Apple Pie Doesn’t Need a Crust Here: Two Cinnamon Cakes Hold the Filling Instead

Apple pie filling usually sits beneath a pastry crust, but this dessert puts the apples somewhere unexpected. Two soft cinnamon cakes replace the pastry, with caramel buttercream and apple slices tucked between them. The result looks like an oversized sandwich cookie until the filling comes into view.

The idea comes from Lemons for Lulu’s Caramel Apple Whoopie Pies, which combine the flavors of apple pie with the soft texture of a whoopie pie. Instead of cooking apples from scratch, the recipe uses canned apple pie filling, while caramel ice cream topping provides the flavor for the frosting.

Brown sugar gives the cakes a deeper sweetness than a standard vanilla batter, and cinnamon connects them to the apple filling. Each component has a different job, so the dessert doesn’t depend on a traditional pie crust to deliver the familiar combination.

Brown sugar and cinnamon turn the cakes into the base

The cake batter starts with ½ cup butter and one cup packed brown sugar, beaten together before adding an egg and vanilla extract.

Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon are mixed in with one cup of milk to create a soft batter.

Use a cookie scoop to portion the mixture onto lined baking sheets, keeping the rounds close in size so they can be paired after baking.

Bake at 350°F for 10–13 minutes, then transfer the cakes to a rack and let them cool.

Unlike crisp sandwich cookies, whoopie pie rounds have a soft, cake-like texture that makes them suitable for holding a generous filling.

Caramel goes into the buttercream, not the cake

The frosting combines softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and two tablespoons of caramel ice cream topping.

Beat the ingredients until smooth, then add milk a little at a time until the mixture becomes spreadable.

The caramel gives the buttercream its flavor without requiring homemade caramel sauce or melted candy.

Once the cakes have cooled, spread frosting across the flat side of half the rounds. Add a few pieces of canned apple pie filling over the buttercream, then place the remaining cakes on top.

The frosting helps hold the apples between the layers, while the cinnamon cakes provide enough structure to pick up each dessert without a fork.

The apple filling stays soft between the cakes

Canned apple pie filling removes the need to peel, slice, and cook fresh apples before assembling the dessert.

Its tender fruit and thick sauce contrast with the cake rounds and creamy caramel frosting.

The recipe makes approximately 18 whoopie pies, depending on the size of the scooped batter.

Keep the assembled cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then bring them toward room temperature before serving for a softer texture.

The surprise isn’t another ingredient added to apple pie. It’s the absence of pastry altogether. Cinnamon cake takes the place of the crust, while the apples and caramel remain hidden until the two halves are pulled apart.