Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Baking A Cherpumple With Charles Phoenix VIDEO!

Submitted by Allee Willis February 1st, 2011
Certifikitsch WinnerClassique d Camembert

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?:

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

  1. john switzer

    A recipe called Cherpumple,wasn’t simple

    of a cake/pie that I hoped wouldn’t crumple

    Would their Kitsch cake pie flop?

    when they put icing on top

    Allee and Charles’s smile would just dimple.

    -see ogden nash

  3. john switzer

    I will never be the best writer lol but I could be the worst. and I don’t mean bad. that’s useless to me. I want to be the worst.It’s something I think I’ll be good at. as for the Cherpumple what’s not to like?I suppose one might say……(Another ‘Friends’ Joey quote)…
    What’s not to like?
    Pumpkin pie? Good.
    Cake? Good.
    Apple Pie? Good.
    Cake? Good
    Cherry Pie? Good
    Cake? Good
    Frosting? Good.

    M&M? ummmm….not so much…..I don’t like those in or on anything but on my hand and in my mouth.

  4. windupkitty

    I haven’t even watched this yet and I”m freaking out! Especially about the Franciscan Starburst dinnerware…uhhhhhhhhuhuhhuhuh……I love that pattern!

  5. k2dtw

    Betty Crocker meets Sara Lee….well hello ladies!!!..
    Pink frosting and a Turquoise Sunbeam!!!…OMG…
    LOL…OMG…this has to be the BEST 20 minutes I have EVER spent on youtube!!!.. I’m headed to watch your other videos..
    So wonderful and so funny, SO MUCH TO LOOK AT… I was immediately taken with your kibitzing back and forth, and LOVING all the wonderful instructions, thinking you had to be the best dressed chef pair ever.. I cracked up when you realized you had a wardrobe change wainting…
    Allee, your apron is so cool… saw/love the beautiful Brown Derby portraits.. EVERYTHING is to die for!!

  6. Patty McDonald

    Fantastic! I watched the video and seems like a very fun cake to make! Lots of baking!! Will have to try..

  7. denny

    I just can’t stand it! I hope the next time I am in LA that I can photograph this process of making a “cherpumple” and to taste one too.

    Charles………cheers to your “cherpumple” creation!

  8. windupkitty

    I really don’t have words here…..I watched this twice in a row and seriously almost pissed myself…I”m in tears! you guys are funny and so cool….I really,really,really hope you didn’t eat the rotten frosting though……that sunbeam mixer is a thing of true beauty…I wanna come back as that things when I die! Seriously, aside form pink, that’s my favorite color…it’s perfect…I’m wearing not one, but 2 shirts that color right now….Please keep these videos coming…seriously, the planet needs you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. denny

    This was hysterical. The teaming of Allee and Charles really makes me laugh.

    One of the things that killed me was how Allee applied her “Mac Morange” lipstick in the middle of the cherpumple baking activities.

    • windupkitty

      hahaha!! i know!! i LOVEd the lipstick break, the little happy dance at 6:34, Allee opening the bag with her teeth, the uncooked cherpumple layer on camera while they pull the baked one out of the oven…and that’s just to name 1 billionth of the funniosity…

  10. lambshank1

    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!!!