Birthday Pie

Serves 10-12

A nostalgic icebox-style pie layered with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry mousse, all tucked inside a crisp funfetti shortbread crust.

I’ve always had a massive sweet tooth—especially as a kid. Every year on my birthday, I’d kick things off with a bowl of ice cream for breakfast. It was the most joyful tradition. These days, my stomach can’t take that much sugar at 8 a.m., but I still crave those classic Neapolitan flavors. So I turned them into a pie.

This recipe starts with a no-bake cream cheese base that whips into the creamiest mousse. We flavor it three ways—chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry—for a layered filling that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. And with a filling that fun, the crust had to match: a buttery shortbread packed with rainbow sprinkles that tastes just like a sugar cookie.

It’s truly one of my favorite things I’ve made to date—unlike any pie I’ve had before.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

INGREDIENTS

Funfetti Shortbread Crust

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (200g)

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (10g)

  • ⅔ cup powdered sugar (80g)

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

  • 10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed (140g)

  • 3 tbsp rainbow jimmies (bake-stable, like Betty Crocker Parlor Perfect)

  • ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Mousse Filling Base

  • 12 oz cream cheese, softened (340g)

  • ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk (240g)

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

  • 2 ¼ cups heavy cream (535g)

  • 6 tbsp powdered sugar (50g)

Chocolate Layer (Bottom)

  • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (135g)

  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

  • Pinch of kosher salt

Vanilla Layer (Middle)

  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Strawberry Layer (Top)

  • 3 tbsp freeze-dried strawberry powder (blitzed and sifted)

  • 1 tbsp strawberry jam

  • Optional: 1 drop red or pink food coloring

  • 2-3 tbsp heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Make the Crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and salt.

  2. Cut in cold butter until the mixture is crumbly but holds together when pinched.

  3. Stir in rainbow jimmies and vanilla bean paste. The mixture may appear dry at first, but as the butter softens, it will come together like cookie dough.

  4. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9” springform pan, leaving about ¼ inch from the top. Be sure to press firmly into the corners and along the sides for an even thickness throughout.

  5. Freeze for 15–20 minutes before baking. Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork before baking.

    Note: If using a slick or thin-walled springform pan, some slumping may occur. Firmly pressing in the crust and freezing before baking helps minimize this.

  6. Bake for 25–35 minutes, until golden and dry. Cool completely.

Make the Filling Base

  1. Ensure cream cheese is completely softened. If not, microwave it in 10–15 second bursts until soft.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.

  3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment—or a hand mixer—whip the cream and powdered sugar to medium peaks.

  4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions.

  5. Divide the mousse evenly into three bowls (about 380g each).

    Note: The chocolate layer can use slightly less mousse base, as the melted chocolate will increase its volume.

Make the Chocolate Layer

  1. Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler). Stir until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.

  2. To one bowl of mousse, add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir gently to combine.

Make the Vanilla Layer

  1. To another bowl of mousse, add the vanilla bean paste and stir to combine.

Make the Strawberry Layer

  1. In a food processor, blitz freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds and larger bits. Measure out 3 tablespoons.

  2. To the final bowl of mousse, add the strawberry powder, strawberry jam, additional heavy cream, and food coloring if using. The powder thickens quickly, so the extra cream helps loosen the mixture for smoother spreading.

Assemble

  1. In the cooled crust, layer the mousse starting with the chocolate layer. Smooth the top.

  2. Freeze for 10 minutes before adding the vanilla layer. Then freeze for another 20–30 minutes before adding the strawberry layer to create clean, distinct layers.

  3. Chill the assembled pie in the refrigerator overnight, or until fully set. If you’re short on time, you can freeze the pie for 1–2 hours instead to speed up setting.

  4. Top with additional whipped cream and sprinkles if desired.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • For clean slices, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water, wiping the blade clean between cuts.

  • The pie stores very well for several days in the fridge or several weeks in the freezer. If storing in the freezer, wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil to protect against freezer burn. For best texture and flavor, enjoy within 2 weeks.

  • The chocolate layer is naturally denser. To ensure even visual layering, use slightly less mousse base for the chocolate layer (about 310–320g), and slightly more for the vanilla and strawberry layers (about 405–415g each).

  • Freeze-dried strawberry powder thickens the mousse quickly, which can make it difficult to spread over the softer vanilla layer. To mitigate this, I add a splash of extra cream to the strawberry mousse, and freeze the pie for 30 minutes after adding the vanilla layer before topping with strawberry. However, if you’re in a pinch for time and want to skip the freeze, layer the vanilla on top instead, as it’s the lightest and spreads most easily.

  • To serve, I prefer this pie cold—but not frozen. If storing in the freezer, transfer to the refrigerator the night before serving to allow it to soften to a chilled, creamy texture.