This short film of my bff Charles and I baking his acclaimed Cherpumple, three pies stuffed inside of three cakes, is as much about a great friendship as it is about a brilliant and inventive edible. A frequent guest of Martha Stewart as well as a vintage slide show impresario, Charles is a kitschmeister of the highest order. We go on weekend drives a lot together, often in search of kitschifyingly wonderful foodstuffs. But recently we had an incredible kulinary adventure right here at Willis Wonderland baking the aforementioned Cherpumple.

Known for holiday delights that slide out of his test kitchen like the Astro-Weenie Christmas Tree and the Thanksgiving Tiki-Turkey Dinner, Charles created an all-year-round monster with the Cherpumple when it landed him and it on the front-page-of-The-Wall-St.-Journal a couple of months ago.

This particular Cherpumple was my birthday cake this year:

As a lover of food that would send a vegan to the funny farm, I decided it was time I learn how to make the ‘I-don’t-care-how-fancy-your-cakes-are-this-one-is-better’ cake, so Charles headed over with 3 boxes of Betty Crocker, three Sara Lee pies, 6 cans of frosting and a vintage Sunbeam Mixmaster.  I set the oven to 350.

I learned many valuable things during the fabrication of the Cherpumple. For instance, I never knew that a hole in the middle of a pie meant that it was a cherry pie.

I also learned to check the dates of food that sits in your cupboard for years so it doesn’t spit out brown tree rot when you open it and ruin your clothes like one of our cans of frosting did.

I hope you’re inspired to bake a Cherpumple after you see this instructional film. It’s so pretty.

AND IT’S SO GOOD!! Won’t you bake one with us now, please?:

4 Responses to “Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Baking A Cherpumple With Charles Phoenix VIDEO!”

  1. Steve

    Great! Some friends have experimented with variations on cake-pie and pie-cake, but this takes that, uh cakepie. or piecake.

    Reply
  2. Sheryl Bryant Mackey

    Love it! What does he do with the leftover cake mix since he only makes one layer of each? Cupcakes?
    This is a hoot! I will try it for a cast party. I am trying to figure how many people “The Cherpumple” serves…..

    Reply
  3. lara witherspoon

    Hi,
    I watched your video on utube with Charles!! I was crying and laughing!!
    That was the funniest thing ever!!
    Mom had a yellow sunbeam mixer!! I used to lick the beaters when she was done doing her thing.
    I was grossed out by the frosting!!! I used to eat frosting right out of the container when I was kid. Never again!! Not after your video!
    I couldn’t believe you actually tried the cake with the 4 yr old frosting!!
    You make a great assistant putting on lipstick over the cake!! I was cracking up!!

    I am going to make Paul’s bday cake next week like a cherpumple but no fruit in mine!! Paul is going to be 45 so what better way than to make a new creation thanx to you and Charles!! Liam is brainstorming his ideas to me! He is really fantastic at brainstorming!! Since Paul is so into Yoga, I was thinking of getting a Ken doll and sticking him on top in a yoga position!! We will have to see how that goes!

    I hope you do more video’s together or start a morning show!! You were awesome!!!

    Love,
    Lara

    Reply