Spiced Pear Gourmet Cake Mix

What is this amazing cake? You've never had a cake like this before. It's made with little pieces of pear and candied ginger, a cousin to a fruit cake, except light and fluffy.

The pears give it a fruity sweetness unlike anything else. The candied ginger gives the cake spark and character. The balance is perfect.  

Make this cake for a special occasion.  It's a bucket list cake. Read the reviews.

How do you make it?

In this first image, it's baked in a single layer, in a round or rectangular pan. Then it's piled with mounds of caramel-flavored whipped cream.  This was loaded with a pasty bag, but you could use an ice cream scoop or simply a spoon. Just pile it high.

It's decorated with toasted almond pieces, but you could use toasted coconut, crumbs, or candy pieces.

In the second image, the cake is baked in a rectangular pan, trimmed, and cut into three equal pieces to make a three-layer cake.

In the third image, it's shaped like a birthday cake, a traditional cake that you would serve to guests after a fine dinner; it's a celebration cake.

Nothing difficult here. What will you make?

Learn more about this spiced pear cake!

• Really, what does this taste like? It's different. Pears are sweet but not dominating. The ginger is a show-stopper without being overwhelming.  It's like nothing you've ever tasted before. It's loaded with pears and tiny ginger pieces. 
• Tell me about the pears. We get them from a trusted supplier in Chicago. We liked them so much that we developed this cake mix and cookies with them.  
• On a scale of one to ten, how good is it? It's a 10 plus. It's my all-time favorite cake, and I love chocolate.
• Will my kids like it? I don't know if little kids will love it. The adults, I'm absolutely confident about. Kids sometimes don't like different, and this is different, something they are not used to.
• How did you come to make a gingered pear cake? Ah, this was inspired by holiday fruitcakes.  Holiday cakes often mix fruit and candied ginger.  This is much lighter, not heavy like a fruitcake.  If you had a wedding party, this would be your cake.
• Is this a party cake then, not a family cake? This is a special occasion cake, but not necessarily a formal cake.  I think it would fit perfectly at a church supper or a family reunion.  Your friends and family will love it.
• Could I make cupcakes here? This makes delightful cupcakes. I'm thinking cupcakes filled with whipped cream.
• What about a dinner party? That works. They won't soon forget dessert.
• You've got some pretty pictures here. I'm not that artistic.  Impress them with the taste, not the artwork. If you can go casual, bake it in a single layer. A 9x13-inch pan is perfect.
• What about the frosting? You've got me there. I've never made it with anything but a cream cheese frosting.  Our cream cheese recipe is light, not dominating.
• Anything else? It's a cream cake, not extra light and fluffy. Think "pudding-in-the mix". You're getting over 21 ounces of cake mix here.
• If you were to choose a mood for this cake, what would it be? Happy, calm, confident. Your friends are going to love this cake.

Dennis Weaver

This is different and delicious! And oh my, it's fabulous! They'll never taste a cake like this again. This cake will outshine any cake you serve!  

From the reviews.

This cake was baked in a 9 x13-inch baking pan. The edges are trimmed and then the cake is cut into two or three equal pieces with horizontal cuts. With two or three equal pieces, the cake can be stacked and frosted just like a traditional round layered cake.  Frosting is used between the layers.

To get the frosting recipe and more information, see "A Light Cream Cheese Frosting and It's Applications."

Suggestions for entertaining:

If I had a party next week, there is no question--this is what I'd serve. If it were a formal party, I would make a layer cake with ginger buttercream frosting. If it were an informal affair, I would make it in a sheet cake and top it with light cream cheese frosting. If I were short on time, I would serve it with dollops of whipped cream. 

Baker's notes:

The pear and ginger pieces soften in baking. You'll find the crumb to be soft and moist, a little lighter than most carrot cakes. The pears give so much natural sweetness that you can enjoy this cake without any frosting.

See what a customer with a big party had to report.

Give it a try. If you are not absolutely delighted, we'll give you your money back.

More Serving Suggestions: 

• Spiced Pear Cake Covered with Caramel Whipped Cream (Recipe below)
• We recommend a light cream cheese frosting for this cake, often adding a touch of optional ground ginger to meld with the cake. See the recipe for Light Cream Cheese Frosting here along with cake and frosting suggestions.
• See how to make an innovative layer cake with with a 9 x13-inch baking pan. The image and instructions are below.  
• See the candied ginger pieces and pear pieces used in this cake.

This cake was baked in a large round pan, cooled, covered with caramel whipped cream, and dusted with powdered sugar. 

To make the caramel whipped cream, use two cups heavy whipping cream. Add 1/3 cup brown sugar, two teaspoons of caramel flavor, and three tablespoons of meringue powder. Whip until stiff peaks form. The meringue powder will retard melting, for several hours.