How to bake cake in a jar with cake mix or homemade batter is here. Mason jar cakes for a birthday or a weekend dessert with frosting are fun! Like Copycat Wicked Good Cupcakes style but a bit bigger for your next party.
Cake in a jar is just such a fun thought right? I’m sure you have made one in a round or square pan but individual servings mean no slicing, and nobody has to share their frosting! Use our from scratch batter recipe below or this makes a great cake mix hack too.
How to Bake Cake in a Mason Jar
Can you bake in a ball mason jar? That is what we are using here and yes you can as long as you follow our safety tips below. When done you can wash them out and use as glasses or make more this weekend. AND we are doing this with frosting y’all, when it is done. 😉
This doesn’t even fall into one of our How Long Does it Take to Bake a Cake categories, it is all on it’s own. Since we have enjoyed them so often I thought I would finally write up the instructions so your family and try this trick too.
Can you make cake in a jar with cake mix?
Absolutely, the instructions would be even easier as you would just follow the directions on the back of that box to make the batter. Just choose your boxed cake mix flavor of choice and get that ready in one bowl before we move to the next step. There are tons out there to choose from from vanilla to strawberry and even chocolate is delicious.
Jar Cakes
I would say this reminds me a bit of our Mug Cake with Cake Mix, except that bakes even faster. What I mean though is that once done everyone gets their own and doesn’t have to share. If you have kids you know this solves a lot of arguing….you know what I mean….
You are going to want 16 ounce mason jars to make these, Ball are the best. With that said there are two versions, one is shorter and the other is skinnier and taller. Either one will work for this. Any smaller and you won’t be able to make much since it will rise quite a bit and you don’t want them to overflow.
Is it safe to bake in glass jars?
If you follow the steps below ensuring that they are specifically designed for canning and baking, such as Mason jars, free from cracks and the right temperature to start with it is. This is such a fun new way of making individual desserts. To get started you need to;
- Use the Right Glass Jars, ones that are specifically designed for canning and baking, mason jars are perfect. Regular glass jars may not withstand high temperatures and could shatter. SO don’t reuse ones from pickles or sauces for this.
- Check for Cracks or Chips to ensure that each one is totally free from any imperfections, as these can cause them to break under heat.
- Gradually Heat to avoid sudden temperature changes. Instead of putting batter into cold jars and directly into a hot oven, warm them a bit first. You can do this by running the outsides under warm water in the sink. Once done, let the jars cool down gradually after baking on a cooling rack to prevent thermal shock too.
- Leave Room for Expansion meaning you should no not fill batter to the top. Leave some space for the food to expand as it bakes.
- Put on a Baking Sheet so they all are sitting flat to ensure even heating and to catch any overflow.
And always use recipes for baking in jars specifically to ensure proper cooking times and temperatures. Such a fun hack right?? Maybe even more fun than our Half Birthday Cake we do every year (and you should too).
Cake in a Jar Recipe No Bake
So we have made a version of this that doesn’t require any baking. You can read our No Bake Cheesecake in Mason Jars. Instead of batter I used a mixer to combine softened cream cheese with pumpkin (you could use marshmallow fluff too). Then layered it with a graham cracker crumble of sorts.
How long will a cake baked in a jar last?
I mean……it is much better fresh. Like if you were to bake our Recipe for 6 Cupcakes you can save in an airtight container but next day the tops get kinda’ sticky. In the event that you still need to you could just use the lid, but I wouldn’t add the frosting. That is definitely better added right before you eat it. That can be stored in the fridge.
Ball mason jars are best. Do not use things like empty pickle jars or such as they aren’t thick enough. You need to make sure that there are no cracks or chips or they can break. Warming them before putting into a hot oven is a good idea too so there isn’t a sudden change of temperature. Allowing them to cool slowly on a cooling rack when done is a great idea too.
Yes!! You can of course use a muffin pan or silicone baking cups instead. There is another fun way to bake a cake though, you can use mason jars. Set on a sheet pan it is a great way to make individual servings.
Tips for baking cake batter in jars
You always want to preheat your oven, just like if you were baking your favorite cake any other way. Warming the jars we went over. You would want to clean them (dishwasher is best) beforehand and dry well. To make things fun if you spoon frosting into piping bags kids can decorate their own mini cakes with frosting themselves!! Serve while birthday gifts are being open for the best day ever!
How to Bake Cake in a Jar
Equipment
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 1.5 c all purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 c butter, softened, unsalted
- 1 c sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 c milk, whole is best
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F or 175°c. Grease the inside of each mason jar with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
- Run warm water over the outside of the jars to gently heat them up before adding batter and putting into a hot oven so there isn't a drastic change in temp.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared mason jars, filling each jar about halfway full.
- Place the filled mason jars on a baking sheet and transfer them to the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
- Remove the jars from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, spread a layer of frosting on top of each cake in the jar. Add your favorite toppings to decorate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
