There are certain things that automatically bring a smile to your face…puppies and their sweet puppy breath…babies and their itty-bitty baby toes…and these colorful creations – the Rainbow Cake in a Jar. I discovered this creative cake concept on my new favorite site (and everyone else’s)…Pinterest. I must give credit, where credit is due – Thanks Brooke Mclay for posting this unique treat.
Not only are these jarred cakes adorable, they last longer than a typical cake. Sealed and refrigerated, these cakes will stay moist and delicious for at least 5 days. The jar and metal lid are the perfect vessel for shipping. The old school Mason jar makes for a great presentation, and allows for numerous ways to dress them up. You can add a pretty ribbon, or a personal label or perhaps a piece of twine with a little card attached. The possibilities are endless.
It is the perfect recipe for a child’s birthday…I tested it out for my sons 10th birthday…and he loved them. The best part of this project was the fact my son was super excited to help!
Here’s how you start…
First, gather all of your ingredients and supplies – this includes the jars you will use. My local grocer carried a variety of mason jars. I chose the Ball wide mouth pint sized jars. Any sized jar will work, simply adjust amount of batter and cooking time.
I used 2 boxes of cake mix for these simply because I knew “cake mix” was a sure thing
Make the cake according to directions.
Divide the cake mix up and color. I divided all the batter into 6 bowls. I then used Wilton Gel food coloring to tint each bowl to the desired shade. Gel food coloring is a MUST for this project. You will not achieve the desired saturation needed to make the colors pop if using standard food coloring. Once you have all your colors it’s time to assemble the jars for baking.
I used 2 cake mixes and 12 wide mouth pint sized jars. Be sure to generously spray each jar with cooking spray. To keep your colors in the right place, use disposable pastry bags. You could even use Ziploc bags to easily distribute each color into the jar. You want even, mess-free, layers.
Keep in mind – the cake will rise. Do not overfill the jars! This means filling no more than half the jar. Once you have all the colors layered into your jar, they are ready to go in the oven. I followed the temperature directions on the cake mix box. Keep a close eye on them; you don’t want to over bake them. I would say anywhere between 30-40 minutes is the norm. Be sure to space jars equally to allow even baking. Once baking is complete, let cool completely. Then you can top them with your favorite frosting and sprinkles….YUM!
We decorated ours with felt stickers and colorful ribbons. They turned out really cute, and they tasted even better. My son was so proud of what he helped create – as he should be. Since discovering these rainbow cakes I have come across other cake in jar recipes…looks like I better get busy baking. Let us know your versions of Cake in a Jar.
