Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the melted butter directly into your 9-inch (23cm) deep-dish pie plate. Make sure the butter coats the bottom evenly.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder until well combined. Pour in the milk and whisk gently until just incorporated, leaving a few small lumps. Pour this batter directly over the melted butter in the pie dish, but do not stir them together.

In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup (30g) of powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and thick. Using a spoon, drop generous dollops of this creamy white filling evenly over the wet batter.

Carefully spoon the gooey, vibrant red cherry pie filling directly over the cream cheese dollops. Do not stir the layers; the culinary magic happens in the oven as the batter rises up to form the top crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes. You will smell the buttery crust browning and see the golden-brown edges pulling away from the sides. The center should be puffed and deeply golden.

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes to let the creamy white filling set. Right before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to lightly dust the top with powdered sugar.