Pie + Cake = Pake

There's a silly little show I watch on the Lifetime channel called Drop Dead Diva. The main character's friend tried to make a pie, but the cookbook pages stuck together and she made a cake in a pie shell. Thus was born the pake. A lot of people expressed interest in making their own pakes, so they came up with a recipe (originally posted here):

Classic Pake Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Store bought frozen pie crusts
Store bought cake mix of your choice (we recommend Red Velvet)
Store bought frosting of your choice (we recommend Cream Cheese)
Eggs (as needed on cake box)
Vegetable Oil (as needed on cake box)
1/2 cup White or Dark chocolate chips (if desired)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Leave the frozen pie crust out to thaw while you are mixing the cake batter. [I made 2 pie crusts from scratch; they worked just fine.]
3. Prepare the cake batter per the instructions on the box.*Note: This will make enough filling for two Pakes. [I made a chocolate cake from scratch, adding 1 box of instant chocolate pudding so it wouldn't be too dry.]
4. Gently poke a few small holes in the bottom of the pie crust, being careful not to poke through the tin.
5. Pour half of the cake batter into each pie crust, approx. 1/2” below the edge. *Note: the cake mix will raise above the edge of the pie crust during baking.
6. Mix in chocolate chips if desired. [I wish I had done this.]
7. Place the Pake on a cookie sheet, and place in the oven on a middle rack.
8. Bake for approx. 35 minutes at 350°F. After 35 minutes, turn oven down to 325°F and continue baking for another 12-15 minutes or until cake is finished. (You can test the cake by sticking a toothpick in the center and pulling it out. It should be relatively clean with very little cake crumbs stuck to it.) [My pake needed another 10 minutes, totaling 25 minutes at 325° F]
9. Let the pake cool completely.
10. If desired, cut the top section of the cake off and place a layer of frosting (or filling of your choice) on the lower half of the cake. Replace the top section. [I did not do this and didn't miss it.]
11. Scoop the remaining frosting onto the cake and frost to the edge of the pie crust. [1 can of frosting is the perfect amount for 2 pakes.]
12. Garnish with dollops of whipped cream around the edges, sprinkles, candy pieces or a cherry (as desired). [Whipped cream would have been good on it. I used sprinkles on one, and pecans, mint chocolate chips, and drizzled caramel on the other.]

Here are my results:

One plain, one frosted

Samuel said, "Delicious!"