The PieCaken is nothing short of a spectacular culinary creation — an ambitious, 6‑pound fusion of four distinct holiday desserts that somehow manage to coexist harmoniously within a single towering confection. Composed of a pecan pie base, a creamy pumpkin pie layer, a tender spice cake tier, and a generous portion of apple pie filling nestled between them, this remarkable dessert transforms the concept of seasonal indulgence into something grander than the sum of its parts. When I tasted it for the first time, I was genuinely astonished by how impeccably balanced and delicious each element proved to be; every layer possessed its own identity, yet together they produced an overall symphony of flavor that delighted everyone at my Friendsgiving gathering.
To appreciate how special the PieCaken truly is, it helps to understand my personal relationship with traditional Thanksgiving sweets. Growing up, pumpkin pie never occupied a particularly sentimental place on my family’s table. Our holiday dinners traditionally concluded with my father’s renowned baklava — a crisp, honey‑soaked dessert that symbolized our family’s roots and culinary traditions. While I’ve always enjoyed pumpkin pie in principle, it simply never seemed worthy of its lofty reputation as the unassailable star of the Thanksgiving spread. That perception changed the moment I learned about this audacious hybrid: the PieCaken, a dessert engineered to defy convention by merging four established favorites into a single decadent experience.
When I first saw a photo of the PieCaken, I struggled to believe such a dessert could actually exist outside the realm of social media fantasy. Priced at roughly $110 on Goldbelly and shipped nationwide, this celebrated confection has even received celebrity praise — television personality Kelly Ripa once declared it “the greatest thing that happened to me, besides the birth of my children,” a statement that perfectly captures the dessert’s almost mythical allure. Created by pastry chef Zac Young in 2015, the PieCaken originated from an inspired moment during his tenure as executive pastry chef at David Burke Fabrick in New York City. The restaurant’s kitchen at the time was highlighting a savory spectacle known as the Turducken — a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey — and Young sought to fashion a whimsical dessert counterpart. His playful experiment, meant merely as a sliceable treat for diners, erupted into viral fame once he shared a photo online, and thus an entirely new holiday tradition was born.
As the PieCaken approaches its tenth anniversary, Young plans to commemorate the milestone with an even more elaborate creation: the DecaCaken, a $160 ten‑layer marvel blending flavors like chocolate cream pie, coffee cake, and New York‑style cheesecake. It’s a fitting progression for a dessert that once began as an inside joke among chefs and quickly evolved into a modern holiday icon.
When my own PieCaken arrived two days after ordering, packaged meticulously with dry ice to preserve its integrity, I felt a surge of anticipation. According to the care instructions, it needed to rest overnight in the refrigerator and then reach room temperature before serving — a small ritual that only heightened the sense of occasion. Impressively, the PieCaken is durable enough to be stored in the freezer for up to three months when properly wrapped, or in the refrigerator for as long as a week, without compromising flavor or texture.
The moment I unboxed it, I was struck by its visual elegance. The five‑inch‑high cake gleamed beneath a soft, pale‑pink layer of cinnamon buttercream, its sides cloaked in a golden oat crumble that added both texture and rustic charm. When I unveiled it at my Friendsgiving dinner, the dessert immediately drew gasps of admiration. The apple pie filling glowed radiantly on top, bursting with brightness as though it had been freshly baked that very morning. Considering it had been frozen only the day before, the filling’s freshness seemed miraculous. The mingling aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, and warm apples filled the room, evoking the comforting essence of late autumn festivities.
Slicing into the PieCaken revealed its internal architecture: clearly defined strata of pecan, pumpkin, spice, and apple — each distinct yet seamlessly stacked. The bottom pecan pie shone with its glossy caramelized surface, while the pumpkin layer glowed with an inviting orange hue, the spice cake rose in a fluffy golden cushion, and the apple filling created a luscious, fragrant bridge between them. Despite my initial fears that such a complex dessert might devolve into a chaotic mixture of textures, each slice emerged pristinely layered and visually stunning, its colors recalling a harvest palette of golds, browns, and ambers.
Tasting it was an even greater revelation. The pecan pie layer instantly became my personal favorite, thanks to its flaky crust and deeply nutty crunch that contrasted beautifully with the tender cake above it. The filling offered that quintessential Southern pecan richness — buttery, sweet, and perfectly caramelized. The pumpkin pie portion, smooth and custardy, delivered an understated spice rather than an overwhelming punch of cinnamon and clove, and its delicate flavor intertwined exquisitely with the surrounding buttercream. The spice cake, which I had expected to be dense and heavy, was astonishingly light and airy, serving as an ideal platform for the juicy apple filling crowning the dessert. Every element’s texture and flavor harmonized: the crispness of the pecans against the softness of the cake, the honeyed apple syrup against the cool, spiced frosting.
Eager to experience its full effect, I sampled a forkful that combined all the layers at once. To my delight, the flavors intertwined rather than competed — the essence of nut, spice, apple, and pumpkin coalesced into what could only be described as a quintessential celebration of the holidays in a single bite. It was rich, undeniably sweet, and at times verging on indulgent excess, but that extravagance felt entirely appropriate for a dessert meant to mark a season of generosity and gratitude. While a few of my friends found it a touch too sugary to eat in large amounts, even they marveled at its craftsmanship and the way each component stood proudly on its own.
Ultimately, the PieCaken is far more than a novelty; it’s an inventive reimagining of American holiday tradition. Its show‑stopping presence instantly elevates any celebration, whether it’s a friends’ potluck or a full family feast. Designed to serve 12 to 16 guests, it’s as practical as it is theatrical, ensuring every guest enjoys a unique combination of flavors. I even brought the remaining slices to another gathering the following day and was delighted to watch as guests reacted with childlike astonishment when they realized there were multiple pies concealed within the cake.
For someone like me, who never adhered closely to Thanksgiving’s conventional dessert hierarchy, the PieCaken offered a delightful way to explore and appreciate several seasonal flavors at once — a culinary experiment that managed to feel both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. Though I approached it with skepticism, suspecting it might be more of a social‑media phenomenon than a genuine gastronomic achievement, I left convinced of its legitimacy. The PieCaken is not merely a visual spectacle crafted for Instagram feeds; it is a richly layered, thoughtfully executed dessert that truly earns its fame. After all, anything that can win over both celebrity hosts and skeptical food lovers alike certainly deserves its place among the most memorable holiday indulgences.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/piecaken-review-famous-thanksgiving-cake
