For those who can't decide which dessert to serve this Thanksgiving, there is a solution that could make everyone at the table happy.
The dessert of the moment is called a "piecaken." At its basic level, it's a pie inside of a cake. But on steroids, this hybrid dessert is being touted by some as a holiday miracle.
A true piecaken consists of a layer of pecan pie, a layer of pumpkin pie and a layer of apple upside-down cake, all topped with cinnamon buttercream. Other variations include fudge cake, peanut butter or cheesecake.
The trend is inspiring piecaken bake-off competitions.
Some results look too good to be true, like this chocolate pumpkin creation, courtesy of Whole Foods.
Others could leave your guests yearning for a simple, from-the-can pumpkin pie.
As best we can tell, the New York Times is to thank (or blame) for making the piecaken famous last year, but for some dessert enthusiasts, the piecaken is old news.
At Friesen's Family Bakery and Bistro in Mankato, Minn., owner Tony Friesen has been baking pies into cakes for more than a year.
Except Friesen calls his creations "Piesplosions" and offers two kinds: The black forest piesplosion is cherry pie baked inside chocolate and red velvet cake; the spapple piesplosion is apple pie baked into spiced carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
"It has a great surprise factor," Friesen said. "Nobody's expecting pie when they cut into cake."
Intrigued but not sold on the idea? How about a mini pie cupcake, the more manageable cousin of the piecaken?
