Piecaken is a Frankenstein's monster of a dessert. It is a pecan pie, topped with a pumpkin pie, topped with a spice cake, topped with frosting and apple pie filling. It's a total yum.
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🎂 What is Piecaken?
Piecaken is the Turducken of holiday desserts. And just as Turducken is made up of three birds stuffed inside each other, Piecaken incorporates four classic desserts into one big beautiful cake. The bottom layer is pecan pie, the middle is pumpkin pie, the top is spice cake, and it is topped with apple pie filling, cinnamon buttercream frosting, and chopped pecans.
It's the whole package.
🗽 Piecaken Origin Story
Where did this treat come from, and why did Kelly Ripa proclaim it to be "the greatest thing that happened to me, besides the birth of my children."? Well, it comes to us from a NYC pastry chef named Zac Young. He invented this mammoth dessert in 2015, and it became so popular that it created a pumpkin puree shortage in the city.
Everyone was carried along by the current of Piecaken.
My husband splurged last year and ordered a $100 Bakeshop Piecaken from Goldbelly. But to our great dismay, it didn't arrive by Thanksgiving, and we were stuck with a dumpy old pumpkin pie from Kroger's.
Sad.
💸 But you don't have to spend one hundred smackers to have this experience.
With this copycat recipe, you can whip up this heavenly dessert in just one hour. And it'll only put you out about $25. That is because we are taking all the shortcuts to make this cake. We'll use spice cake mix for the top layer and pre-made pumpkin and pecan pies. And it will be frosted with canned frosting and topped with canned apple pie filling.
It'll be quick, quick, quick.
💬 Questions?
If, by some stroke of luck, you have some extra time over the holidays, then by all means, make it all from scratch. You can make all the components with these recipes: Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Spice Cake, Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting, and Apple Pie Filling. Then just follow my recipe to assemble the Piecaken.
Yes, you can order a Bakeshop Piecaken from Goldbelly. It'll set you back $100 and may not even arrive in time, but... you can do it. Don't say I didn't warn you, though.
It is meant to be served at Thanksgiving, but you can make it for Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year's just as well. It makes a killer birthday cake, and you can even call it Piecakenstein and serve it for Halloween.
The sky is the limit when you know how to make Piecaken.
🥣 Ingredients
- spice cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil
- pre-baked pumpkin pie
- pre-baked pecan pie
- vanilla frosting
- ground cinnamon
- chopped pecans
- apple pie filling
If you like this decadent dessert, then you will love my Cool Whip Ambrosia Salad and Mandarin Orange Jello Salad recipes.
📖 Instructions
- Prepare the spice cake mix following the package instructions. Make sure to use a springform 8-inch pan lined with parchment paper, or a pan that’s the same diameter as your premade pies. Once cooked, let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool at room temperature. Use a bread knife to level the cake by cutting off the curved top.
- Transfer the vanilla frosting to a bowl and mix well with ground cinnamon to make your cinnamon frosting.
- When ready to assemble, start by placing the pecan pie into a cake stand or serving shallow plate.
- Spread ½ cup of frosting over the pecan pie and carefully place the pumpkin pie on top, repeat spreading ½ cup of frosting on top, and place the cooled baked cake.
- Frost the cake with the remaining frosting on the sides and on top, reserve about 1 cup of frosting and pipe to decorate, if you wish. Use the chopped pecans to decorate and finish with a dollop of apple pie filling in the center of the cake.
❄️ Storage
Your quick Piecaken will last in the refrigerator for up to 7 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
👩🍳 And that's about it!
In just about an hour you can have the Thanksgiving dessert that is the talk of the town. Now, this is a cake with a wow factor. Trust me, it will be all anyone talks about over the family dinner table.
And doesn't that beat politics?
📋 Recipe
Quick Copycat Piecaken
Piecaken is a pecan pie, topped with a pumpkin pie, topped with a spice cake, topped with frosting, and apple pie filling. It's fantastic.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8-10 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 package spice cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water
- 1 (8-inch) pre-baked pumpkin pie
- 1 (8-inch) pre-baked pecan pie
- 3 cans (16-oz) vanilla frosting
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup apple pie filling
Instructions
1. Prepare the spice cake mix following the package instructions. Make sure to use a springform 8-inch pan lined with parchment paper, or a pan that’s the same diameter as your premade pies. Once cooked, let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool at room temperature. Use a bread knife to level the cake by cutting off the curved top.
2. Transfer the vanilla frosting to a bowl and mix well with ground cinnamon to make your cinnamon frosting.
3. When ready to assemble, start by placing the pecan pie into a cake stand or serving shallow plate.
4. Spread ½ cup of frosting over the pecan pie and carefully place the pumpkin pie on top, repeat spreading ½ cup of frosting on top, and place the cooled baked cake.
5. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting on the sides and on top, reserve about 1 cup of frosting and pipe to decorate, if you wish. Use the chopped pecans to decorate and finish with a dollop of apple pie filling in the center of the cake.
Notes
Best not read the nutritional info. It doesn't count when you eat it on a holiday.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 751
- Fat: 30
- Carbohydrates: 122
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 7
Keywords: Piecaken, Bakeshop Piecaken, Pie in a Cake
Cory says
Fabulous!
★★★★★
Emily Krill says
Thanks!