Stained Glass Pear Cake Tutorial

Learn how to transform fresh pears into an elegant edible cake decoration with this stunning Stained Glass Pear Cake tutorial by Julie Jangali. Using thinly sliced Bosc pears, a simple sugar syrup, and subtle ombré coloring, Julie demonstrates how to create delicate fruit “petals” that wrap beautifully around a buttercream cake. Finished with shimmering gold accents, this sophisticated design is perfect for weddings, fall celebrations, and any occasion that calls for a naturally beautiful centerpiece.

Edibles:

• 7 Bosc pears  
• 1 cup sugar  
• 1 cup water  
• Eggplant gel food color (AmeriColor) 
• Gold luster dust 
• One 5-inch cake, coated in buttercream and refrigerated 

Equipment:

• Chef’s knife 
• Saucepan 
• Silpat 
• Sheet pan 
• Parchment paper round 
• Paintbrush 
• Tip: Bosc pears stay firm and keep their shape even when ripe. 
• Tip: You can use a mandolin slicer for thin, even slices. 

Candy the Pears 

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  
2. Slice the pears into 1/8-inch slices. Each pear will yield about 6 to 9 good slices, for a total of about 60. You will need about 45 slices to cover the cake but make extra just in case. 
3. Cut the bottoms off one-third of the pear slices and add them to the boiling syrup. These will be brushed with gold later and do not require color. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, slide off the stove top, and allow the pears to soak in the syrup until they are soft and turn translucent. Remove the pears from the syrup and allow the excess syrup to drip off. Lay the pears out onto a Silpat-lined sheet pan and set aside. 
   • Tip: The cook time with vary depending on how thin or thick your pear slices are.  
4. Return the syrup to a boil, add 1 drop of eggplant gel food color and another one-third of the slices. Reduce to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, place the round of parchment paper on top to keep the pears submerged, and soak for 1 hour. Remove the pears from the syrup and lay on the Silpat. 
5. Add 3 more drops of the eggplant gel food color to the syrup, bring to a boil, and add the last one-third of the pears. Repeat Step 4, but allow the pears to soak for about 3 hours for a more intense purple color before removing them to the Silpat. 

Dry the Pears 

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Allow the pears to cook in the oven for 4 to 6 hours depending on the slice thickness, flipping them every hour. The finished slices will be dry and flexible, which will enable you to cover your cake easily. 
   • Tip: Silpat gives a smoother finish to the pear slices than parchment paper, which tends to wrinkle from the heat. 

Assemble the Stained Glass Pear Cake 

1. Once the pears have cooled and are ready to use, take the gold luster dust and brush the edges of your pear slices. Completely brush the pears with gold for the bottom row of the cake that are one-third cut. 
2. Carefully place the darkest purple pear slices in a row, overlapping one another for the top layer of the cake. The pear slices are sticky enough to stay in place, but you find that they are not sticking on the cake, use leftover buttercream as glue for support. 
3. Repeat the process for the lighter purple pears and place them in the middle of the cake.  
4. Line the bottom of the cake with the gold slices to complete the cake.
   • Tip: You can use white buttercream or color the buttercream to match the pear layers.  

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Julie Jangali

A native of Iran, Julie Jangali graduated from American University with a degree in broadcast journalism before attending L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD. It was here that she found a career she was passionate about, and in 2002, she joined the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. She quickly advanced to pastry chef at various high-end establishments around the U.S., such as the Beverly Hills Hotel and Montage Beverly Hills. In 2006, she won the silver medal from the International Salon Culinaire, the UK’s largest and most prestigious competition. She most recently showcased her culinary prowess by competing on Food Network’s Chopped Sweets “Million Dollar Desserts.” She is currently a freelance pastry chef and consultant in Santa Monica, CA.