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Thanksgiving Piecaken Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 112 reviews

This Thanksgiving Piecaken is a stunning and delicious holiday dessert featuring layers of creamy cheesecake, spiced cake, and classic pumpkin pie all stacked and frosted together for a show-stopping centerpiece. Each layer is baked separately and then assembled with rich cinnamon buttercream, delivering a comforting blend of flavors and textures perfect for celebrating the season.

Ingredients

Scale

Cheesecake Layer

  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 large eggs

Cake Layer

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon milk

Pumpkin Pie Layer

  • 1 (9-inch) store-bought pumpkin pie

Buttercream Frosting

  • 12 ounces unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 3–4 tablespoons cold heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Cheesecake Layer: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper. Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar and flour and mix well. Add vanilla and cinnamon; mix until combined. Slowly mix in heavy whipping cream on increasing speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each. Pour batter into the pan, tap to release air bubbles. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 200°F (without opening door) and bake 30-35 minutes until center jiggles slightly. Cool with oven door ajar for 15 minutes; then cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Prepare the Cake Layer: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with vegetable shortening and dust with flour. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Cream butter and brown sugar at high speed until fluffy. Mix in vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla until combined. Add half the flour mix, then milk, mixing well. Add remaining flour mix, mix until no dry spots. Pour batter into pan and bake 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature, wrap in cling wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Prepare the Frosting: Beat butter and heavy cream on high speed until fluffy. Reduce speed and gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time, incorporating fully. Add cinnamon and vanilla, mix until combined. Beat on high speed 1-2 minutes until light and whipped.
  4. Assemble the Piecaken: Trim each layer to similar size. Remove cheesecake from springform pan and place face down on cake stand, remove parchment. Spread about ¾ cup frosting on top. Place cake layer atop cheesecake, spread ¾ cup frosting. Remove pumpkin pie from dish, carefully trim crust to match cake size. Place pie on top of cake and cover entire stacked layers with half of the remaining frosting, filling cracks. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes to slightly harden the frosting. Smooth remaining frosting over piecaken, pipe a border if desired, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve chilled.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Notes

  • Make sure to line the cheesecake pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
  • Do not open the oven door when reducing heat from 350°F to 200°F during cheesecake baking to prevent cracking.
  • Wrapping the cake layer tightly in cling wrap helps maintain moisture overnight.
  • Trimming the layers to the same size ensures a neat, even stack and better frosting coverage.
  • Use scissors to carefully remove the pumpkin pie from its pan to maintain its shape.
  • Refrigerate the assembled piecaken to allow the frosting to set before applying the final layer.

Keywords: Thanksgiving dessert, piecaken, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, spiced cake, holiday dessert, layered cake

Find it online: https://victoriablair.com/thanksgiving-piecaken-recipe/