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The Ultimate Summer Party Cake

Some of my best summer memories are of family barbecues where Jell-O and whipped cream were predominately featured, often mixed together in the form of an ice-box pie.  This Stained Glass Cake is a sophisticated take on the out-of-the-box summertime classic, combining home-made graham cracker crust and flavored-whipped cream filling with cubes of Jell-O.  It is fancy enough to impress the adults and fun enough to blow away the kids.  Best of all it’s an ice-box cake so, aside from 12 quick minutes for the crust, you are making the entire thing without turning on the oven.

 

Grab your fork and dig in!

Grab your fork and dig in!

 

Prepare to be Dazzled

This stained glass beauty is best started at least a day in advance, beginning with the crust and the jello as the jello will take a few hours to set before you can start chopping.  The final product takes another four hours to set after it’s pulled together so you’ll want to start early in the day to give it time to solidify.  The good news is this cake can be made up to two days in advance so you can actually make the whole thing well in advance and then it will be good to go on the day of your big event.

Make the Jell-O

  • In three separate bowls, whisk each box of Jell-o with 1 1/2 cups boiling water until dissolved.
  • Pour into three pie plates or loaf pans and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
  • Once Jell-O has solidified, cut into 1/2″ cubes and keep chilled.
  • In three separate bowls, whisk each box of Jell-o with 1 1/2 cups boiling water until dissolved.
  • Pour into three pie plates or loaf pans and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
  • Once Jell-O has solidified, cut into 1/2″ cubes and keep chilled.
Try and use large flat pans to make your cubing easier.

Try and use large flat pans to make your cubing easier.

I like to cube it, cube it.

Make the Filling

  • Combine 1/4 cup pineapple juice and unflavored gelatin in bowl, Microwave, stirring ocasionally, until gelatin is solved, 1-3 minutes.
  • Slowly whisk in remaining pineapple juice.
  • With electric mixer set on medium-high speed, whip cream, vanilla, salt and remaining sugar until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
  • Reduce speed to low and slowly add juice mixture until combined.
  • Gently fold Jello-O cubes into cream mixture.
  • Scrape into prepared pan and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Stained Glass Cake, Not Just for 4th of July!

Stained Glass Cake, Not Just for 4th of July!

Tell us what you think!

Please comment below if you try the pie and let us know how it goes!  And find all of Brooklyn to the Catskills‘ recipes in the Food section of our website, we’d love to hear what you think about those too!  And don’t forget to subscribe to Cook’s Country Magazine, the original Stained Glass Cake recipe is theirs!