Caramel Carrot Cake Poke Cake
This Caramel Carrot Cake Poke Cake is so sweet and delicious, you’ll never want any other carrot cake again! Baked to perfection and saturated in sweetened condensed milk, then topped with fluffy frosting and drenched in caramel sauce.
Indulge in this Caramel Carrot Poke Cake
This carrot cake is anything but basic. It’s topped with a delicious whipped frosting made with cheesecake pudding mix which stands in for traditional cream cheese frosting.
Then the Sea Salt Caramel Sauce is just over the top; once you top it with pecans, it’s game over (for your diets, that is). I loved the way everything came together, and the slight crunch of the pecans was great for the texture of the cake.
Everyone loves this cake and always has seconds!
This was a really delicious version of moist carrot cake that I made for a holiday! It was a huge hit! I’ll be making it again for a birthday celebration! The pecans and caramel are a very tasty addition!
– Annie
Ingredients For Caramel Carrot Cake Poke Cake
Box of Carrot Cake Mix
Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Large Eggs
Whole Milk
Sour Cream
Vegetable Oil
Chopped Pecans
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Heavy Cream
Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix
Powdered Sugar
Salted Caramel Sauce
Chopped Pecans
How To Make Caramel Carrot Poke Cake
1. Begin with a cake mix, it can be your favorite brand, I like Duncan Hines. You can also make your favorite from scratch carrot cake instead.
2. Mix all of the cake ingredients EXCEPT for the sweetened condensed milk together in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Pour the batter into a prepared 9×13-inch baking pan and bake.
3. Once baked, poke holes all over the cake and then pour the sweetened condensed milk all over the top of the cake. You can do this while the cake is hot or cold, but let it soak in and cool completely before frosting.
4. Prepared the frosting and frost the cake.
5. Pour the caramel sauce over the top of the cake. I like to do this right before serving if possible.
6. Sprinkle chopped pecans all over the top of the cake. Slice and enjoy!
More Delicious Poke Cake Recipes
- Banana Split Poke Cake – Layers of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and banana!
- Irish Cream Poke Cake – A grown-up-only dessert that’s made with Homemade Irish Cream!
- Kahlua Poke Cake – The ultimate dessert for adults who love Kahlua!
- Coconut Poke Cake – Perfect to enjoy throughout Spring and Summer!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Poke Cake – Great for those Fall potlucks!
This post was originally published in April 2014 and was updated in March 2019 with new photos, video, and recipe clarifications.
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Combine cake ingredients except for sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Once the cake has cooled, use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake and let sit for at least 1 hour up to overnight.
Once the cake has set, whip together the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, evenly spread the frosting over the cake.
Pour the Caramel Sauce over the frosting and top it with chopped pecans. Slice and serve. Store leftover cake covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
- This cake is best when frosted the day of serving but you can prep the cake through Step 4 and add the frosting and caramel just before serving to save time.
Nutrition
- Calories648
- Carbs67g
- Protein7g
- Fat40g
- Saturated fat21g
- Fiber2g
- Sugar36g
- Sodium438mg
Estimates per serving, when a serving size is listed.
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