Piecaken

You’ve met the infamous turducken, now meet the dessert version: the over-the-top and (unquestionably more appetizing) piecaken. It’s a perfect fit for Thanksgiving, with one layer of pumpkin pie baked into a spice cake, and another layer of pecan pie baked into a chocolate cake. And when frosted with vanilla buttercream, it’s such a fun way to serve the classic Thanksgiving pies in a totally unexpected way. Plus, the extra cake batter is portioned and baked into cupcakes.

Although our piecaken recipe is a bit of a labor of love, premade ingredients like cake mixes, bakery pies and the best store-bought frosting eliminate a lot of prep work. You can, of course, make any of these components from scratch as desired. It’s Thanksgiving, after all. Go big!

What is piecaken?

Piecaken is a multi-layered dessert combining elements of pie and cake in one. The piecaken was invented by Zac Young in 2015 as a play on the infamous turducken (a Thanksgiving chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey).

There are many variations to the piecaken recipe, but our approach bakes the pies into cake layers that are assembled like a layered cake and finished with frosting.

Ingredients for Piecaken

• Spice cake mix: Purchase a spice cake mix made by your favorite brand, and make sure you have all the ingredients it calls for in the package directions. You can also make your own spice cake.
• Pumpkin pie: Buy an 8-inch pumpkin pie from the grocery store or bakery, or make your own.
• Chocolate cake mix: Our Test Kitchen tested different mixes from the store to find the best chocolate cake mix brands. If you’re a purist, though, make your chocolate cake from scratch.
• Pecan pie: Like pumpkin pie, you can buy or make your pecan pie depending on your preference. Just make sure it’s an 8-inch pie so it fits in the cake pan.
• Vanilla frosting: Two packages of store-bought vanilla frosting make quick work of finishing the cake. Buy an extra one for the cupcakes, just in case you run out!
• Garnishes: Chopped pecans and ground cinnamon make nice cake decorations. Toast the nuts to bring out their natural sweetness and aroma, and let them cool to room temperature.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pans

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups.

Editor’s Tip: It’s so important to grease the cake pans the right way. If the cake layers stick to the pans, they’ll break, and the mess between the cake and pies will be unsalvageable.

Step 2: Mix and portion the spice cake mix

Prepare the spice cake mix batter according to the package directions.

Transfer 1-1/2 cups of the batter to one of the prepared pans.

Step 3: Add the pumpkin pie

Remove the pumpkin pie from its pan and place it upside down on top of the spice cake batter.

Top the pie with 2-1/2 cups of additional batter. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. The batter should not completely fill the pan.

Step 4: Add the remaining batter to the muffin cups

Pour the remaining spice cake batter into six of the prepared muffin cups.

Editor’s Tip: Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly.

Step 5: Stir and portion the chocolate cake mix

Prepare the chocolate cake mix batter according to the package directions.

Transfer 1-1/2 cups of the batter to the remaining prepared pan.

Step 6: Add the pecan pie

Just as you did with the pumpkin pie, remove the pecan pie from the pan and place it upside down on top of the chocolate cake batter.

Top with 2-1/2 cups of the additional batter, and tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. The batter should not completely fill the pan.

Step 7: Portion the remaining batter into the muffin cups

Pour the remaining batter into the other six prepared muffin cups.

Step 8: Bake

Bake the cupcakes according to the packages’ directions. Bake the cake layers until the cakes start to pull away from the edges of the pans and the tops are completely set, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool the cake layers in the pans for one hour at room temperature so they can set up. Remove the cake layers from the pans and onto wire racks. Peel off the parchment paper rounds and cool the cakes completely to room temperature.

Step 9: Assemble

If the cake layers have rounded tops, cut the cake layers evenly with a serrated knife to make them level. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a serving plate. Spread the top with 1 cup of the vanilla frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer, making sure they are perfectly lined up on all sides.

Editor’s Tip: To ensure the cake layers are lined up, hold a bench knife vertically and gently press it onto one edge of the cake. The layers should line up perfectly against the point of the bench knife. Repeat this for the other four quadrants and move the cake layers around as needed.

Step 10: Frost and decorate

Using a mini offset spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. If desired, press chopped pecans onto the side of the cake and sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.

Decorate the cupcakes as desired. Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least one hour. Serve and refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Switch up the cake flavors: Feel free to use your own cake recipes or other boxed cake mix flavors as you see fit, especially if you’re changing the pies for what’s in season.
• Use different types of pie: You can really use almost any type of pie for this piecaken recipe, so long as the pie filling has been baked. Outfit this piecaken for spring with lemon pie and strawberry rhubarb pie, or bring it into summer with blueberry pie and peach pie.
• Try different frostings: Go beyond vanilla and match up different frosting recipes to the piecaken. Cream cheese frosting or cinnamon buttercream would be fantastic here!

How to Store Piecaken

Store piecaken in the fridge for up to three days. Press a piece of storage wrap against any cut and exposed areas of the cake to prevent the cake crumb and pies from drying out.

Can you make piecaken ahead of time?

Yes, you can make piecaken ahead of time. The day before serving, bake the layers and allow them to cool completely to room temperature. Wrap the layers separately and tightly in storage wrap, and refrigerate them until you’re ready to assemble the piecaken.

You could also fully bake, assemble and frost the piecaken the day before serving. Keep it in the fridge, then about 30 minutes before serving, remove the piecaken from the fridge so the frosting can come to room temperature.

Piecaken Tips

Can you use frozen pies for this piecaken recipe?

Pies from the freezer section of the grocery store will not work for this piecaken recipe; use prebaked pies from the bakery section. Or, for a fully homemade piecaken, make the pies from scratch. Start by choosing your favorite pecan pie recipe and pumpkin pie recipe. Bake them well in advance so they have time to fully cool before you get to work on building the piecaken.

What’s the best way to frost a piecaken?

The best way to frost a piecaken is to first make sure the layers are perfectly straight on top of one another in a neat stack. No Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa cakes, please! After the cake is assembled and straightened, pop it in the freezer while you prepare the buttercream. This initial chill freezes the frosting layer in between the two cakes, keeping the cake from sliding and leaning.

Frost the cake with a crumb coat first to seal in the crumbs and prevent them from coming to the surface of the final frosting layer. Pop the cake back in the freezer until the crumb coat frosting has hardened. Frost the cake with the final layer of buttercream, then decorate the cake as desired.

How can you cut clean, picture-perfect slices of piecaken?

To cut precise slices of piecaken, run a sharp chef’s knife under hot water. Carefully wipe the knife dry, then make the first cut. Take the knife out, run it under the hot water and wipe it dry again before making another cut. Repeat this process until the entire cake is cut. It’s going to feel tedious, but it’s absolutely worth it to have perfect, clean slices of the piecaken that showcase the fun layers.