Hard to say. I cannot resist an apple pie on the other hand, I cannot resist a cheese cake. I'm not really taken by layer cakes, but I do like coffee cakes. jelly rolls and pound cakes. Gosh, I just have a sweet tooth and like them both!

I am a cake person.

I will eat pie - especially wild Maine blueberry (those tiny flavor packed delish little thing,. not the humongous Frankenberries that have no flavor) or pumpkin. I think I am not as big a fan of stone fruit, apple, etc because I have had so many bad ones. "Easy as pie" is such a horrid expression - great pie is NOT easy to make and bad pie is ubiquitous. Of course, I don't make pie unless it is blueberry or pumpkin, so I have no idea if I could do it better than the ones I have had.

Cake - I love cake! Layer cakes, genoise, sponge (soaked in booze or not), flourless, spice, chocolate, butter, bundt, frosted or dusted with confectioners sugar... be still my heart! Given the choice - it is cake for me any day of the week.

Alexa

I usually don't eat dessert, but pies are my absolute favorite. I don't make cakes, but Annie's Lemon Mousse Cake is going to be made in my kitchen before it is demolished for the update. We have an anniversary (39 yr)on Feb 8 and Valentine's Day. Gotta be for one or the other!

From what I have read, a cheesecake is really a pie - it has a bottom crust and it is made without flour and does not rise when baked and in general does not have icing. I would say that doughnuts and eclairs qualify as cakes, however, but not a Napoleon, which would be in a class of its own, like baklava.

Lars

I make more cakes but I'd prefer more pies. Cakes are easier (I stink at making crusts). And I guess they do feed more for the effort. I try to make less bad-for-us desserts for the family and only do cakes/pies for holidays, guests, birthdays, etc.

I went to a wedding reception semi potluck where the food was provided except for the dessert, for which everyone was encouraged to bring a pie. It was awesome.

I think that the popularity is more of a regional thing. Around here, where many fruits are grown, I'm sure pies are the favorite for many. There are many fruit stands along the major road that goes through the orchard area and they all sell pies.

At the farmers markets the big thing is pie. I don't do them because as a new vendor I have been trying to find my own niche and didn't want to be a "me to". I have been doing coffee cakes, which to me, is a totally different item compared to a dessert cake. Cheesecakes are also totally different classification from cake, no comparison in my view. Really, the only thing they have in common is the word "cake" in their name.At least that's my take on it.

I've noticed how popular cakes are on Pinterest. I pin on one huge shared board that is all "Southern Cookin'" cakes are really a big thing on that board. Banana Cake, Hummingbird Cake and Lemon Cake seem to be the most popular. Once in a while you will see some pie, usually cream pies of some type. It's fun noticing the regional differences.

My preference is pie. I like cake but don't make it for just the two of us all that often. I can put away a 1/6 of a pie, no problem, but could never eat a 1/6 of a cake. I usually end up throwing away half a cake when I make one. Rarely do I have to throw away any pie.

Nancy

My favorite is pie, but as Alexa points out, a really good pie is a difficult thing to pull off. I like fruit pies and a good pie starts with good fruit. Then there's the whole thickening issue, and last but not least, the crust issue. So for me, pies are the holy grail of yumminess, something I rarely achieve.

The saying should be, "easy as cake" although I never make those really sexy European style ones and I'll bet they are not that easy. They sound very time consuming with all the layers, frostings, etc. But I can make a very respectable sheet cake or two layer cake, although I mostly look for recipes for a one layer round cake. Someday I may bake my way through the bundt cake thread I saved! That kind of cake is not easy in my book because I hate greasing and flouring those dang pans!

These days I'm definitely into cake! I made lots of pound cake mini loaves for Christmas and enjoyed doing it. I prefer not too much frosting but like a flavorful glaze or drizzle. For the time I have to cook, I think cakes are just easier and faster to make. I like the "cut-and-come-again" loaf cakes that can last a while and are easier to store than a layer cake. And bundt cakes are right up there with pound cakes!

Just yesterday I had the most wonderful cupcake I have yet to taste: champagne white cake with champagne butter cream frosting and silver sprinkles - so elegant, not cloyingly sweet, light, and small in size.

I've made a number of pies and tarts in my time, including homemade crusts and I was proud of them. But give me the cake - no cookies, brownies, or pies, thank you!

Teresa

I've never met a pie or cake I don't like. I'm blissfully addicted to sugar and I freely admit it!

I don't know why but I do not like pie. I like a lot of cakes. But I don't like buttercream, or most frostings. Not that I won't pick at them until they're gone and I do love whipped cream.

But give me bread. Lots of bread. Low carb bread, ha!

I don't make sweets much. Haven't made a cake in a loooong time. Pies are my choice when I do make a dessert. And my choice when I'm eating elsewhere. I save the crust rim for last. I love pie crust. I guess I'm not really into sweets. A tiny sliver serving of cake is good for me when I have to eat cake to be sociable.

Pies are easy, peasy. I use my grandmother's recipe for German pastry. I want to do something different, but not right now. The living room and bedroom rugs were just cleaned and need to dry. Maybe by the weekend I'll do the lemon cake because my lemons are rotting on the tree. I've got a bunch in the freezer, but would prefer to put the rest to good use.

I make more things like cobblers... a crustless pie?

I don't really like fruit pies, mainly because I love fresh fruit and usually can't bring myself to turn it into pie (except for apples, have no problem cooking those). I do like European-style tarts made with a sponge cake base, fresh fruit covered with a glaze, and served with whipped cream.

Pie. Pie.

I like to use fresh fruits and vegetables from my garden. Yesterday I picked carrots and made a very delicious carrot cake and I got to use one of my Meyer lemons. If you like carrot cake, you will like this one. I also made last year a beet cake. And I am going to have loquats (Japanese plum) pretty soon and I will make a pie.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: parma-style-carrot-cake

I love, love pies. Love the pastry. But I generally make my lemon bundt cake, as it's so easy and freezes well. I don't like sweet cakes and detest icing.

I do love the apple cobbler type desserts, easy to whip up, and the apple crostata type pastry. No forming into the pie plate.

LPink, if you make a batch of that Better Than Pam coating, you don't need to grease and flour the bundt pan. Just smear it on with your fingers or a pastry brush.
It takes the place of greasing and flouring. I use it religiously, and my bundt cake comes out perfectly.

This post was edited by jasdip on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 8:17

I am an equal opportunity dessert eater. I love cake and I love pie. In fact, I love everything you can buy in a bakery.

I like pies the best, I think.
But mostly, only the pies I make.
I very rarely order pie when eating out,
Seems like the crust is never any good,
And I LOVE a good crust.

And, in my opinion, pies are very easy to make.
A good fruit pie is much easier to make
Than a layer cake.

While I say I don't like cakes,
That's not entirely true.
I like carrot cake, apple cake, oatmeal cake.
Most any cake, I guess, that could be called 'rustic'.
It's basically the 'plain' layer cakes I don't like.
I really dislike most icings, too,
Especially Butter cream.

I'll be trying the Lemon Mousse cake
that Annie posted quite soon, I think.
And Silvia's parma style carrot cake
Has me drooling already this morning.
It's in the near future for me, too.

As for cheesecake, doughnuts, eclairs, etc,
They are another group altogether.
Cobblers are usually very similar to pies,
But the variance in the crusts for them is so wide,
I'm inclined to think they deserve their own 'group', too.

Rusty

Can't decide. I love a good apple cake, chocolate. But I adore coconut pie or chocolate cream. Yum. But then, I'm not a good person to ask. You could probably make a pie out of mud, & if it had the appropriate amount of sugar I would love it.

Pie. Cake. Pie. Cake. Yes, please!

I like pie if the crust is something worthy of eating and the filling is some lovely berry fruit. I am more inclined to make a sweet quick bread than a cake. Cobblers and crisps are also favorites.

Eileen

Donuts, napoleans, bismarks, etc are actually in the class of pastries. And empanadas are different than turnovers albeit they're similar. Turnovers are just that, folded over but not sealed. Empanadas are sealed and have to be since they're often fried rather than baked. If you tried to fry a turnover, you'd have a mess.

Pie vs. cake? Depends on the pie and cake. I like most fruit pies, have a weakness for a good pecan pie, like the frozen type pies like key lime, turtle and similar. Not into mincemeat pie. I like lemon cake, white cake and especially spice, butterscotch or applesauce but I don't care much for chocolate cake but I'm not a huge chocolate fan anyway. (Go ahead and say it!)

I also like many types of sweet breads.

I don't like pie. I know that may qualify as crazy talk to some but there you have it. There is a long list of other desserts I would prefer before pie.

Kate

I love both. My favorite is cherry pie, then peach pie then lemon pie, then white cake, then carrot cake, then Kahlua chocolate cake. Love to make all desserts. Love to eat all desserts. Probably why I put back on 30 of the 62 lbs that I lost. LOL

I like both, although I really don't care much about pie crust/pastry, I usually just eat the filling and leave that edge crust, which my mother happily eats if she's anywhere around. Cakes from scratch are yummy but not made from a mix, I don't care for the preservative flavor or the too light and fluffy texture of cake mixes. I don't care for cheesecake at all but I do like custards and cream pies and frozen/chilled fillings.

I like fruit desserts best, like crisps or cobblers, all that filling and no crust, it's heaven!

That said, I'll eat them all, except the cheesecake. Someone else can eat that.

Silvia, that carrot cake looks delicious!

Annie

I love both, but find myself making unusual cakes for birthdays and everyone seems to be interested in what kind I will come up with next. My very favorite is yellow cake in three layers with lemon filling, seven minute icing and lots of coconut on top-not too sweet but something everyone seems to love for that very reason. I know that one has been around a long time and not really unusual but it is the very best of cakes.

I'm definitely in the pie category. But I make far more cake for celebrations, pot lucks, anywhere other people are going to eat it. I think that's because cakes look much more festive. I've never heard of a pie decorating class!

I enjoy a small piece of cake, but that's enough for me. I could eat a whole pie.

Cheryl