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Pielogen is the ULTIMATE dessert! It is a pecan pie topped with a caramel cheesecake that is topped with a yule log. It’s basically all the best desserts combined, into one stunning dessert mash up.

As soon as I became aware of Pielogen’s existence, I wanted to make it. Perhaps I should start by explaining what pielogen is. Pielogen was invented by Chef Zac Young at Piecaken Shop, and it is a toffee pecan pie, topped with an eggnog cheesecake, with a chocolate caramel yule log on top. Yes, it’s pie, cheesecake and cake combined.

Unfortunately for most people, the only way to get a piecaken or a pielogen is to pick one up in Manhattan. I thought that making my own pielogen was the easier and less expensive route. The good news is that this recipe is pretty easy, since the cheesecake layer is no-bake, and I made the cake with a mix. The bad news is that it will take a couple hours to make.

I decided to take the concept of pielogen and make it my own. I used my classic pecan pie with a shortbread crust as the base. Then I layered no-bake caramel cheesecake filling on top. Finally, I added a chocolate yule log on top. Rolling the yule log was much harder than expected, and the final result was not as pretty as I had hoped, but it was exceptionally delicious. (If you have expert advice on rolling a yule log, please share in the comments!) ** UPDATE: Rolling the cake while it is warm is a huge help!

While I encourage you to get creative with your Pielogen creations – I have a couple pieces of crucial advice. Start with my shortbread pie crust recipe. Since you need to take the pie out of the pie pan – you need an especially sturdy crust, and this shortbread crust was perfect.

Another piece of advice is to make the pecan pie in a silicon cake pan, the pecan pie slid right out of the silicon pie can no problem.

Other than that you can add your favorite type of no-bake cheesecake and use any cake and frosting combinations you want.

Go wild, if you have any fun ideas tell us about them in the comments.

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How to Make Pielogen:

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Pielogen (Pecan Pie, Cheesecake, and Cake Combined)

Pielogen is the ULTIMATE dessert! It is a pecan pie topped with a caramel cheesecake that is topped with a yule log. It's basically all the best desserts combined, into one stunning dessert mash up.

Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 10 -12

Ingredients

• For the Crust:
• 3/4 cup Butter
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• For the Pecan Pie Layer:
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 cups Karo Corn Syrup either light or dark
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans
• For the Caramel Cheesecake Layer:
• 6 tablespoons Butter
• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 8 ounces Cream Cheese
• 8 ounces Mascarpone
• 4 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• For the Cake Layer:
• 1 box of Cake Mix plus all the ingredients called for on the box
• For the Frosting:
• 1 cup Butter at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 6 cups Powdered Sugar
• Optional: a shot of Bourbon
• 1/2 cup Cocoa

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Then prepare the pie crust. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. As soon as the butter has melted stir the sugar, powdered sugar, and flour in until evenly mixed. Then let cool until the dough is safe to handle. Butter a silicon cake pan (I used a 9 inch pan). Press the pie dough into the cake pan, pressing it all the way up the sides. You want the sides to be nice and study, so take care with this step.
2. Bake the pie crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pie filling. Beat the eggs, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla together a large bowl with an electric mixer. Stir in the pecans.
3. Pour the filling over the hot pie crust, and return it to the oven for 30 minutes. The filling should fill the cake pan half way (which is perfect since you need room to add the cheesecake layer on top). Once the pecan pie layer is fully cooked, place it in the fridge and let it cool completely. Keep the oven on since you will need it for the cake layer.
4. Next prepare the caramel for the caramel cheesecake layer. Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the brown sugar, cream, and salt. Let bubble for 3 minutes, and then remove from the heat and bring to room temperature.
5. Once the caramel has cooled, continue preparing the cheesecake filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the vanilla, cream cheese, mascarpone, and granulated sugar together. Once combined, gradually add the caramel, and mix until fully combined. Spread over the pecan pie layer, filling the pie crust completely. Place in the fridge while you prepare the cake layer.

6. Two layers down, it's time to finish up the pielogen with the cake layer. You can use your favorite recipe or boxed mix for the cake batter. I used a Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix. Prepare your recipe or cake mix batter and pour it into a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan, lined with parchment paper. Spread the batter out over the parchment and bake for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked. Then remove from the oven. While the cake is still warm, roll the cake then let cool.

7. Then prepare the frosting. Using an electric mixer to whip the butter, the beat in the vanilla and cream. Gradually add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Throw in a shot of bourbon if you want. Mix until throughly combined.

8. Now back to the cake. Slice the rolled up cake into four even pieces. Unroll one of the pieces of cake, spread it with frosting, and roll it up again. Place it on top of the cheesecake layer, slightly off center. Then continue spreading frosting on the cake strips and adding them to the roll on the top of the cheesecake. Continue doing so until the cake covers the top of the cheesecake.

9. You should have some frosting leftover. Whip the cocoa into the frosting. Place the pielogen on a serving plater or cake plate. Then spread the frosting around the sides of the pielogen, covering the cake and piecrust completely.
10. There you have it! You made a Pielogen! Your friends and family will be amazed and delighted by this quirky dessert! Refrigerate until serving.

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