Bake It! Jar It! Can It! Cakes Baked in a Jar

About 15 or so years ago when I was  a single gal...who didn't cook - I mean, I occasionally baked chocolate chip cookies, stirred up some Rice Krispie treats, and threw together 7-layer cookies (the easiest, yummiest thing on the planet) - my mom bought me this book called Cake in a Jar. Great! Yipppeee!...What am I supposed to do with this? I kept it anyway. 

Now at the time, this little gift ranked right up there with the cellphone my parents gave me for my twenty-first birthday...yeah that is what I needed...no one had a cell phone (then), and if they did it was the size of a file cabinet. Secondly, I was young and had no money, and now had a $200 dollar a month cell phone bill...I called it the "gift that keeps on giving." It did however pay off during the L.A. Riots.

OK, back to the point...fast forward a few years. Now, I am living the newlywed lifestyle and ready to tackle baking, canning, whatever (not all of this was successful by the way) - I was determined to be domestic! My first attempts at making a Cake in a Jar were comical and a lot of burnt fingers followed. However, I have since mastered the Cake in a Jar, and enjoy...actually look forward to making these every year.

Well, this year I am getting a jump start. The invitations for informal little get-togethers have started to pour in, and I thought that these would make a quaint hostess gift. The best part is I can make them now, and store them (they last for months). They will be ready and waiting for me when I need them. I also make them as gifts for friends and some of the people at my hubby's work.

I usually decorate the jars with ribbon or some sort of label. This year, I am making these labels using scrapbook paper and a circle cutter....and my printer.

 

Here's what ya need:

1. Wide mouth pint-size canning jars (you can use 1/2 pint and larger...it just takes experimenting with the amount of batter and length of baking time) and lids. I just bought some platinum lids and they really make the jars look fantastic...of course, if you buy the box of jars, the standard lids are included.
2. Cake mix and/or recipe. I swear by the Cake in a Jar book that is sold through Cookbook Cupboard. It is the only recipe source I have used for these cakes and the instructions are super easy...and the book is only $3.95! I will not be sharing the recipe here, because I do not want to get sued. I used the Vanilla Rum Cake recipe for this batch (hint, hint - I used a box of cake mix, a box of pudding, and some rum)! The Kahlua Cake is to-die-for! See the end of the post for some additional recipe sources.
3. The ingredients to complete the cake mix (eggs, oil, water, etc.) or the ingredients for the recipe...duh!
4. Bath Canner with rack (I used to use a stock pot...but this is so much better)
5. Cookie sheet (to bake them on)
6. Skewer to check for doneness

sterilizing jars

 Here's how to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Sterilize jars while you mix up the cake batter
3. Remove jars and let dry, then grease with butter, shortening, etc.
4. Place 1 cup of batter into each pint jar
5. Wipe rims clean
6. Place on a cookie sheet and put the jars into the oven
7. Sterilize your lids while your cakes are baking
8. Bake for about 45 minutes
9. Remove cakes from oven, dry lids, and place lids on cakes
10. You will start hearing them pop and seal

Voila! You can canned a cake....
trust me people will be amazed!

batter in the jar

baked cakes

 canned cake

 Here are some resources for cake in a jar recipes, tips, and hints

Cookbook Cupboard

Yellow cake in a jar, allrecipes

Apple cake in a jar, allrecipes

Chocolate cake in a jar, allrecipes

Ideas from The Kitchn

Cakes Baked in a Jar

I think I will saute some bananas in butter, brown sugar, and a wee bit of rum, spoon this over the cake, and top it with fresh whipped cream...delicious!

Here are a few recipes I have made in the jar:

Carrot Crunch Gingerbread

The Greatest Carrot Cake

Happy Baking!

 

              

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