What’s better than one pie? That’s right, three pies! This giant cake tower is made up of three individual pies that would be delicious all by themselves, but are even better when you stack them up into a huge cake tower. We’ve combined three of America’s most beloved pies to create the one cake to rule them all: cheesecake, apple pie, and pecan pie. The buttercream frosting, chopped hazelnuts, and caramel sauce give it a textural balance and tie these three delicious pies together. It’s cakeception in its purest form!
You’ll Need:
For the light pie crust (makes 2):
- 5 cups flour
- 4 sticks cold butter, cubed
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- ¾ cup cold water
For the chocolate pie crust:
- 2¼ cups flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 2 sticks cold butter, cubed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg yolks
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp cold water
For the chocolate pecan pie:
- 1½ cups sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 10 oz evaporated milk
- ⅔ cup pecans
For the chocolate chip cheesecake pie:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 12 oz room temperature cream cheese
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tbsp flour
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
For the apple pie:
- 5 green apples
- ½ cup turbinado sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For the cake batter:
- 20 eggs
- 5 cups sugar
- 9⅔ cups flour
- 4 tbsp baking powder
- 2¼ cups tempered milk
- 1 cup cocoa powder (for the chocolate cake batter)
For the buttercream frosting:
- 13 sticks butter, softened
- 6½ cups powdered sugar
- 12 oz cream cheese
For the decoration:
- chopped hazelnuts
- caramel sauce
Extra:
- 3 pie pans (9-inch)
- 3 springform cake pans (11-inch)
Here’s How:
1. Start on the light pie crusts and the chocolate pie crust. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and knead until well incorporated. Wrap the dark and light dough individually into plastic wrap and let them rest for an hour. Roll out the dark dough and put it into a greased pie pan. Now roll out the light dough and divide it between the other 2 pie pans. Save some of the light pie crust and use it later to make the lattice for the apple pie.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F and start on the chocolate chip cheesecake pie. Add the cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, flour, and lemon juice to a bowl and mix well. Pour the batter into the pie pan with the chocolate pie crust, sprinkle chocolate chips on top, and bake for 45 minutes.
3. Now it’s time to make the chocolate pecan pie. Add the eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, melted butter, and cocoa powder to a bowl and mix well. Pour the batter in one of the pans with the light pie crust, sprinkle pecans on top, and bake at 325°F for 45 minutes.
4. Next up, the apple pie. Peel the apples and cut them into small cubes. Add the turbinado sugar, corn starch, and cinnamon to the apples, mix well, and spoon into the second pan with the light pie crust. Roll out the rest of the light pie crust, cut it into strips, and create a lattice to put on top of the apple pie. Brush the lattice with an egg wash, put the pie in the oven, and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.In the meantime, prepare the cake batters.
5. For the cake batter, separate the eggs and beat the egg whites. Gradually add the sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form. Then gently fold in the egg yolks. Sieve the flour and baking powder and gently fold it into the meringue, alternating with milk. Pour about ⅓ of the mixture into a separate bowl and add the cocoa powder.
6. Pour enough of the light batter into 2 of the springform pans to cover the bottom. Place the apple pie in one springform pan and the chocolate chip cheesecake pie in the other. Fill up both pans with the rest of the light batter. Repeat this same process with the dark batter and the chocolate pecan pie. Bake all 3 pie cakes at 350°F for about 45 minutes.
7. For the buttercream frosting, whip the softened butter until frothy. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar and then add the cream cheese. Place the first light pie cake in front of you and spread the buttercream frosting over the top.
8. Place the dark pie cake on top and spread the frosting over the top as well.
9. Stack the other light pie cake on top and spread the rest of the frosting over the entire cake tower.
10. Now decorate the finished cake tower. Press chopped hazelnuts all around the bottom part of the cake tower and drizzle caramel sauce over the top so it drips down the sides.
This cake really is something else, to say the least. But the true magic of it all is only revealed once you cut into it. Finally, all your favorite pies very handily combined into one giant cake, ready for you to enjoy!
Get the recipe for the New Yorker 24-Layer Chocolate Cake featured in the bonus video.