Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake (Printable View)
Moist vanilla cake studded with gooey cinnamon swirls, topped with silky cream cheese frosting—brunch-ready.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 1 box (15.25 ounces) vanilla or white cake mix
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1 cup milk
04 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil
05 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Filling
06 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Cream Cheese Frosting
09 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
12 - 2 tablespoons milk
13 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface.
03 - Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
04 - While the cake bakes, mix the brown sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl. Stir in melted butter to form a thick paste.
05 - Remove the baked cake from the oven. Immediately use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the surface, spaced about 1 inch apart.
06 - Spoon or drizzle the cinnamon filling evenly over the warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
07 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until the frosting is creamy and smooth.
08 - Once the cake is completely cool, spread cream cheese frosting evenly over the top. Cut into squares and serve.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- You’ll discover irresistible gooey cinnamon pockets in every bite, right where the filling soaks into the cake.
- The whole thing comes together with a simple boxed cake mix — but the finished dessert tastes like you spent all morning swirling and drizzling cinnamon rolls from scratch.
02 -
- If the cake is even slightly too warm when you frost it, the icing will turn runny and slide off.
- Letting the cinnamon filling seep while the cake is hot creates those irresistible gooey tunnels — don’t wait to poke!
03 -
- Always poke deeper holes than you think — it helps the filling reach every single slice.
- Mix your frosting for an extra minute to ensure it’s ultra-smooth, almost like icing a cinnamon cloud.