This candy corn poke cake is the fun, festive dessert you need this Fall. With layers of yellow, orange, and white cake infused with sweetened condensed milk & topped off with a fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting- it’s the sweet treat perfect for any seasonal celebration or spread.
Fall is here, and that means so’s one of my favorite candies- mellocreme candy!
While there’s several different options, classic candy corn will always be my favorite. I have no problem, neither do my kids, eating those suckers by the fistful.
I’m also a sucker for all things holiday-related, and will never shy away from a good themed recipe.
It wasn’t a big leap for me to decide to incorporate our favorite candy into a seasonal dessert, and one of my go to desserts will always be a quick and easy poke cake.
And let me tell you- the resulting candy corn poke cake has now become a Halloween must-have for our family!
What’s A Poke Cake?
The term poke cake refers to a vintage style dessert where a baked 9×13″ cake in a baking dish had large holes liberally poked through out it, usually with the handle of a wooden spoon.
A liquid was then poured evenly out overtop to fill the holes- either jello, condensed milk, or pudding mix.
The cake was then frosted and allowed to chill where the filling firmed up in the holes.
The result is a super moist cake with a kind of delicious surprise inside- easy to make, and even easier to customize to fit a variety of themes, flavors, and/or occasions.
Ingredients Needed
Another point in the classic poke cake’s favor? There’s never a long list of required ingredients.
To make this candy corn poke cake, you’ll need:
- Cake Mix – Boxed white cake mix, any brand, plus the ingredients called for on the package to make the cake
- Food Coloring – The gel variety, in colors orange and yellow
- Condensed Milk – One 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- Cream Cheese – One 8 oz block, the full fat variety will yield the most flavor but you can also sub neufchatel
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Cream – Heavy whipping cream to be exact, must be the full fat variety or it won’t set up when whipped
- Candy Corn – For garnishing the cake
A short list of pretty common, easy to find ingredients are all you need.
Once you’ve gathered them, you’re ready to make this festive dessert cake.
How To Make
While it may appear complicated, especially making a layered poke cake, it’s super simple- although there are several steps involved.
To make things easier we’re going to divide it into two parts: making the cake & making the topping.
Making The Cake
To begin prepare the cake mix according to the instructions on the box.
Divide the prepared cake mix evenly in between three small mixing bowls.
Add a bit of yellow food coloring to one of the bowls, a bit of orange to the second, and leave the third plain. Stir the food coloring into the cake batter until evenly incorporated.
Start with less food coloring, add more if the color isn’t deep enough for your liking.
Liberally spray a 9×13″ pyrex baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
The trick to achieving the layered candy corn look in this poke cake is in layering the batter.
Pour the yellow batter evenly out into the bottom of the prepared pan, gently spread if needed, and then place the dish in the freezer for 20 minutes. Make sure it’s 100 % flat so the batter stays evenly spread.
Remove the dish from the freezer, and repeat the process with the orange batter- spreading it out evenly and then placing the dish bake in the freezer for another 20 minutes.
Remove the dish from the freezer, and spread the final white layer evenly out into the dish.
Let the cake sit for 30 minutes so that it has time to acclimate to room temperature.
Bake the cake according to the time and temperature directions on the packaging.
Carefully remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool significantly.
While still warm use a chopstick or straw to poke holes evenly all out over the surface of the cake. The holes should be spaced roughly one inch apart.
Again while the cake is still warm, pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly out overtop. Make sure to pay attention as you pour it so that as much as possible gets into the poked holes.
Let the cake finish cooling, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Allow the cake to chill for at least 8 hours, or up to overnight.
Making The Topping
Now that the cakes cooled & set- it’s time to make the topping!
To a large mixing bowl add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
Using a hand mixer, whip them together until smooth, creamy, and evenly combined.
To another large mixing bowl, add the whipping cream. Using a hand mixer, whip the cream for 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
Increase the speed to high, and whip until stiff peaks form- another 3 minutes or so.
Be careful not to overwhip the cream however, or it will go very quickly from whipped cream to butter and buttermilk.
Scrape the cream cheese mixture from it’s bowl into the whipped cream bowl. Whip them together for 1-2 minutes, just until evenly combined.
Add the whipped cream frosting to the top of the chilled poke cake, and using a spatula spread it out evenly all across the top in an even layer.
Sprinkle candy corn evenly out overtop of the frosted cake- you can use as few, or as many, as you want.
That’s it. Your candy corn poke cake is ready to be served and enjoyed!
Serving
Using a sharp knife, cut the cake into 12 roughly even squares.
Serve chilled, or room temperature, and enjoy!
This cake can be served by itself or paired with a scoop of ice cream.
Storing
Due to the use of dairy, your poke cake leftovers will need to be refrigerated.
Leave any uneaten cake in the baking dish, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
It will keep covered and in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can This Poke Cake Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Yes! This festive Fall poke cake can be made ahead of time.
Simply make it as instructed, EXCEPT for the candy corn garnish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, up to overnight, until ready to serve.
Candy corn tends to bleed after awhile into frosting. If making this ahead of time, leave the candy corn off until just before serving.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Don’t skip the freeze between adding the layers of cake mix to the dish. Freezing keeps the layers separated and prevents the batter from mixing as each additional layer is added.
- Let the cake come to room temperature before baking, should take about 30 minutes once removed from the freezer.
- If you’re worried about your whipped cream not setting up properly, you can chill the mixing bowl for roughly 15 minutes before whipping the cream.
Other Poke Cake Recipes To Try
Grab a bag of Fall’s favorite candy, and whip up a candy corn poke cake for all your seasonal events.
Kids and adults alike will enjoy the beautiful layered cake, moistened with sweet milk, and finished off with a sweet cream cheese frosting.
It’s fun, festive, and delicious- checking all the holiday boxes!
Looking for other delicious poke cake recipes? Try one of these favorites:
If you’ve tried this CANDY CORN POKE CAKE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Candy Corn Poke Cake
Ingredients
For The Cake
- White Cake Mix & Ingredients to make according to package directions
- Orange Gel Food Coloring
- Yellow Gel Food Coloring
- 1 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
For The Topping
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
Instructions
To Make The Cake
- Lightly grease a 13x9 pan with non stick cooking spray.
- Mix cake mix according to package directions and divide equally into 3 bowls (about 1 ½ cups of cake batter in each)
- Add yellow food coloring to one of the bowls, and orange to another, the third will be left white.
- Pour the yellow batter evenly across the bottom of your prepared pan and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. (make sure it is on a level surface)
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the orange batter across the yellow layer and smooth it evenly across. Place the pan back in the freezer for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and spread the final white layer across the top of the orange layer.
- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Allow the pan of layered cake batter to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while your oven preheats.
- Bake according to package directions.
- While the cake is still warm use a chopstick or straw to poke holes in even rows about an inch apart all over the cake.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake making sure to pour it into all the holes.
- Cover the cake and place in in the refrigerator overnight. (at least 8 hours)
To Make The Topping
- Before starting place a mixing bowl in the freezer for about 15 min, this helps the whipped cream whip up more easily.
- In a separate mixing bowl cream together the powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla until creamy and well mixed.
- Remove your chilled bowl from the freezer add in the cream and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, increase the speed to high and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Add the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until well mixed.
- Spread the topping across your refrigerated cake evenly. Sprinkle the top with candy corn. Cut into 12 pieces and serve chilled.
Notes
- Don't skip the freeze between adding the layers of cake mix to the dish. Freezing keeps the layers separated and prevents the batter from mixing as each additional layer is added.
- Let the cake come to room temperature before baking, should take about 30 minutes once removed from the freezer.
- If you're worried about your whipped cream not setting up properly, you can chill the mixing bowl for roughly 15 minutes before whipping the cream.
Nutrition
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