This Keto Pumpkin Poke Cake combines tender low carb pumpkin cake with gooey caramel sauce and an airy cream cheese frosting. It might just be the best keto dessert recipe you make all year!
Pumpkin spice is one of those very divisive flavors. People either love it or they hate it. And those who love will eat it in any form they can get a hold of. Pumpkin spice lattes? You bet. Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake? Yes, please! Low Carb Pumpkin Donuts? Gimme gimme gimme!
So I had to create yet another amazing pumpkin dessert recipes. I couldn’t let my pumpkin lovers down! And believe me, this Keto Pumpkin Poke Cake is everything a good dessert should be. Moist and flavorful, with lots of delectable layers that appeal to the eyes and the tastebuds.
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Why you will love this recipe
Poke cakes really are a fun and smart idea. What better way to ensure moist cake than to poke a bunch of holes in it and pour sauce or pudding down into them? And then topping the whole thing with some sort of delicious frosting?
The actual cake in this recipe is plenty moist as it is, courtesy of the pumpkin puree. But adding some of my famous keto caramel sauce is never a bad thing! Pumpkin and caramel go together delightfully.
I tried a new technique for the topping on this one. By beating the cream cheese and whipping cream together, you get a much lighter, airier concoction than classic cream cheese frosting. I think it made this cake even more spectacular!
And while the results are stunning, this luscious keto dessert really isn’t difficult to make. You can even make the cake a day in advance and break the process up.
With only 3.5g net carbs per serving, this is THE keto dessert of the season.
Ingredients you need
Pumpkin Cake
- Almond flour: This is an almond flour cake base, but if you want to try a nut free version, use my Keto Pumpkin Bread as the base. I am not certain of the bake time so keep your eye on it!
- Sweetener: You will need a couple of different sweeteners for this recipe. I like Swerve Brown in the cake itself, and Swerve Confectioners in the frosting. See the Expert Tips section for more sweetener options.
- Protein powder: As most of you know by now, protein powder helps gluten free and keto baked goods rise better. You can use whey protein, egg white protein, or vegan protein, but collagen protein won’t work here.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure you use unsweetened puree, and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin pie spice: I tend to reach for the pre-made spice mix, just to make life a bit easier!
- Kitchen staples: Butter, eggs, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt.
Filling and Frosting
- Caramel sauce: My keto caramel sauce is the perfect filling for this delicious pumpkin cake. But you could also use sugar-free condensed milk or even keto dulce de leche.
- Cream cheese: This delicious pumpkin poke cake is topped with an airy whipped cream cheese frosting.
- Whipping cream: Heavy whipping cream helps make the topping lighter and fluffier.
- Pecans: I used chopped toasted pecans for a little crunch, but you could simply do a sprinkle of cinnamon the cake.
Step by step directions
1. Prepare the cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add the pumpkin, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in just enough water to make a thick but pourable consistency.
2. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into a greased 9×9 inch baking pan and spread to the edges. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and the center is just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely.
3. Poke holes: Take the handle of a wooden spoon and poke holes all over the cake.
4. Add the filling: Prepare the caramel sauce as directed and let cool until thickened but still pourable. Pour all over the top of the cake, spreading to the edges to make sure it fills the holes.
5. Prepare the topping: Beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute. Then beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract until well combined. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the whipping cream. Once all the cream has been added and is combined, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no clumps of cream cheese. Turn the mixer to medium high and continue to beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks
6. Frost and garnish: Spread over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the pecans. Refrigerate 1 hour to help the topping firm up.
Expert tips
Use the end of a wooden spoon to make nice sized holes all over the cake. If you make them too small, the caramel sauce can’t seep down into the cake properly. Make sure you wipe off the end of the spoon every so often, as some of the cake tends to stick to it.
You don’t want the caramel sauce or condensed milk to be hot when you pour it over, but you also don’t want it to have cooled so much that it’s too firm. If you made it in advance, you can gently rewarm it for a few seconds in the microwave. It should be lukewarm, so that it’s thickened but still easily pourable.
Make sure your cream cheese is well softened before you beat it, to help the frosting be extra smooth. And make sure to stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so you don’t end up with any clumps of cream cheese.
Sweetener Options
For the cake itself, you can use almost any granular sweetener. Do keep in mind that allulose will make the cake brown faster so keep your eye on it in the oven. I used Swerve Brown, which is mostly erythritol with a little allulose, and it turned out perfectly.
You will need a powdered sweetener for the frosting, but any good confectioner’s style sweetener should work. Don’t try to powder granular sweetener yourself. It will never be fine enough and your frosting will be gritty.
The caramel sauce or condensed milk does require you to use some allulose or BochaSweet for the best consistency. If you try to use all erythritol sweeteners, it will recrystallize and your cake will be grainy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canned pumpkin puree does have some carbs, but it’s relatively low so it can be use in keto recipes. A half cup of pumpkin puree has 10g of carbs and 3g of fiber.
This luscious keto poke cake has 5.5g carbs and 2g fiber per serving. So it has 3.5g net carbs for each piece.
As long as your ingredients are fresh, you can store this cake in fridge in a covered container for up to a week. You can also freeze it for several months.
More amazing keto poke cakes
Keto Pumpkin Poke Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (210 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Brown
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder, (or egg white protein powder)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (122.5 g) pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (75.67 g) butter, melted
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tbsp water
Filling
- 1 recipe Keto Caramel Sauce, (or dulce de leche)
Frosting
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (59.15 g) Swerve Confectioners
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 1/3 cup (33 g) chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease a 9×9 inch metal baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add the pumpkin, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Stir in just enough water to make a thick but pourable consistency. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread to the edges. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and the center is just firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely, then take the handle of a wooden spoon and poke holes all over the cake.
Filling
- Prepare the caramel sauce as directed and let cool until thickened but still pourable. Pour all over the top of the cake, spreading to the edges to make sure it fills the holes.
Topping
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute. Then beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract until well combined. (You can also use a hand mixer, but it will take more time!).
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the whipping cream. Once all the cream has been added and is combined, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no clumps of cream cheese.
- Turn the mixer to medium high and continue to beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Spread over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the pecans.
- Refrigerate 1 hour to help the topping firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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What if you don’t bake with metal pans. All I have are glass baking dishes.
Glass conducts heat a lot differently than metal. You can try reducing the temp by 25 degrees and baking longer, but keep your eye on it. The edges may get overdone.