Are You Kidding Me Cake

This 3-ingredient “Are You Kidding Me Cake” is quick, moist, and endlessly customizable. Get fun twists, topping ideas, and a foolproof recipe!

Are You Kidding Me? What a Name! 

I have to confess, I was won over to this recipe because of the fun name.

"Are you kidding me?" is exactly what I said the first time I heard about this cake. Three ingredients. No fuss. And somehow it bakes up into a rich, moist, can’t-stop-at-one-slice dessert that tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen.

This is the kind of recipe I keep in my back pocket for busy days, last-minute company, or when I just need a sweet treat without making a mess of my kitchen. And the best part? You can dress it up any way you like—Bundt pan and glaze for something elegant, a simple square pan with frosting, or even a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Talk about Versatile!

You can use any box of cake mix you want—white, yellow, chocolate, carrot cake. . .whatever. Trust me, I've done it! And it's so fun, coming up with the combinations!

Hint! I've given you a ton of suggestions for flavor combinations below. Keep reading!

The key here is to choose a companion canned pie filling that complements the flavors in the cake mix. So, for example, if you’re choosing chocolate cake you might go with cherry pie filling, as I did in my Easy Black Forest Bundt Cake. 

If you’ve got a spice cake you might go with pumpkin. 

I once made this cake with an orange cake mix and a can of cherry pie filling. (Note: It was delicious!)

In my case, I happened to have yellow cake mix on hand and only one can of pie filling in the house. . .apple. 

I’ve baked with apple pie filling before, of course. I used a can of it in my Apple Pie Coffee Cake. It turned out great!

But I’ve never made a simple apple “Are You Kidding Me” cake and decided to give it a try. 

Cake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card with instructions at the bottom of this post. But this is such a simple recipe you probably won’t need it! 

• 1 cake mix (any flavor)
• 1 can of pie filling (21 ounces) any flavor
• 3 large eggs

That’s it! Just three ingredients. 

How to Make Are You Kidding Me Cake

Talk about an easy cake recipe! This comes together so easily. It’s going to be perfect for your next get-together. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish or bundt pan. I love a good Bundt Cake, (as you can probably tell from my other posts) but this one is so versatile: you can use it in a layer cake, a 9x-13 or a bundt.

Process the fruit filling. This isn’t 100% necessary but if you’re using apple pie filling (as I did) you’ll want much smaller pieces. Don’t work it down to a liquid, but do take it to smaller pieces than you started with. 

Add the eggs and mix well. 

Stir in the whole box of cake mix but don’t over work it. (Note: Yellow cake mix is a great base for this project and simple to find in the grocery store.)

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. (In this instance, I used a 9x13, but you could easily use a bundt pan.)

Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove and place on wire rack to cool. 

Once cool, cut into squares and serve. 

By the way, you can frost with any of my delicious frosting recipes. I heartily recommend my Dreamy Buttercream for this cake, but that will depend on the cake flavor you choose. If you go with chocolate, I've got a delicious Chocolate Ganache frosting.

Store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. (I think the fruit component will do better chilled.) If should stay good for up to five days. 

What to Expect from This Cake

First of all, it’s the easiest cake. . .ever! Talk about a fun way to doctor a cake mix without much effort! 

Second, it tastes great. You would think something this easy would be less tasty, but it’s not. This cake is delightful! That pie filling flavor isn't too overpowering or too subtle. It's just right.

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I think this would be a fun one to make with the kids or grandkids. They will love mixing it up and watching it come together so perfectly. And you’ll love sharing the experience with them as you bake up a delicious cake. Serve it at a family reunion or as a nice lunchbox dessert.

Variations on this Recipe

As I mentioned above, you could use a variety of cake mixes with different pie filling flavors. Here are some combination ideas that come to mind:

Apple-Spice Cake: Spice cake mix with a can of apple pie filling. 

Caramel Apple Spice Cake: Same as above, but use the caramel apple pie filling. 

Lemon: Use a lemon cake and lemon pie filling. That delicious pie filling flavor will really amp up the lemony taste!

Lemon Lime: Lemon cake mix with lime pie filling. 

Lemon Blueberry: Lemon cake mix, blueberry pie filling (or blackberry, even). Sounds great! 

Orange Raspberry: Orange cake mix with raspberry pie filling. 

Peach: Use a golden butter cake with peach pie filling. Yum. 

French Vanilla: Add raspberry pie filling to French Vanilla cake mix for a lovely combination. 

Chocolate with Strawberry Pie Filling: Similar to the chocolate cherry idea above, this would probably be delicious! 

Berry medley: White cake mix with berry medley pie filling. 

Strawberry Lemonade: Strawberry cake mix with lemon pie filling sounds divine!

Cherry Chip: Cherry chip cake mix with cherry pie filling would be perfect.

Butter Pecan Cake Mix: Butter pecan cake with pumpkin pie filling? Yes, please!

Carrot Cake: Pumpkin pie pie filling would also be perfect with a carrot cake mix! 

Pineapple cake mix: This would be a fun cake flavor with cherry pie filling. Yum!

Chocolate cake mix: Add chocolate cake and strawberry or raspberry pie filling. Delicious!

Bundt cake: Bake it up in a bundt pan. Simple and delicious!

I’m guessing the colors of some of these combinations might be questionable but the taste would probably be divine! Talk about some great recipes.

Top Comment

I made this cake with apple pie filling and yellow cake mix, but also diced small pieces of Gala apples and mixed in with the batter. I made a crumb topping for it too. I made 8 of these for our Auxiliary fundraiser, cut in squares to fit in clear clamshell containers totaling 72 of them. They were a big hit all of them sold. - Steph

Other Pie Filling Recipes from Out of the Box Baking

I hope you enjoyed this easy cake recipe. If so, you might enjoy these other pie filling recipes.

Pina Colada Pie: In this post I’m going to share a recipe for a delicious Pina Colada Pie. If you love tropical flavors you’re going to adore this one!

Apple Pie Monkey Bread Casserole: If you love the ease of a simple monkey bread but want to add sautéed apples, this is the recipe for you! This one bakes up in a casserole dish. It’s easy to serve and oh, so tasty! Perfect for fall or any time of year!

Fluffy Cherry Icebox Pie: If you love a light, fluffy pie, rich with cherry flavor, you’re going to love this recipe. You can make this recipe in the summertime and still keep your waistline intact!

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Pie: If you love a light, fluffy summery pie, one that doesn’t require any baking at all, do I have a treat for you! In this post I’m going to show you how to make a luscious no bake strawberry cheese pie, one sure to wow your guests. 

Cherry Pie Bars: If you’re looking for a bar with a soft sugar cookie crust, cake-like in texture, with a rich almond and cherry flavor, have I got a treat for you! These Simple Cherry Pie Bars (Cherry Cobbler Bars) are gooey, soft, and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious! 

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

• Ridiculously easy. . .like magic. Just three ingredients, one bowl, and zero judgment if you grab the cake mix on sale.
• Ultra customizing freedom. It plays well with every flavor—banana-chocolate, apple-spice, cherry-chocolate—you name it, you can bake it.
• Comfort baking without the mess. This is the cake for sticky mornings, tired afternoons, or when life gets sweet in the prettiest, most unapologetic way.
• A great recipe to bake with someone. It's forgiving enough for helpers—kids, pets, or your creative Aunt Carol—to join in.
• A perfect partner to so many moments. Serve it warm on a Sunday, cool with coffee on Tuesday, or dress it up for company—it fits beautifully everywhere.

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

About the Author

Hi there—I’m Janice, your friendly baker behind Out of the Box Baking. I’m all about recipes that feel humble and help you shine. When I’m not baking or mixing up something delicious, you’ll find me caring for rescued pups, writing stories, or experimenting with flavors that bring joy to the everyday. This blog is where simplicity meets heart—and every recipe is made with love (and usually a doggy taste-tester nearby).

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