I’m always on the hunt for easy desserts that feed a crowd, and as soon as I saw the viral Reddit recipe for Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake, I knew I had to give it a try. If you’ve never had a poke cake, let me introduce you to the Midwest classic. At its most basic, a poke cake is made by poking holes into a warm cake and pouring on a frosting or filling mixture. Here’s how to make the beloved cinnamon poke cake recipe, including tips for customizing the recipe.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
On the “old recipes” subreddit, a user shared their family’s poke cake. Here’s a quick look at how we made the recipe.
- Make a simple cake batter using self-rising flour, eggs, buttermilk, shortening, and sugar. Make the filling with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Start by pouring half the cake batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle on the cinnamon and brown sugar filling, and top with the remaining cake batter. Use a knife to swirl the filling and bake.
- While the cake bakes, make a simple powdered sugar frosting. Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes throughout and pour the icing over while the cake is warm.
What Does a Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake Taste Like?
We found that this poke cake recipe reminded us of a fluffy coffee cake. It’s nice and moist with flavorful cinnamon stripes running through. It is on the sweeter side, but we found it was perfect with a cup of coffee. It was hard to stop at just one piece.
Grant Webster
Tips for Making Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
Here are a few things we discovered when trying this nostalgic dessert recipe.
- This poke cake recipe is very easy to customize. The original poster shared that “Big Mama” would “sometimes add a sliced banana or two on top then add the icing for a ‘banana cake.’” Or make a chocolate version using a “warm chocolate glaze with Hershey’s cocoa powder.” Other reviewers swapped in butter for the shortening and reduced the brown sugar in the filling.
- We made the cake using buttermilk and loved how the flavor shines here. You can also use milk in this poke cake.
- For the best flavor, we recommend serving the cake warm.
- This cinnamon roll poke cake would be delicious with a cream cheese icing as well. We think the tanginess of the cream cheese would help balance the sweetness of the cake.
The Verdict on Reddit’s Cinnamon Roll Cake
Everyone who tried this recipe loved it. If you love the flavor of cinnamon rolls but want something easier, this poke cake is the recipe for you. It is on the sugary side, so if you prefer things less-sweet, I would definitely reduce the sugar in the filling and frosting. I will absolutely make this again, especially alongside a savory egg casserole for brunch.
