Salted Caramel Cheesecake Poke Cake Recipe

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Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

If you love caramel and you love cheesecake, then I can tell you right now– this recipe is for YOU.

I didn’t really think I could be surprised by a poke cake anymore, but I have to confess that this one was shockingly good. I don’t mean that I was shocked that it was good. Just that it was that good. Like, it’s on an entirely new level of good.

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

The yellow cake base is simple enough– I just used a cake mix. If you’d rather, you can always use this homemade and utterly delicious yellow cake recipe. That’s totally up to you.

As for me? Most of the time, I don’t mind a good cake mix cake. They’re soft, fluffy, and wonderfully dependable. ????????

Once the cake is baked (and while it’s still warm), poke holes in the cake and fill them with cheesecake pudding and salted caramel sauce. You can use a fork if you’d like, I see a lot of people do that. But I really prefer using the handle of a sturdy wooden mixing spoon. Bigger holes = more filling = more better.

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

Top the whole thing with whipped cream and more salted caramel sauce and let it chill for a few hours. Once everything has come together, you’ll have this incredibly indulgent cake filled with caramel and cheesecake flavors. And the light, fluffy, yet sinfully saturated-in-caramel texture is absolutely unbeatable!

This cake is so easy to make– it really just takes a few minutes of hands on time. And it’s so, so, SO good! This is a perfect Thanksgiving or Fall dessert, but it’s still a cool and creamy summer treat too.

So what are you waiting for?? I can’t wait for you to try it!

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

Salted Caramel Poke Cake

Yield: 12-15

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

Ingredients

  • 1 - 9x13 yellow cake, prepared (box mix or homemade)
  • 3.4 oz. instant pudding mix, cheesecake flavored
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (I love Smuckers Salted Caramel Sundae Sauce)
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip
  • More salted caramel sauce to drizzle over top

Instructions

Once cake is baked and still warm, poke holes all over the top of the cake using the handle of a wooden mixing spoon.

Whisk together the pudding mix, milk, and 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce until smooth. Immediately pour mixture over the cake, aiming to fill the holes as best as possible.

Cover and chill for about an hour.

Spread Cool Whip on top and drizzle with more salted caramel sauce (use a knife to swirl the caramel sauce into the Cool Whip). Cover and chill for an additional 3 hours (or longer).

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

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