This pie birthday cake is swirled with sweet cherry pie filling and baked over a graham cracker crust. It is frosted with cherry vanilla buttercream. This cake is simple to make and perfect for a birthday or any occasion!
This soft, fluffy vanilla cake is swirled with cherry pie filling. It’s baked over a buttery graham cracker crust and topped with cherry vanilla buttercream.
This easy cake is perfect for a birthday or any occasion. The combination of graham cracker crust and a cake baked on top is incredibly fun, unique and delicious!
For more one of a kind birthday dessert recipes, try my birthday cake ice cream, birthday cake cookies, and these birthday donuts.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Graham cracker crust-The graham cracker crust adds buttery flavor and a light crunch! It’s made with just 3 ingredients.
- Moist vanilla cake- This is a single layer cake is soft, moist and so flavorful.
- Cherry filling- The cherry filling for this cake is canned cherry pie filling. It is swirled throughout and adds delicious sweet fruit flavor.
- Buttercream frosting– This creamy homemade frosting is easy to make and delicious.
- Easy to make- This cake is super easy to make.
INGREDIENT NOTES
Here are some useful notes on the ingredients. Please see recipe card for a full list of ingredients and their measurements.
- Oil-Use a neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil. I like oil instead of butter in this cake so that it’s more moist and spongy.
- Sour cream– Use full fat, room temperature sour cream.
- Cherry pie filling- Use your favorite pie filling. Puree it in a food processor to make it easier to swirl into cake batter.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here are the directions on how to make and bake this birthday cake pie.
Step One: Make the crust. Pulse the graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor. Pour crumbs in a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar followed by the melted butter. Press into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit 8 minutes. Cool completely.
Step Two: Puree the pie filling. Puree the pie filling in a food processor. Set aside.
Step Three: Mix together the wet ingredients. Beat together the oil, melted butter and sugar. Beat in the sour cream followed by the vanilla. Add one egg at a time.
Step Four: Add the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternatively with the milk.
Step Five: Pour the batter into the crust. Pour the batter into the crust. Drop spoonfuls of the pureed pie filling. Drag a a toothpick or the tip of a knife through the pie filling to swirl the batter.
Step Six: Bake. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Remove cake from oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
INSTRUCTIONS- BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Step One: Cream the butter. Beat the butter and salt with a mixer on medium speed until butter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step Two: Beat in half the powdered sugar. Turn mixer to low and add half of the powdered sugar til combined.
Step Three: Add the pie filling. Add pureed cherry pie filling and the vanilla extract. Beat til incorporated then mix in the remaining powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is smooth.
Step Four: Pipe or spread the frosting. Pipe the frosting along the edge or spread it over the entire cooled cake.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
- Graham crackers – instead of graham crackers you can use regular or golden Oreo cookies in the crust.
- Pie filling flavor – use blueberry, strawberry or raspberry pie filling instead of cherry for the swirl.
- Pie filling– use homemade or store bought jam in place of pie filling.
- Funfetti-Add some confetti sprinkles to the cake batter for more fun and color! You can also top the frosting with sprinkles.
- Whipped cream- Top the cake with whipped cream or serve it alongside the cake.
- Ice cream– Serve a scoop of whipped cream with the slices.
EXPERT TIPS
Tip #1: Use a food processor to grind up graham crackers. I like to use my food processor for this. You can also use a blender. Alternatively, you can put the graham crackers in a zip lock bag. Use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.
Tip #2: Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter together well. You want all the crumbs to be coated with butter so that the crust sticks together.
RECIPE FAQs
Pressing the crumbs in too tightly can result in a hard crust. The crust should be compact so that it stays together, but shouldn’t be pressed in too hard. Sally’s Baking Addiction has an entire post full of tips on how to make a perfect graham cracker crust!
Buttercream is commonly used to frost cakes and cupcakes.
Yes! It depends on the brand, but some are excellent. I’m someone who prefers to make everything from scratch, but canned pie filling is a convenient and delicious substitute.
STORAGE
Store this pie birthday cake in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Freeze the unfrosted cake in an airtight for up to 2 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
OTHER RECIPES TO TRY WITH PIE FILLING
Pie Birthday Cake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs from about 11 full sheets
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Pie Birthday Cake
- ¼ cup oil canola or vegetable
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, cooled slightly
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup full fat sour cream room temperature
- 1¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cherry pie filling pureed
Cherry Buttercream Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar*
- 3 tablespoons cherry pie filling pureed
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with non stick baking spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom.
- In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to finely ground crumbs.
- Pour crumbs into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar. Stir in the melted butter until combined. Mixture will be sandy.
- Spoon mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Use a small measuring cup to pack the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
Pie Birthday Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Use a food processor to puree the pie filling for the cake and the frosting. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the oil, melted butter and sugar.
- Beat in the sour cream followed by the vanilla. With the mixer running, add one egg at a time.
- Add the dry ingredients alternatively with the milk.
- Pour the batter into the cooled graham cracker crust. Smooth the batter with an offset spatula.
- Evenly drop heaping teaspoonfuls of the pureed pie filling. Drag a toothpick or the tip of a knife through the pie filling. Be careful not to over-swirl or you won’t get the marbled look.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Remove cake from oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled, pipe or spread the frosting on the cake. Serve slices with extra pie filling on top, if desired!
Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer or in a large mixing bowl, using a hand held mixer, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until butter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Turn mixer to low and add half of the powdered sugar. Beat until combined and smooth.
- Add pureed cherry pie filling and the vanilla extract. Beat til incorporated then mix in the remaining powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is smooth.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. The directions were very easy and clear, so that was a plus. The graham cracker crust gave it a cheesecake feel without the time it takes to make cheesecake. We all loved it, and it will become a staple in my baking rotation for sure.
Hi Cindy, Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a big hit. Thanks for making it and for taking the time to comment. Have the best week 🙂 -Natalie