I tried the famous ‘PieCaken,’ a 6-pound cake stuffed with 3 different pies. It was a huge hit at my Friendsgiving.
This Thanksgiving season, the PieCaken has emerged as a culinary sensation that combines multiple beloved desserts into one extravagant creation. Invented by pastry chef Zac Young in 2015, the PieCaken features an impressive assembly of pecan pie, pumpkin pie, spice cake, and apple pie filling, all layered together and enveloped in a luscious cinnamon buttercream frosting. Weighing in at six pounds, this dessert is not just visually stunning but also a delightful treat for the taste buds. Young’s inspiration came from the Turducken, a dish that layers poultry, and he sought to create a sweet counterpart that would wow dessert lovers. The PieCaken quickly gained popularity, even earning accolades from celebrities like Kelly Ripa, who described it as “the greatest thing that happened to me, besides the birth of my children.”
Recently, I had the opportunity to try the PieCaken for the first time during a Friendsgiving dinner, and it did not disappoint. Upon arrival, the dessert was beautifully presented, with its oat crumble topping and vibrant apple pie filling catching everyone’s attention. The preparation was straightforward; after thawing it in the refrigerator overnight, I allowed it to sit out for a couple of hours before serving. When I sliced into the PieCaken, I was amazed by how distinct each layer remained, showcasing the glistening pecan pie, creamy pumpkin layer, and airy spice cake. Each bite was a harmonious blend of flavors, with the sweetness of the pies balanced by the richness of the buttercream. While some guests found the overall sweetness a bit overwhelming, the individual layers were universally praised, making it a perfect centerpiece for any holiday gathering.
The PieCaken not only serves as a delicious dessert but also offers a fun way to sample various holiday flavors without the need for multiple pies. It can comfortably serve 12 to 16 people, making it ideal for large gatherings. As someone who typically shies away from traditional Thanksgiving desserts, I found the PieCaken to be a refreshing twist that brought excitement to the table. Its combination of textures and flavors truly encapsulates the essence of the holiday season, and it’s no wonder that it has become a favorite among dessert enthusiasts. Whether you’re a fan of pumpkin pie or prefer the crunch of pecans, the PieCaken is sure to impress and bring joy to your Thanksgiving festivities.
I tried the PieCaken, a Thanksgiving dessert that has three pies stuffed into one wild cake.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
The PieCaken features pecan pie, pumpkin pie, spice cake, and apple pie filling — all in one dessert.
I tried it for the first time and couldn’t believe how delicious every layer was.
The PieCaken wowed everyone at my Friendsgiving.
Pumpkin pie
was never big with my family.
My Thanksgiving dinners usually come to an end with
my dad’s famous baklava
. And while I like pumpkin pie just as much as the next person, I never understood why it was always the top holiday dessert.
So when I heard about the PieCaken, a 6-pound cake with four different desserts stuffed inside, I knew I had to try it.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw a photo of the PieCaken.
PieCaken
Kelly Ripa once said that the Thanksgiving dessert — which can be purchased for $110 on
Goldbelly
and ships across the US — was the “greatest thing that happened to me, besides the birth of my children.”
There’s a pecan pie on the bottom, followed by a pumpkin pie layer, and then spice cake on top. If that’s not enough, there’s apple pie filling in the center, and everything is held together by cinnamon buttercream.
The PieCaken was invented by the pastry chef Zac Young.
Cindy Ord/Stringer/Getty Images
Young first came up with the idea in 2015 while working as the executive pastry chef at David Burke Fabrick in New York City. The restaurant’s executive chef was serving a Turducken special (a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey), and Young decided he wanted to make a sweet version.
He was just planning to make a dessert to serve by the slice. But when Young posted a photo on Instagram, the PieCaken immediately took off.
To mark this year’s milestone 10th anniversary, Young is also releasing a limited-edition $160
DecaCaken
featuring 10 layers, including chocolate cream pie, coffee cake, and New York cheesecake.
My PieCaken was delivered frozen two days after I placed my order.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
The PieCaken was shipped with dry ice. Per the instructions, I stuck it in the fridge the night before I planned to serve it and let it sit out on the counter for two hours before digging in.
Unlike many desserts, the PieCaken can actually be stored in the freezer for up to three months if it’s tightly wrapped in its original packaging. It also lasts in the fridge for up to seven days.
At first glance, the PieCaken looked very impressive.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
The 5-inch cake is covered in an oat crumble, and the colors pair well with the pale-pink cinnamon buttercream.
I brought the PieCaken to a Friendsgiving dinner, and its appearance wowed everyone at the table.
The apple pie filling on top also looked surprisingly bright and inviting.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
For a cake that had been sitting in a box with dry ice just a day before, I was surprised by how fresh and juicy the apple pie filling looked.
I could smell that warm and comforting combination of cinnamon, apples, and nutmeg from the moment I unwrapped it.
The PieCaken looked even prettier when I sliced into it.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
As you can see, the four layers are perfectly separated and easily distinguishable throughout the cake. The pecan pie glistened on the bottom, the pumpkin pie in the middle had a pretty orange hue, and the spice cake looked fluffy on top.
With so many different pies incorporated into one dessert, I wondered if the PieCaken would turn into a big mess. But each slice looked beautiful with its clean lines and autumn colors.
I couldn’t believe how well each layer paid tribute to its original pie.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
The pecan pie was definitely my favorite layer. I loved that it had a classic pie crust on the bottom (you can’t have pie without the crust!), the filling was a knockout, and the pecans gave everything a great crunch.
The pumpkin pie layer was beautifully creamy and had a nice, subtle spice. Like the pecan layer, it had its own deliciously flaky crust, and all the flavors paired well with the cinnamon buttercream frosting.
It was the spice cake that surprised me most. Just by looking at it, I expected the cake to taste quite dense — almost like a pound cake — but it was actually light as air. I couldn’t believe how fluffy it tasted, and the layer was a great vessel for the heavy apple pie filling on top.
Each layer of the PieCaken was delicious on its own, but all the flavors also worked well together.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
I tasted the individual layers before trying a big bite of everything together, and I was surprised that none of the different pies clashed with each other. It’s really a cornucopia of holiday flavors all coming together.
I should note that this dessert is definitely sweet. The different pies, combined with the cinnamon buttercream, were just a bit too much for some of my friends, although they all loved the individual layers.
But if you’re looking for the ultimate holiday indulgence, the PieCaken fits the bill.
Overall, the PieCaken is a really fun and unique dessert that will impress your friends and family — and shake up your Thanksgiving.
Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
The PieCaken serves 12 to 16 people, making it perfect for either a Friendsgiving or a large Thanksgiving dinner. I brought my leftovers to another party the next day, and it was so fun watching everyone get excited about all the different pies in the cake.
And as someone who doesn’t follow Thanksgiving dessert traditions, I thought the PieCaken was a great way to sample different holiday flavors at the dinner table.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a skeptic when it comes to desserts that seem like they were made more for Instagram grids than our stomachs. But the PieCaken is the real deal, and I’m not surprised that it’s brought holiday cheer to so many people — Kelly Ripa included — for so many years.
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