What is a PieCaken?
A piecaken is a pie baked inside, or layered with, a cake. It is credited to pastry chef Zac Young, who created it in the mid-2010s as a dessert take on the turducken, and it has become popular as a holiday centerpiece. Many versions are labor-intensive, but you can make an easy one with a boxed cake mix, a store-bought pie and canned frosting.
What you need
- 1 box cake mix, plus the eggs, oil and water the box calls for
- 1 baked pie, completely cooled (an 8 or 9-inch pie, depending on your pan)
- Frosting: store-bought or homemade
- A 9-inch springform pan (strongly recommended for method 1) or two 9-inch cake pans
- Optional garnish: toasted nuts, cinnamon, caramel sauce
Method 1: whole pie baked inside the cake
This is the simplest version, based on the approach many food blogs use.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. A springform makes it far easier to release the cake.
- Mix the cake batter according to the package directions.
- Pour a base layer of batter into the pan (a couple of cups is a typical amount; use about half the batter if your pie is shallow). Tap the pan to release air bubbles.
- Remove the cooled pie from its pan if possible, or use a pie in a pan that fits, and set it upside down in the batter. A tight fit is fine; the batter will flow around the sides.
- Cover with the remaining batter, making sure it runs down the sides.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean. Because there is a whole pie in the middle, expect a long bake of roughly 50 to 60 minutes or more, and cover loosely with foil if the top browns too fast.
- Cool completely in the pan, then release and frost.
Method 2: layered piecaken
For a taller cake, bake a pie into each of two cake layers. Taste of Home’s version bakes a pumpkin pie into a spice cake layer and a pecan pie into a chocolate cake layer, then stacks them and frosts with vanilla buttercream. The leftover batter is baked as cupcakes. Prepare the layers in greased, parchment-lined pans, and let both layers cool completely before stacking. It takes more time but gives the dramatic look of a multi-layer cake.
Choosing pie and cake mix pairings
| Pie | Cake mix | Frosting idea |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | Yellow or vanilla | Cinnamon whipped frosting |
| Pumpkin | Spice | Cream cheese or vanilla |
| Pecan | Chocolate | Chocolate or vanilla buttercream |
| Cherry | Chocolate | Whipped cream or chocolate frosting |
| Blueberry | White or lemon | Vanilla or lemon |
A cherry pie pairs nicely with our cherry cake glaze drizzled over the top. Choose a pie that holds its shape. Fruit pies with very runny fillings can leak into the batter, so a well-set pie works best.
Frosting and slicing
Let everything cool completely before frosting, or the frosting will melt. A drizzle of easy caramel ganache works well on a pecan or apple piecaken. A thin “naked” coating on the sides and a thicker layer on top is easier than a smooth finish and looks charming. To slice cleanly, use a long, sharp knife, run it under hot water and wipe it dry between cuts. Chilling the frosted cake for a short time before cutting also helps.
Troubleshooting
- Center is underbaked: the pie adds mass, so bake longer and tent with foil. Test the cake portion in several spots.
- Cake sticks to the pan: grease and flour thoroughly, or line the bottom of the pan with parchment.
- Pie floats or tilts: make sure there is a base layer of batter, and press the pie gently so it sits level.
- Pie filling leaks: use a pie that is fully baked and cooled.
Make-ahead and storage
You can bake the cake a day ahead and frost it the day you serve it. Store the finished piecaken in the refrigerator if the pie filling or frosting is perishable, and bring slices toward room temperature before serving. Wrap and freeze leftover slices if needed.
Simple cake questions
How do you make a PieCaken? Bake a cooled pie into cake batter in a springform pan or between layers, then cool and frost.
How to make a 3 ingredient cake? One common shortcut is a boxed cake mix, a can of soda and nothing else, though the texture will differ from a standard cake. Results vary by mix and soda.
What is the most famous PieCaken? The best-known is the Thanksgiving-style version associated with Zac Young, which layers pies with cakes.
What is the simplest cake to make from scratch? A basic one-bowl vanilla or yellow cake with pantry staples (flour, sugar, eggs, butter or oil, milk, baking powder) is a good starting point.
Related cake mix recipes
If you like this style, try the jello pistachio pudding bundt cake or the blueberry cake with cake mix. For a simpler brunch-style dessert, see the easy cinnamon coffee cake with cake mix.