I tried the famous 'PieCaken,' a 6-pound cake stuffed with 3 different pies. It was a huge hit at Friendsgiving.

I tried the famous 'PieCaken,' a 6-pound cake stuffed with 3 different pies. It was a huge hit at Friendsgiving. The PieCaken is a six-pound cake with four different desserts stuffed inside, including three pies. Courtesy of PieCaken I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw a photo of the PieCaken.Kelly Ripa once said that the six-pound cake — which has four desserts stuffed inside — was the "greatest thing that happened to me, besides the birth of my children."There's a pecan pie on the bottom, followed by a pumpkin pie layer, and then spice cake on top. If that's not enough, there's apple pie filling in the center, and everything is held together by cinnamon buttercream.It sounded like the perfect wacky dessert to bring to Friendsgiving. The PieCaken was invented by the pastry chef Zac Young. Pastry chef Zac Young invented the PieCaken in 2015. Cindy Ord/Stringer/Getty Images Young first came up with the idea in 2015 while working as the executive pastry chef at David Burke Fabrick in New York City. The restaurant's executive chef was serving a Turducken special (a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey), and Young decided he wanted to make a sweet version. He was just planning to make a dessert to serve by the slice. But when Young posted a photo on Instagram, the PieCaken immediately took off. The Thanksgiving dessert can be purchased on Goldbelly for $110 and ships across the US. Also currently available are a red velvet PieCaken and a $160 DecaCaken featuring 10 layers, including chocolate cream pie, coffee cake, and New York cheesecake. My PieCaken was delivered frozen two days after I placed my order. My PieCaken inside its box. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The PieCaken was shipped with dry ice. Per the instructions, I stuck it in the fridge the night before I planned to serve it and let it sit out on the counter for two hours before digging in. Unlike many desserts, the PieCaken can actually be stored in the freezer for up to three months if it's tightly wrapped in its original packaging. It also lasts in the fridge for up to seven days. At first glance, the PieCaken looked very impressive. The PieCaken had a lovely pale-pink hue. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The 5-inch cake is covered in an oat crumble, and the colors pair well with the pale-pink cinnamon buttercream.When I brought the PieCaken to a Friendsgiving dinner, its appearance wowed everyone at the table. The apple pie filling on top also looked surprisingly inviting. The apple pie filling looked bright and juicy. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider For a cake that had been sitting in a box with dry ice a day before, I was surprised by how fresh and juicy the apple pie filling looked.I could smell that warm and comforting combination of cinnamon, apples, and nutmeg from the moment I unwrapped it. The PieCaken looked even prettier when I sliced into the middle. I could clearly see all the different pie layers when I cut into the PieCaken. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider As you can see, the four layers are perfectly separated and easily distinguishable throughout the cake. The pecan pie glistened on the bottom, the pumpkin pie in the middle had a pretty orange hue, and the spice cake looked fluffy on top. With so many different pies incorporated into one dessert, I wondered if the PieCaken would turn into a big mess. But each slice looked beautiful with its clean lines and autumn colors. I was surprised by how well each layer paid tribute to its original pie. The pecan pie layer was my favorite. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The pecan pie was my favorite layer. I loved that it had a classic pie crust on the bottom (you can't have pie without the crust!), the filling was a knockout, and the pecans gave everything a great crunch. The pumpkin pie layer was beautifully creamy and had a nice, subtle spice. Like the pecan layer, it had its own deliciously flaky crust, and all the flavors paired well with the cinnamon buttercream frosting. It was the spice cake that surprised me most. Just by looking at it, I expected the cake to taste quite dense — almost like a pound cake — but it was actually light as air. Its fluffy texture was a great companion for the heavy apple pie filling on top. Each layer of the PieCaken was delicious on its own, but the flavors also worked well together. I thought all the layers of the PieCaken tasted absolutely delicious. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I tasted the individual layers before taking a big bite of everything together, and I was surprised that none of the different pies clashed. It's a cornucopia of holiday flavors all coming together. I should note that this dessert is definitely sweet. The different pies, combined with the cinnamon buttercream, were a bit too much for some of my friends, although they loved the individual layers.If you're looking for the ultimate holiday indulgence, the PieCaken fits the bill. The PieCaken is a really fun and unique dessert that will impress your friends and family — and shake up your Thanksgiving. I would order the PieCaken again. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The PieCaken serves 12 to 16 people, making it perfect for a large Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving dinner. I brought my leftovers to another party the next day, and it was so fun watching everyone get excited about all the different pies in the cake. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a skeptic when it comes to desserts that seem like they were made more for Instagram grids than our stomachs. But the PieCaken is the real deal, and I'm not surprised that it's brought holiday cheer to so many people — Kelly Ripa included — for so many years. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Anneta Konstantinides is a lifestyle correspondent at Business Insider and has spent nearly 10 years reporting in the lifestyle space. Her focus is on food and travel, where she's known to take readers inside Michelin-starred kitchens or to the hottest new Las Vegas hotel. Sometimes it's Anneta doing the cooking, leading readers through the best recipes by Gordon Ramsay or Ina Garten. Anneta has also been deeply reporting on the pageant industry since 2019, interviewing dozens of Miss USA and Miss Universe winners. She was a two-time finalist at the LA Press Club Awards for her investigation into the 2022 and 2024 Miss USA scandals and was featured in The New York Times Presents episode "How to Fix a Pageant" on Hulu in September 2023. After graduating from UCLA with a B.A in English Literature and a minor in film & television, Anneta worked as a journalist in London, Sydney, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Thanksgiving Food