Sometimes you need a quick & easy cake recipe…
This one uses just 4 ingredients and makes a moist, fluffy, fruity cake! All you do is mix together a cake mix, can of pie filling, 3 eggs and some vanilla extract! You can bake it as a 9” x 13” cake, two 8-inch round layers or 24 cupcakes! The cake is so moist, it doesn’t really need frosting. For the strawberry lemon version I topped with whipped cream. I sprinkled the 9” x 13” version with powdered sugar.
Triple Batch!
Think of all the flavor combinations:
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- lemon cake + strawberry pie filling (above layer cake photo)
- spice cake + apple pie filling
- carrot cake + pineapple pie filling
- yellow cake + blueberry pie filling
- strawberry cake + strawberry pie filling
- devil’s food cake + cherry pie filling (below sheet cake)
A Note on Types of Pie Filling:
Pie Filling Easy Cake Recipe:
This recipe uses just 4 ingredients and makes a moist, fluffy, fruity cake! All you do is mix together a cake mix, can of pie filling, 3 eggs and some vanilla extract! You can bake it as a layer cake, 9” x 13” cake or 24 cupcakes!
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Servings: 1 9" x 13" Cake, 24 cupcakes or two 8-inch round layers
Ingredients
- 1 15.25-ounce cake mix
- 1 21-ounce can pie filling Use traditional pie filling, not the newer "simply" version.
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare baking dish by spraying with nonstick baking spray or lining cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Mix together cake mix, pie filling, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined, but do not over mix. (The batter will be thick.)
- (You want some of the fruit to remain whole, while some fruit pieces break down, adding great fruity flavor throughout the batter.)
- Bake 9” x 13” pan for about 30-35 minutes or until springs back in center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- You can use the cake mix box directions as a general guideline for baking times. I always check on it early and see if it's set in the center.
- Allow to cool completely then sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with you favorite frosting.
Notes
I use either my KitchenAid Hand Mixer with the turbo beaters or my KitchenAid Stand Mixer fitted with the flex edge beater to mix the batter. You could certainly mix by hand as well. I have mixed a triple batch at one time in my KitchenAid Pro 600 6-quart Stand Mixer - It makes about 72 cupcakes.
A Note on Types of Pie Filling: Traditional Style Pie Filling works best for this recipe. The newer "Simply" style of pie filling did not work well in the cake. The cake did not rise and the edges caved in. Stick with the traditional style of pie filling.
For Layer Cake, I used two 8" rounds
Tried this recipe?Share it! Tag @epicuricloud - Please Leave A Comment & Rating Below! TY!
Awesome easy recipe! Thank you for sharing this. I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Nancy!! Enjoy!
I didn’t have a good result with this recipe!
I’m trying to figure out why…..
I have just relocated from east Tennessee to Indiana and weather conditions here are quite different. So, I’ll keep on trying and hopefully I’ll find the solution! For now, I’m blaming it on the weather!
Hi James! Hope the move went well! I did note that after trying with the newer “Simply” type pie filling the cake didn’t rise as well. I stick to traditional pie filling and a traditional cake mix. Hope that helps!! Maybe make sure the oven is keeping a true temperature. I use a little oven thermometer and find I have to preheat longer or my oven doesn’t reach the correct temperature. Take Care!
Hi Tina,
I have a feeling the reason may be because one brand of filling has an ounce more than the other. Just an observation….
Looking forward to trying the recipe. Another good combination is Spice cake mix mixed with a small can of pumpkin…..not pie filing… just pumpkin. Mix the two, no eggs or h2o. Bake at 350 till done. Really good.
Hi Sister Barbara – Thanks for reaching out! Yes, good point on the amounts. If I were short on the pie filling I would probably make up the difference with some applesauce, sour cream or milk. Love the pumpkin spice cake idea! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Tina,
My father was from Greenville, Ohio..the Kitchenaid Hdq. While there I visited the store and took a cooking class. It was wonderful. I own a Kitchenaid Pro 600 and it’s a workhorse. I got that model as that’s the model we used in culinary school. I love it! I have the pasta attachments and enjoy making things with it. It makes things so easy especially if one has arthritis as I do or have to make large quantities. I love it even if I have to cook for one person. Have a great day Tina, many blessings, Sister Barbara Aydelotte sfcc.
Hello Sister Barbara – It’s a beautiful area and lovely town! We enjoyed our visit there as well! So glad you are enjoying your Pro 600! Love mine too! All the best to you! Enjoy your weekend!
Could you use the low sugar pie filling?
Hi Virginia – I haven’t tested with low sugar, so I can’t say for sure. I do know that the newer Duncan Hines/Comstock “Simply” style of pie filling did not rise properly for me. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help with the low sugar variety.
I used Duncan Hines Marble cake with the Simply pie filling and it turned out pretty good. I baked the cake at 350 for 35min and then turned the oven down to 325 and baked for an additional 20 minutes.
Oh thanks so much for letting us know!! I wonder if they changed the formulation of the Simply Pie Filling?
Tina, different States n different Cities have different brands. Can you see if Kroger Cherry Pie Filling, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors n non BPA is like the brand and kind you recommend in this recipe. My senior budget doesn’t allow room for errors. Thank you for your time.
Hi Penny – Thanks for reaching out! I don’t have a Kroger near me, so I can’t test it. But, I did compare the ingredients listed online for the Kroger brand to the brand I use and they look very, very similar. Hope that helps!
Thank you, Tina
Can this cake be baked in a bundt pan?
Hi Thelma – Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you can bake in a bundt pan. I use the time and temperature suggestions on the cake mix box and start checking about 10 minutes before it says it should be done. Hope that helps!
Hi Tina,
I just made a yellow cake with Lucky Leaf Apple Peach pie filling, it kook great. I have not tasted it yet. I plan to make a chocolate cake with strawberry rhubarb pie filling.
The spice cake mix with pumpkin can be put in a bread pan, it is very good. A friend of mine ate half of the one I made.
Thank you for this recipe.
Rosanne
Hi Rosanne – Sounds delicious! Enjoy!! Love the pumpkin idea!
2 eggs or three? Recipe intro (just above ingredient list) says two and list says three. I have baked this cake a couple times and it’s delicious but it seems to be kind of damp by day two.
Hi Karen – Fixed that! Thanks for catching – it’s 3 eggs. It is very moist for sure with the fruity pie filling.
I want to make a bundt cake with pie filling cherry. Can I put the pie filling in first and the cake mix on top. That way when the cake is on a plate the cherries will be on the top.
Hi Joyce – The pie filling along with the eggs make-up the liquid part of the cake. So, you need to mix them together for the cake to bake properly. Maybe you could top it afterward with some additional cherries?
Am very excited to taste this cake! Easy instructions for a novice Baker and it smells great! I used white cake mix and strawberry pie filling. Thanks.
Sounds like a delicious combo Diane! Let me know how you like it!
What a fast way to make a delicious dessert!! My question is can I add an additional can of pie filling?? I would have liked more fruit. Thanks
Hi Debbie! Glad you liked the cake! I think an extra can of pie filling would throw off the proportions of the cake mix and the wet ingredients – would probably end up like a gooey pudding (might be good!) If I wanted more fruity filling, maybe spread some over the cooled cake like a “poke” type cake or spoon some over each slice when you serve them. Hope that helps! Take Care!
Can you use lemon pie filling with a lemon or yellow cake mix? I didn’t k ow if lemon pie filling would work since there is no fruit in it.
Hi there Jeannene – I love lemon!! I would think that it would work just fine if the ounces are the same. I don’t believe I’ve used lemon pie filling myself – so I can’t say 100%, but I think it would work.
I am baking my cake now. I used a yellow cake mix with apple pie filling. I added raisens, walnuts, and some apple pie spice. Will let you know how it comes out. WISH ME LUCK!
Sounds delicious Dorothy!! Let us know!
Genius recipe! I made the devil’s food & cherry for my bestie’s bday; she & her son loved it! I included an extra can of pie filling in lieu of frosting, they adored that. Just made a lemon-blueberry version for work (ugggggly mix of colors but they requested it) -I used a naturally flavored lemon cake and added 2 tsp lemon juice. Now looking for fun combos w pineapple cake (and I can’t eat mango or coconut)! And definitely making strawberry-strawberry for Valentine’s Day friends & family treats…I hate fake fruit flavors & prefer bold, real berry flavors, so I’m excited for an easier version of GOOD ?cake than my scratch recipe involving puree & syrup making! The recipe also bakes up great in 2 large loaf pans, just remember the crumb is a bit loose, so thin slices fall apart. Sooooo good, thank you!
Hi Heather – So happy you are enjoying!! It is certainly fun making up different combos! Take care!
I have a box of Food Club (Food City) yellow cake mix dated August 2020. Is that ok?
Hi Martha – I wouldn’t want to get anyone sick by saying you can use an expired cake mix. Sorry!
This is my go-to! Easy, fast and versatile. I’ve made it many times. Thanks!
Many combos work and I usually have SOME option on hand. Our favorites are Chocolate/cherry and lemon/blueberry. But then there’s French vanilla/strawberry…
Learnings: I use a bunt pan. Adding fresh fruit makes it too wet. Going to try dried fruit. I use more vanilla, 1 T .
Thanks so much Julie – So glad you are enjoying the recipe! …and thank you for the helpful learnings!!
I enjoy making these cakes using cake mix and pie filling. Can I freeze these cakes?
Yes, I have frozen them!
Hi! Just curious, I know different cake mixes have different instructions. Some say just add water, some have you add different amounts of eggs, etc. Is your recipe saying to follow their instructions, then add 3 more eggs, or only use the powder, but don’t add anything else?
Hi Robin – Correct – Just use the powdered cake mix with the ingredients from the recipe (pie filling, eggs) ENJOY!
I’m sorry, but, even though I gave it 2 stars, hubby and I didn’t like it at all. I used cherry pie filling and white cake mix, made it strictly according to directions, and, while it came out looking lovely and smelling awesome, I felt it was too sweet and hubby felt it was too heavy; both of us found it too rubbery. I tried eating it plain, then added a little vanilla ice cream on top, but it was still too sweet and too rubbery. Hubby asked me to bake a cherry PIE instead. Sorry.
Thanks for letting me know Bev. Not every recipe is going to be a winner for everyone. I hope you’ll try something else! Take care!
I made this one day, just because. Disappeared in a single day, only 3 people. For Christmas I am making 8 different variations, cupcake style, for a huge family Christmas. Thank you for the simple recipe. Makes it easier to make so many at once
That is a huge family Christmas! Hope you all have a great time!
Hi Christina!
This is an excellent recipe for lunchbox dessert because it doesn’t need frosting (much easier to pack) but is still a sweet treat! My husband loves the white cake with strawberry pie filling and the apple pie filling also.
For an after dinner dessert, a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream is all you need to fancy it up.
Thank you for sharing!
Getting ready to make this my aunt had a similar recipe she loved it because of The nature of the cake she liked it plane chocolate cake with cherry pie filling I will be making chocolate cake with strawberry pie filling once baked and cooli plan on topping it with a whipped frosting 2cups of heavy whipping cream and a box of pudding great for different flavors and not overly sweet thanks
Hi Amy – Thanks – Hope everyone enjoyed!
Good, easy recipe. I beat the eggs and vanilla first, then mixed in the cherry pie filling, and finally mixed in the yellow cake mix. Baked in an 11″ springform pan with a parchment paper on the bottom, 350° for 40+ minutes.
Dressed with a chocolate Frangelico ganache.
The people at the party loved it Thanks, John
Love it John! That ganache sounds amazing!
I used a dark chocolate for the ganache, rather than a bittersweet, so I started with a 1.5 chocolate to 1 heavy cream proportion, and added more chocolate until I got the consistency I wanted, at a cold temprature. I finished with almost 2 to 1 ratio.
Quick fudge works at 12 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate ( I like Girhardelle) melted, to 1 can of sweetenened condensed milk. Nuts or dried cherries may be added before refrigerating and cutting.
Thanks for the info John! It all sounds delicious!!
Thank you for sharing these recipes! I have baked the spice cake with apple pie filling twice, and it disappeared quickly both times! I used canned butter cream frosting and stirred some cinnamon into it. It was wonderful! I can’t wait to try out the Devil’s Food cake with cherry pie filling! Does anyone have any recommendations for a cake with peach pie filling? One of my friends is requesting this. Thanks again for an easy and great-tasting dessert!
I’m sure you solved this delicious question long ago, but I would use spice, vanilla or yellow cake with peach pie filling and am adding it to my shopping list right now! Once in a pinch I used strawberry with fudge cake. It was great! I think it would be very hard to go wrong
I made this cake with a yellow cake mix and apricot pie filling. It is amazing! Soft and spongy. Pure delight. I baked it in a bundt pan and it is beautiful and came out of the pan easy.
Ooh that sounds like a delicious combo!!
I would love to make this cake, but I’m running into a tiny hitch with the quantity of pie filling. The issue is not metric versus US measures, but that our pie filling in Canada is sold by volume not weight. I notice that your 21 ounce can of pie filling is marked 595 grams, but a typical can of pie filling here is marked as 540 ML.
So my question is, what are the physical dimensions of your can of pie filling, i.e.: what is the diameter of the top, and the height of the can? I imagine they are probably the same, since pie is universal, but I would like to double-check that before I begin. Thank you very much for the recipe‼
Hello! I don’t have a can handy to measure. But I did find this calculator so looks like your 540 ML = 20.55 ounces by weight. So I would say the cans are very similar – maybe off by .5 ounce.
Great, thank you‼
I used wilderness pie filling and a store brand yellow cake mix. I mixed it with my kitchen aid and then used a dome pan. I baked for over an hour. The sides were close to burning and the middle didn’t even get close to done. I wouldn’t recommend using a dome pan!
Thanks for the info Terra – Had to look up “Wilderness” – just a regional name I think – we have Comstock near us. Dome pan – are you referring to a half-sphere pan or a bundt pan? I wonder if the oven temperature was off?
This is my go to cake. I usually make cherry pie filling with chocolate cake. One in the oven right now 🙂
I make it in a Bunt type pan.
I’ve made many versions, strawberry/strawberry, strawberry/vanilla, apple/spice, blueberry/yellow–this one is not beautiful, a little muddy looking, but DELISH!
Adding fresh fruit makes it too wet. BUT, adding dried fruit works and is quite extravagant.
Forgot! I use LEMON cake with blueberry pie filling and dried blueberries. Sooo good!
Love this! Made it several times with variations & always a hit. I have a question though…. do you think Krusteaz Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake mix will work? It’s slightly different than regular cake mix so just curious if anyone has tried it.
That’s a really good question – I haven’t tried it myself. I would look at how many ounces the mix is compared to standard cake mix and if they seem close enough, give it a try. I can’t say for sure though. Let us know how it goes!
I used a yellow cake mix and a can of apple pie filling 3 eggs and vanilla, it turned out so good . I will be
Making more of these.
Lemon cake mix and a can of blueberry pie filling. Frost with Cool Whip. I’ll leave the taste to your imagination, needless to say, I’ll be making it again and again and again.
Hi, I regularly use different brands of cake mix and none of them are 15.25 oz. My husband figured out how much to remove from a 17 oz cake mix for this recipe. Is there an easier way to adjust the ingredients for cake mixes with different ounces (lower or higher)?
I used 2 eight inch pans and the cake in one pan sunk in the middle. Don’t know why. I also use a GF cake mix so does that cause any issues?
Would appreciate some advice on making this recipient better. Thanks
Hi Karen – Thanks for reaching out! I haven’t tried the recipe with gluten free cake mix, so that could be the issue or possibly underbaking? Maybe the one pan had a little more batter in it?
I also want to use a GF cake mix. Have you figured it out?
I tried a yellow cake mix with apple pie filling. The cake was spongy and looked great. I had sprinkled cinnamon on top. However, it was much too sweet for me. I might try a spice cake with apple pie filling.
Let us know how you like the spice cake Babs!
This is very simple and delicious. I tried the variety of apple filling and spice cake as recommended above, and now I make one cake with minimal effort every month. I appreciate the time you took to put this recipe online. <3
I need an almond torte type cake. I used an almond cake mix, three eggs a little vanilla and a can of almond pie filling. I sprinkled finally sliced almonds on the bottom of my cake so I can make a bottom crunchy layer and also put some almonds on top of the cake. Came out really good very rich taste. I served it with strawberries.
Are you talking about a can of SOLO Almond Cake and Pastry filling? Did that work well, texture wise??
I have used this recipe for years, thank you for introducing it!! My fav is spice cake, applesauce, eggs, and rum extract. Also comments on cake not rising, I am careful on what mix I get, nothing under 15.5 ounces. And I make sure fruit is 21 ounces. and cupcakes with cream cheese frosting is excellent. At work even the crumbs disappear. Again Thank You!
Can you use an angel food cake pan with this recipe
Hi Marla – I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not. You’ll just have to watch and adjust baking time.
Should I grease the bottom and sides of angel food pan?
If it were me – I would!
Thank you so much for all your advice. I’m making my Grandson a birthday cake and he loves blueberry. So happy I found your site!
I hope he enjoys and has a very happy birthday!
Hi I was thinking about making this cake for Christmas. Do you think it could be frozen if I make it ahead of time?
Hi Josh – I don’t see why not… Enjoy!!
Tried recipe it came out good except I didn’t mix enough to break up Apple enough.?
Can I use preserves instead of pie filling
Thanks Big D! You’ll know for next time! I just made potato gnocchi last night and didn’t mix it enough either! We’ll both know for next time! Take care!
Hi Romaine – I’ve not tried preserves. I would think the texture is a bit different as well as possibly sweeter.