked all the way through, no mushy-ness. My guess is that you used pumpkin pie FILLING or too much pumpkin? I use a 14 oz can of pure pumpkin…. does that sound like it could be the problem?
I used pumpkin pie filling and have made 3 times and it is delicious.i used a 19oz can .
Sounds great. I’ll be making it for sure. I have to laugh at some of the idiotic comments; there really is such a thing as “dumb questions”!
I can’t find pure pumpkin or purée pumpkin anywhere. Went to 5 stores today . What happens if you use the pie filling?
It doesn’t bake very well
All of the sugar in the pumpkin pie filling combined with the sugar in the cake mix is just too much! HOWEVER– here’s an idea. Google recipes for “pumpkin cake made with pumpkin pie filling” and see what you get. Maybe you can use one of those recipes as your cake base!
Going to be making this for Thanksgiving! I’ve made the devils food/butterfinger version and its fantastic, I’m sure this will be too!
I made this cake and it is amazing!
I poured the condensed milk over the cake the morning of the day I was to serve it (8-9 hours before). I didn’t want the cake to be mushy. I added the cool whip and crushed Heath bar and chilled for 2 hours before serving. I only drizzled about a quarter of the jar of caramel, didn’t want it to be too sweet. This cake was a hit at our friends pot luck Thanksgiving dinner we had this year.
We made this twice since I found it on Pinterest and it has been a hit! Someone said its the beat dessert she has ever tasted! We are going to make it for Thanksgiving too!
I just made the cake and it did not raise to the heighth of a regular cake. Is that how it is supposed to be? It sounds and looks yummy and I can’t wait to taste it!
It should still be ok, it definitely doesn’t rise quite so high!
I am an avid baker and have made e original many times. I should have gone with my gut that it was not enough pumpkin for a box of cake mix. So dry and gross I didn’t bother wasting the sweetened condensed milk and toppings. I will try again but make it with all the ingredients or twice the pumpkin. It literally crumbled apart as I tried to poke it.
So sorry it didn’t work for you! When I saw your comment, I went straightaway into the kitchen to re-make the cake portion (just the cake mix and pumpkin) just to double check that my measurements were correct. And using a small can (which is 14 oz), and one standard sized yellow cake box mix, it worked just fine for me! A lot of people have told me that they’ve used more pumpkin (any range from 14-oz to 28-oz to their liking) and it’s worked out as well. So definitely, if you were up for trying again, try using some more pumpkin?
I decided that I had to make this for thanksgiving (which is today). The picture looked so good, I couldn’t help myself. Although, through the entire process of making it, I was super skeptical about how good it would taste. Pumpkin and cake mix? No eggs? Say whaaat! I was expecting it to bake funny, but it came out like any other cake. I read other comments saying that they used a larger sized can of pumpkin puree so I got the 29 ounce can and used about 2/3 of it. The batter was thick, and I was worried. I’ve never made a dessert like this one before, and poking holes and sweetened condensed milk part scared me a little bit, but I went with it, and so glad that I did. This morning, I cut myself a little piece and went around the house asking everyone to try it. Got plenty of positive feedback, the cake came out exactly like the picture but my only problem was that it wasn’t pumpkiny enough for me. I thought the cake was going to taste like a pumpkin pancake or something but I really didn’t taste any pumpkin at all. Everyone else said they did so maybe it was just me. I don’t know how to solve that problem? Maybe pumpkin pie spice?Anyways, we’ll see how people take to it when they actually get here. I’m sure it’ll be a hit!
A lot of people told me that they used spice cake mix instead of pumpkin for a more pumpkin-like taste! Maybe you could try that? I don’t love spice cake personally, so I’ll stick to yellow, but if you’re looking for more of that flavor– it could work a little better for you!
Hey just wanted to say thanks. I got to your website through a series of links that started over at Pinterest. Anyway, made the cake for Thanksgiving with the fam and was told to hang on to the recipe for a possible encore! Thanks a bunch. Happy Thanksgiving!
OH MY WORD. I made 2 of these for Thanksgiving and both batches went in like an hour. It’s that good and I thank you so much for sharing such an easy and delicious recipe! <3
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Last week, my mother put me in charge of the dessert for Thanksgiving. I refused to make the standard, boring pumpkin pie that everyone always makes. I found this recipe on pinterest and just HAD to try it. It was such a hit with my family! It was rich, creamy and sweet. Everyone loved it, even my boyfriend who typically does not love sweets! I used the regular sized can of pumpkin puree, and I omitted the caramel sauce. It was absolutely fantastic! I will definitely be trying another one of your recipes when Christmas comes around in a few weeks!
ok, so I am definitely making this for Christmas dinner!!!!
I found you after talking to my sister about this recipe. She is making for us at Christmas. I was wondering if you have tried other varities? Wasn’t sure if there was any other puree out there that would turn out this good. Thanks!!
I haven’t tried any other purees– but I’d love to hear how it goes if you do! I did make another variation of the Poke Cake, if you wanted to check it out (it’s a Christmas version): http://www.somethingswanky.com/better-than-christmas-poke-cake/
I really like kick boxing too! You should totally try Turbo Jam by Chalene Johnson (beachbody.com).
And the cake looks awesome i love pumpkin
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I made the pumpkin cake and it was so delicious . I made it for my church family and they all wanted the recipe
Ty again for a delicious recipe . I will keep forever.
I make the heath bar cake version of this all the time.. and i LOVE pumpkin.. so I will be trying this FOR SURE!!.. It sounds SO GOOD!!
I also found a recipe for a red velvet poke cake.. cant wait to try them !!
I’m not a fan of toffee, so I’m planning to use chopped walnuts on top. And also mulling over sprinkling a bit of coconut on top…
I used a 14 ounce can of pumpkin and added a bit I had leftover in my freezer – maybe 4 or 5 ounces. Lastly, I tossed in a dash of vanilla. Just because.
What will happen if u use what the cake box calls for?
A goopy mess!
Tried this with carrot cake and oh my God! It’s amazing! I didn’t even add the topping because we didn’t have Heath pieces. I will definitely be making this again at thanksgiving, it’s way yummier than pumpkin pie. Love this recipe
I posted earlier today I had used a carrot cake mix with the canned pumpkin (and it is so good I can’t recommend this enough) but I had just put a little cool whip on it because that’s pretty much all I had for a topping, but then I read the comments recommending cream cheese frosting. Duh! I quick whipped some up (a fluffy, light on the sugar kind using whipped cream cheese) and added it to the rest of the cake. It. Is. AWESOME.
Made this for work party– had 4 requests for recipe! Used 3/4 of large can of pumpkin, came out moist and delicious! Thanks for sharing.