Cake recipes don’t get much better than this Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake! It’s a moist cake filled with buttery cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with rich cream cheese frosting!

Poke cakes are a fun twist on traditional sheet cakes. They’re filled with a yummy filling and then topped with frosting. They’re a real crowd pleaser!
This delicious cinnamon roll poke cake is a fluffy cake that’s filled with buttery sweet cinnamon filling! The cake is topped with a not-too-sweet homemade cream cheese frosting that perfectly compliments the cake.
This easy cake is so much faster to make than homemade cinnamon rolls. It’s the perfect way to indulge your cinnamon roll craving whenever the mood strikes!

Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cake mix: I use a plain white cake mix without pudding in it.
- Milk: You can use any milk from skim to whole milk.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work.
- Sweetened condensed milk: You can use either regular or non-fat sweetened condensed milk.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt or two.
- Cream cheese: Regular, 1/3-less fat, or Greek cream cheese will work. I don’t recommend fat-free cream cheese in this recipe.
How to make cinnamon roll poke cake
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Cake

Step 1: Add the cake mix, eggs, milk, water, and butter to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Mix together until well-combined.

Step 3: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.

Step 4: Bake.
Filling

Step 5: After the cake has baked, poke holes in the cake. I like to use the end of a wooden spoon.

Step 6: In a separate bowl, mix the filling ingredients together.

Step 7: Pour the cinnamon mixture over the top of the cake. I pour a little at a time to let it sink in and then continue a little at a time making sure to cover the whole cake.
Step 8: Let the cake cool to room temperature before frosting.
Frosting

Step 9: To make the frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer) until combined.

Step 10: Add powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon condensed milk. Beat together until well-combined. Mix in additional condensed milk and vanilla to desired consistency.

Step 11: Spread frosting over cooled cake. Enjoy at room temperature, or chill and enjoy cold.

Recipe Tips!
- Filling: I pour a bit of filling over the cake, let it soak in, and repeat. This allows the filling to sink into the holes and not just run off the sides.
- Frosting: You can add a dusting of cinnamon on top of the frosting to give it an extra pop of cinnamon flavor.
- Make-ahead: This cake is great for times when you need to make a dessert ahead of time. The cake can be made the day before and chilled until you’re ready to serve it.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! You can use your favorite homemade white cake recipe instead of using a box of white cake mix and the other ingredients listed under the “cake” section. Then, just bake the cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan and continue with the rest of the recipe.
You can use a yellow cake mix or a butter cake mix in place of the white cake mix, if you prefer. If you’re using a different type of cake mix, just be sure to follow the package directions on the back of the box if using a different type of cake.

Storage
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cake should keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More poke cake recipes!
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Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 15.25 ounce box white cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter melted
Filling
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 8 ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs, milk, water, and butter on low for 30 seconds.
- Turn speed up to medium, and mix together for 1-2 minutes, or until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, stir together butter, brown sugar, condensed milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon (or similar instrument), poke holes in the cake (I poke about 35).
- Pour filling mixture over warm cake a little at a time, gently spreading as necessary.
- Let cake cool to room temperature.
- To make the frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter until combined.
- Add powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon condensed milk. Beat together until well-combined.
- Mix in additional condensed milk and vanilla to desired consistency.
- Spread frosting over room temperature cake.
- Enjoy at room temperature, or chill and enjoy cold.
- Cover and chill any leftovers.
Notes
- Cake mix: I use a plain white cake mix without pudding in it.
- Milk: You can use any milk from skim to whole milk.
- Sweetened condensed milk: You can use either regular or non-fat sweetened condensed milk.
- Cream cheese: Regular, 1/3-less fat, or Greek cream cheese will work. I don’t recommend fat-free in this recipe.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 1/20/16. Cake adapted from Love, Life, & Sugar.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Carol says
I made this cake for my family today. I have to say it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. Thanks for sharing with us.
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you enjoyed the cake! =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Lori says
I made 5 different cakes for my son’s workplace, in preparation for a “cake contest”at my husband’s workplace……and this cake WON! Thank you for an awesome e re up a! I think I will be making a lot of these cakes in the future!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that you like the recipe! I love to hear things like this. =) Thank you for taking the time to come back to comment!
Joanne says
I would like to say this: I think you should be punished for posting this recipe!!!!! I made this an hour ago, and it’s almost gone already. I have been working soo hard on my diet, and then I have to find this, this bad bad thing. I. Love. This. Cake!!! I want to eat this cake everyday for the rest of my life. Why?????? Why did I lick the plate clean???? Thank you!!! But I’m still mad at you?????
Kate says
Your comment made me laugh! I’m glad that you liked the cake, and I totally get it! Hopefully you’ll find a way to forgive me one day. ;)
ds says
very easy and great recipe. the only thing I did differently was use cherry coke instead of water. very good cinnamon cake recipe.
Kate says
Thanks! That’s a really interesting twist on the recipe. Glad it worked out!
Sue Wilhelm says
Absolutely amazing!! I made this cake last fall and it was gone before I could nab a piece. All I heard from my grandkids is “Grandma, please make this for my birthday” from 3 different grandkids. Everyone loves it. I’m making it now for our family gumbo dinner tomorrow night per request of 5 different family members. This time I’m taking my piece first!!! Lol
Kate says
I love this! I’m so glad that this cake has been a hit with your family! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave such a nice comment!
Ursula says
My son brings in a cake for all of his friends birthdays, so we made this one! I didn’t get to try it but had to give the recipe to 2 of his teachers and the girls in the group. So it went down very well! Thank you! I will make it again so I can try it.
Kate says
What a nice thing to do! I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment.
Trina says
Made this for Christmas tomorrow. I am very concerned about the cake. I added the 1/2 c milk and 1/2 c water. The cake took 40 mins to cook and because it filled with too much liquid. I wish I would’ve made the cake based on the directions on the box because now I have a massage hole as I had to open up the cake for it to expose the liquid for it to cook thoroughly. I’m not giving up on this. Will know tomorrow how it taste.
Kate says
It definitely sounds like something went wrong somewhere. Did you happen to make the cake with both the liquid called for on the box and the liquid called for in the recipe?
Anne Marie says
Hi Kate!
This looks amazing. Just one question- in the pictures it looks like there is cinnamon mixed in with the frosting on top, can see th bcokoured swirls. Is that right? I don’t see anything about adding cinnamon to the icing so just wanted to check as it looks so nic that way. Thanks so much!!
Anne Marie says
I meant I say “coloured” swirls lol
iPhone typo
Kate says
Hi! Thank you! I sifted a little bit of cinnamon over the top of the cake for pictures. If you’d like to do that, just sift a little bit of cinnamon over the top of the frosting and then lightly swirl it with a knife. =)
Anne Marie says
Perfect!! Thank you so much :)
Keesha says
I want to make this for thanksgiving dinner tomorrow! Should I make it the morning of or tonight when I get home? And do u leave it set out or out it in the fridge? And if I put it in the fridge will it get hard and nasty like cinnamon rolls do?
Kate says
You can make it tomorrow or tonight, and it should be fine either way. I store it covered in the fridge. I’ve also made the cake ahead of time and put it in the fridge until I was ready to serve it. I’ve never had it dry out, but the frosting will set up more once it has been chilled. You can just let it sit out for just a bit before you serve it to let the frosting soften back up. Hope that helps, and happy Thanksgiving! =)
Channing says
WOW! This cake was incredible! My mom and I made this tonight and it was “slap yo momma good”!!! Thank you for the recipe! This is a keeper!
Kate says
LOL! So glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment! =)
Lauren says
Can I use a Spice cake mix instead? I am trying to use that for something
Kate says
I’ll be honest, it’s not going to be the same. The white cake gives some contrast to the buttery cinnamon-sugar filling. So, you’d end up with a cinnamon-sugar spice cake, which might be really good in its own right.
Denysa says
Absolutely the best cake !! Whole family loved it! I’m actually making a strawberry cake now, and have made the same cream cheese icing, just added 1/4 cup strawberry preserve for strawberry cream cheese icing.
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that your whole family loved it! The strawberry preserves with the cream cheese icing sounds amazing! I’ll have to give that a try.
Dede says
This is delicious! One of my top 3 and will now be my go-to cake. YUM!!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it! It’s one of my family’s favorites, and I love to hear that other people are enjoying it, too! =)
Tina says
I made this cake last night. My husband said its be “best cake i have made”. I personally thought it has toooooo much cinnamon in it. I think i will do less cinnaman next time and less condensed milk for the mixture that goes in the wholes. Other than that i thought it was good. Hubby loved it but i thought it was just okay. The mixture that went inside the wholes tasted a bit like molases cookies to me, like an odd taste, not able to explain it well but yea.
Kate says
I’m glad your husband enjoyed it, and it sounds like you know what you’d like to change to make it more to your liking next time!
Tina says
Okay, so i just wanted to update my post. I felt bad about the bad review after eating the cake the day after i made it. I tried deleting my other post but wasnt able to. Anyways, this cake was beyond delicious the day after i made it. It was soo dam good!! I looked through my pinterest to find my post to update my comment lol It didnt taste bitter like the first day. It was heavenly, i plan on making it for easter when i have family coming over. Im 7 months pregnant and this cake hit the spot with some orange juice lol. LOVED it. Thank you and im sorry i wrote a review after trying the cake while it was still kind of warm. It was so good i cant even thank you enough. lol im not exaggerating either!! SO yummy
Kate says
I’m glad! I’ve never tried it warm (I usually make it ahead of time and let it chill until I serve it), so it’s good to know that it definitely needs that time to sit. I’m pregnant, too, so I know all about how those cravings can be! ;) Thanks for taking the time to come back!
Julia Vodopia says
Hi Kate,
I woud like to use this recipe for my sister’s engagement party – how much is this recipe for, and for the party there will be about 70 ppl, how could i manipulate the recipe to fill that?
looks SO good.
Kate says
Thanks! You should be able to get 20 servings per cake. Usually, it works to double a recipe or halve it, but it doesn’t necessarily work to go beyond that. Since it sounds like you would need to 4 cakes, what I would do (and I haven’t done this, so this is just my suggestion), is to make two double batches of the cake, syrup, and frosting, and then I would bake them in 4 9×13-inch pans. Good luck! =)
Missyc says
I’m a huge baker and made this for my son’s 30th birthday. he claims this is the best cake I have ever made. Delicious and easy!
Kate says
I’m so glad that you both liked it!! I love to hear things like that! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! =)
Mr/Mrs.Tom Oody-Jr. says
This recipe looks and sounds delicious!!!!!!! I’m going to copy this one down and try making this one.The picture of this recipe makes my mouth water!!!!!!!My wife says the same thing.
Kate says
Thank you!! This cake is a favorite in our house, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! =)
Miranda says
This sounds so AMAZING!!!!! My boyfriend and his family would ABSOLUTELY LOVE this!!!!!!
Kate says
Thanks!! =)
Ellen says
I got great reviews on this cake except the filling mixture sat on the top of the cake. I poked holes and poured it on right out of the oven. Should I have let it cool first?
Kate says
I pour the filling on while the cake is still hot. I use a wooden spoon handle to make the holes, and it’s large enough that I’ve never had any issues with the filling sitting on top. Maybe making the holes just a little larger would help? Also, you can spoon it around (gently) to help it settle in. I hope that helps! =)
Gail says
I am confused by the 1T for how much cinnamon to use.. is it table spoon?
Kate says
Yes, 1 T is 1 tablespoon.
Joy says
The Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake sounds like a real Potluck winner. My mouth is watering.
Kate says
Thanks so much! =)
Marilyn N says
How will using orginal sweetened condensed milk change the recipe
Kate says
It won’t. I haven’t found any difference between using fat-free and original in recipes, so feel free to use original if that’s what you have. =)
Julia says
What a treat! My oldest daughter would love it!
Kate says
Thanks! =) Is she a fan of cinnamon rolls?