This pie birthday cake features a light, fluffy vanilla cake swirled with sweet cherry pie filling and baked on top of a buttery graham cracker crust. It’s finished with a cherry‑vanilla buttercream for a festive, fruity finish — perfect for birthdays or any celebration.
The cake has a tender crumb and subtle vanilla flavor, while the graham cracker crust adds a rich, buttery crunch. Canned cherry pie filling is pureed and dropped into the batter to create pretty marbled pockets of fruit throughout the cake. The cherry‑vanilla buttercream ties everything together with a smooth, creamy, slightly tangy frosting.
This recipe is easy to follow and makes a single 9‑inch cake that serves about eight. The method is straightforward: press the crust, mix a moist cake batter, swirl in the cherry filling, bake, then top with cherry buttercream once cooled.
Why We Love This Recipe
- The graham cracker crust gives a buttery, slightly crunchy base made from just three ingredients.
- A single‑layer cake that’s moist, tender, and full of flavor without being fussy.
- Canned cherry pie filling is easy to use — pureed and swirled into the batter for a bright fruit swirl. (You can substitute homemade filling if preferred.)
- The cherry buttercream is creamy, easy to make, and complements the cake beautifully.
Ingredients
Notes on key ingredients:
- Oil — use a neutral oil such as canola or vegetable for a moist, tender crumb.
- Sour cream — full‑fat and room temperature for best texture.
- Cherry pie filling — use your favorite brand and puree it briefly so it’s easy to dollop and swirl into the batter.
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap graham crackers with golden Oreos or regular Oreos for a different crust flavor and color.
- Use blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry pie filling instead of cherry for a different fruit swirl.
- Replace pie filling with jam or preserves if you prefer a less chunky swirl.
- Add confetti sprinkles to the batter or use them as a garnish on the frosting for a more festive look.
- Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream for an extra indulgent dessert.
Instructions
Overview: make the crust, prepare the filling and batter, assemble, bake, then frost.
Step One — Make the crust: Pulse graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor. Mix crumbs with sugar and melted butter, press evenly into a 9‑inch springform pan, and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. Cool completely.
Step Two — Puree the pie filling: Pulse the cherry pie filling in a food processor until smooth and set aside.
Step Three — Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together oil, melted butter, and sugar until combined. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla, then add eggs one at a time.
Step Four — Add dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture alternately with room‑temperature milk, mixing until just combined.
Step Five — Assemble: Pour the batter into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Drop spoonfuls of the pureed cherry filling across the batter. Use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to gently swirl for a marbled effect — avoid over‑swirling to keep distinct ribbons of fruit.
Step Six — Bake: Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
Instructions – Buttercream Frosting
Step One: Beat room‑temperature butter and a pinch of salt on medium speed until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
Step Two: With the mixer on low, add half the powdered sugar and beat until combined and smooth.
Step Three: Add 3 tablespoons of the pureed cherry pie filling and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, then add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Step Four: Pipe or spread the frosting around the edge of the cake or cover the entire cooled cake. Garnish with extra pie filling or sprinkles if desired.
Expert Tips
Tip #1: Use a food processor to grind graham crackers to a fine, even crumb. If you don’t have one, place crackers in a sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Tip #2: Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter thoroughly so all crumbs are coated — this helps the crust hold together after baking.
Recipe FAQs
Pressing the crumbs too firmly can create a dense, hard crust. Pack the crust enough to hold together but avoid compacting it excessively before baking.
Buttercream is a classic frosting for cakes and cupcakes because it’s creamy, easy to flavor, and pipes well.
Canned pie filling is a convenient and tasty option; quality varies by brand, but it works well for this cake when pureed for swirls and frosting.
Storage
Store the frosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. To freeze, wrap the unfrosted cake tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before frosting.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Orange Cranberry Pound Cake
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Raspberry Loaf Cake
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Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below — and tag @parsleyandicing on social to share your creation.
Pie Birthday Cake
Natalie
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (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
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk, 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 Crust
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9‑inch springform pan and line it with parchment.
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Pulse graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor.
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Combine crumbs and sugar, then stir in melted butter until the mixture is sandy and evenly moistened.
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Press the mixture into the prepared pan and up the sides using a measuring cup to pack it evenly.
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Bake 8–10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Pie Birthday Cake
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Puree pie filling and set aside.
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Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
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In a large bowl, beat oil, melted butter, and sugar. Beat in sour cream and vanilla, then add eggs one at a time.
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Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk until just combined.
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Pour batter into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Drop spoonfuls of pureed filling and swirl lightly.
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Bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool completely.
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Once cooled, pipe or spread the buttercream on top and serve. Optionally spoon extra pie filling over slices.
Buttercream Frosting
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Beat butter and salt until smooth.
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Add half the powdered sugar on low and beat until combined.
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Add pureed cherry filling and vanilla, then mix in remaining powdered sugar until smooth.
Notes
Store the frosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. Freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 2 months and thaw before frosting.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates generated by an online calculator and should be used as a guideline only.