A Pie In A Cake

Okay… okay… I know that this time of year pies tend to own the market. But can I be honest – I prefer a cake over a pie ANYDAY! I am crazy, I know. Lucky for me this year, we don’t have to choose. I wanted the best of both worlds and was so pleased this crazy idea of baking a pie inside a cake actually worked! Move over pinata cake, I give you my new favorite thing to stuff a cake with – a pie. A piecake, a cakepie. An awesome Thanksgiving we will have!


See that pretty cake up there? That amazing cherry pie is baked inside! Talk about surprising your guests with something amazing. They’ll start calling you the queen of cakes. Or maybe that’s just in my dreams…

To make this pie cake you will need: ready-made single pie crust (either box mix or refrigerated, but not shell) or homemade pie crust, 1 box of cake mix (or ingredients for your favorite recipe), 1 container of frosting (we used vanilla), 1 can of cherry pie filling/topping, 6×3 cake pan, and a 4″ mini pie pan.

Start by preparing the pie crust. Roll out dough and position mini pie pan upside down on the dough. Using a knife, trace around the pan adding about 1″ all around. Lift dough and place it in the pan, pressing the pastry into the pan with your fingers. Pre-bake the crust in a 425F oven for 10 minutes. Save dough scraps to make strips for the lattice top.

When the pie bottom has cooled, spoon a generous amount of cherry filling into the crust. Cut strips from dough to create a lattice top on the pie — it’s not necessary as it won’t really be seen once inside the cake. Alternatively, roll out dough and make a double crust, laying it over the top of the pie. Make sure to cut vents in the top crust. Bake pie for 15 minutes at 425F, then reduce to 350F for 30 more minutes. Let cool. Remove pie from pan.

Prepare cake pan. Cut out parchment paper the same size as the pan. Grease the bottom and sides of pan, then place parchment into bottom of pan. Grease and flour the parchment. Prepare cake batter following your favorite instructions. Cover the bottom of cake pan with a little bit of batter, then carefully place the pie into the cake pan, centering it. Slowly pour more batter into the pan, completely covering the pie, making sure it’s level. You’ll use a little more than half of the batter. Bake the cake at 350F for 70-75 minutes. You want to sure the cake is baked through (especially in the center) so after about 50 minutes, check the center for doneness with a toothpick or skewer. If necessary, loosely tent foil the cake to prevent over-browning. Allow cake to cool completely.

Make the other layer of cake, the one that doesn’t contain pie. Baking time be around 30-35 minutes. Cool completely.

Assemble the cake as you would any layer cake. Place the pie-less layer on the bottom. Frost it, then carefully place the layer containing the pie on top. Apply a crumb coating to the entire cake. Place in fridge to set for about 15 minutes, then apply your final frosting to the cake. When sliced, your guests will be surprised to see a pie inside the cake!

This cake can be made using other pan sizes; just make sure the pie is smaller than the cake so it “fits” inside. Experiment with different flavor combinations, such as pumpkin pie inside a spice cake or pecan pie inside a vanilla cake. We’d love to hear what you come up with!

This post is a part of our creative cake series produced and photographed by Athena Plichta for A Subtle Revelry.

Source:  asubtlerevelry.com/a-pie-cake