Thanksgiving Piecaken | Ultimate Holiday Dessert

Introduction

The Thanksgiving Piecaken is truly the ultimate holiday dessert. Why settle for choosing between your favorite pies and cake when you can combine them all in a single, jaw-dropping treat? With layers of classic holiday pies baked inside a moist cake and finished with luscious frosting or cream, this show-stopping dessert will be the talk of your Thanksgiving table. Effortlessly impressive and bursting with the flavors of the season, the Piecaken is your secret weapon for serving a memorable finale to your holiday meal.

Deliciously Unique Thanksgiving Piecaken

What sets the Thanksgiving Piecaken apart is its playful approach to tradition. Imagine an inner layer of pumpkin pie, nestled within a spiced cake base, topped with a tangy cranberry-apple pie, and crowned with a rich pecan pie—all baked together and finished with fluffy vanilla frosting. Each slice delivers a medley of moist cake and tender pie, perfectly spiced and balanced for every holiday craving. This dessert is more than just a sweet finish—it’s an experience of shared holiday wonder.

Preparing the Pie, Cake, and Layers

Begin by gathering small, already-prepared pies (store-bought or homemade) in classic Thanksgiving flavors: pumpkin, apple (or cranberry-apple), and pecan. The cake batter, often a simple spiced or vanilla cake, ties the layers together and provides structure. By arranging the pies carefully in your springform pan and enveloping them with batter, you create dramatic visual layers that bake to perfection.

Let your pies cool completely before assembling to prevent excess moisture from seeping into the cake. If you’d like, brush the pies with a thin layer of melted butter to help them hold their structure.

Assembling Your Thanksgiving Piecaken

To assemble, pour a layer of cake batter into your prepared pan. Nestle the first pie in the batter, spread more cake batter on top, then add the second pie, and so on—finishing with a generous layer of cake batter. Bake low and slow to ensure each pie remains intact and the cake cooks evenly. Once cooled, unmold carefully and chill before frosting. Finish your Piecaken with classic cream cheese or vanilla buttercream, caramel drizzle, or a scatter of toasted pecans for extra flair.

Serving Suggestions for a Show Stopping Thanksgiving Piecaken

Serve generous slices of Piecaken with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. A light cranberry coulis or caramel sauce drizzle enhances the flavor and presentation. This dessert is best enjoyed slightly chilled; let it sit out for about 10 minutes before slicing to help the cake and pies cut cleanly. Garnish with sugared cranberries, toasted nuts, or even mini pie crust cutouts for a festive, elegant presentation.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 12 hearty servings. Each slice (depending on pie and frosting choices) contains approximately 500-650 calories—definitely an indulgence! Perfect for sharing on a special occasion, the Piecaken brings a little bit of everything to your holiday table.

💡 Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to instantly generate an organized shopping list—ingredients are automatically sorted by store section, making holiday grocery trips easier and more efficient than ever.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line a deep 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Ensure your pies are fully baked and cooled.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
4. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with flour, until just combined.
5. Pour a third of the cake batter into the pan. Gently unwrap and place the pumpkin pie upside down onto the batter. Cover with another third of batter, then add the apple pie, cover with remaining batter, and top with the pecan pie (right-side up).
6. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until a skewer inserted into the cake (not pie) comes out clean and the center feels set. If browning too quickly, tent with foil.
7. Cool completely before unmolding. Chill in fridge for at least 2 hours for easiest slicing.
8. For the frosting: Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy.
9. Frost the cooled Piecaken, decorate as desired, and enjoy!

Weekly Meal Planning

Including this ultimate Piecaken in your weekly meal plans ensures dessert is covered for days—you might even have leftovers to freeze! Save and schedule this recipe in CookifyAI to build your entire Thanksgiving menu, cross-reference ingredients, and avoid duplicate purchases.

Planning Benefits:

– Instantly consolidates all recipe ingredients for seamless shopping
– Groups ingredients by store section to streamline the trip
– Prevents overbuying, saving money and reducing food waste
– Ensures all Thanksgiving recipes are organized and scheduled for stress-free prep

Pro tip: Plan all your Thanksgiving dishes together—CookifyAI shows overlapping ingredients like eggs, butter, and spices, so you never have to run out last minute.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour 45 minutes – 2 hours
Cooling & Chilling Time: 3 hours (includes cooling and frosting)
Total Time: about 4 ½ hours

The Thanksgiving Piecaken delivers a spectacular, memorable dessert worthy of your holiday gathering—no compromises required!