Easy Pie Cake Recipe: Bake a Pie Inside a Cake

Have you ever wondered what happens when a pie and a cake join forces? Enter the Pie Cake Recipe, a delightful creation where a fruity, tender pie is encased inside a soft, fluffy cake. This dessert brings the best of both worlds to your plate: the rich, comforting flavours of pie paired with the airy sweetness of cake. Perfect for brunch, birthdays, or a weekend treat, this recipe is surprisingly simple yet impressive. With a few basic ingredients and careful layering, you’ll end up with a show-stopping dessert that’s sure to wow family and friends.

Why Call This Pie Cake?

You might be wondering why this dessert earns the quirky name Pie Cake. Simply put, it’s a cake that literally bakes a pie inside it. Instead of serving pie and cake separately, this creation fuses the two, giving you a soft, fluffy cake exterior with a juicy, flavorful pie centre. The contrast of textures—the airy cake and the rich pie filling—makes every bite exciting and indulgent. It’s a showstopper for parties, brunches, or any time you want a dessert that surprises your guests while being surprisingly simple to make.

• Cuisine: American-inspired dessert
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 45–50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

For the Cake Batter

• 225 g unsalted butter, softened
• 225 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 225 g all-purpose flour (maida)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Pie Centre

• 1 pre-baked fruit pie (8-inch), cooled completely
• Common choices: apple pie, cherry pie, or mixed berry pie

Baking Steps:

1. Preheat and prepare tins: Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease two round cake tins thoroughly with butter or non-stick spray and line them with parchment paper to ensure the cakes don’t stick.

2. Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale, smooth, and fluffy. This creates the light texture essential for a soft, airy cake.

3. Add eggs gradually: Crack the eggs one at a time into the mixture, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate. This prevents curdling and ensures a smooth, uniform batter for even baking.

4. Mix in vanilla extract: Add the vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, folding it in gently. This adds depth and warmth to the cake’s flavour without altering its delicate texture.

5. Fold in dry ingredients: Sift together flour and baking powder, then gently fold them into the wet mixture. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the cake dense instead of light and soft.

6. Layer half the batter: Divide half of the prepared batter evenly between the two greased tins. Smooth the tops gently with a spatula to create an even base layer for the pie.

7. Place the pie: Carefully place a pre-baked pie on top of the batter in one of the tins. Make sure it’s centred and level so the cake layers bake evenly around it.

8. Cover with remaining batter: Spoon the remaining cake batter over the pie, spreading it gently to cover completely. Smooth the surface lightly to ensure a neat finish and consistent baking.

9. Bake the pie cake: Place the tins in the preheated oven and bake for 28–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, indicating the batter is fully cooked.

10. Cool before serving: Remove the pie cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the tins. Once cooled, transfer carefully to a serving plate, slice, and enjoy the layered dessert experience.

This Pie Cake Recipe isn’t just dessert—it’s a conversation starter, a flavour adventure, and the perfect way to surprise anyone with a slice of creativity.