We Can't Get Enough Of This Viral Reddit Poke Cake

Generational recipes are often overlooked family heirlooms that bring great joy and satisfaction. So, when Daily Meal came across a Reddit post from a community member sharing their Big Mama's cinnamon roll poke cake, we decided it was the perfect culinary experiment for a long weekend. If you like old-fashioned cinnamon rolls, this cake is for you. Its taste and texture are next-level; once you eat a slice, you will want to bake it on repeat.

Big Mama's cinnamon roll poke cake uses traditional ingredients that make the batter and a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon to create a sweet layer with all the feels of a cinnamon roll. If you've never baked with self-rising flour – an all-purpose flour made with softer, lighter wheat that already contains baking powder and salt — it's the magic to the tender crumb of this cake. It's also convenient because it already includes the leavening ingredients; however, if you don't have any in your pantry, you can make self-rising flour from scratch using cake flour and adding baking powder and salt. 

It only takes 30 minutes for this cake to bake, and once you remove it from the oven, use a fork to poke holes across the cake's surface while it's still warm. Then pour the warm, smooth glaze over top, filling the poke crevices and penetrating the outer layer with sweetness.

This cinnamon roll poke cake is delicious when served warm, but if you eat it after it's cooled, you get a nice little crunchy element from the icing that solidifies on the top and edges of the cake; the contrast is heavenly.

Big Mama's cinnamon roll poke cake is easy to make and even easier to eat, especially if you've got a pot of coffee to go along with it. One Redditor confessed, "I made this last week. It was great. I ate ¾ of it over the course of 3 days before I grew disgusted with my lack of discipline and threw the rest out. I'm making it again tomorrow."

This cake is perfect as-is for brunch or a birthday celebration, or you can put a spin on it. The original poster shared that Big Mama would use the cake as a base for other poke cake variations. One variation replaces the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture with sliced bananas while another replaces the vanilla glaze with chocolate. You can even try adapting it for your next lemon poke cake.