Mason Jars – the new DIY it item brought to you by Pinterest. I’ll admit it; I love them. They’re the most versatile DIY item out there. You can put almost anything in a mason jar, pretty it up with ribbon, burlap or twine and impress a crowd.
I’ve been known to use mason jars for plenty of projects, including the Salad Bar I pulled together for a bridal shower last month, and baked smores in a jar. This week, I wanted to try something a little more DIY… enter Mason Jar Chocolate Cake.
Let me start by saying, not everything turns out the way you expect it to – even for me. Sometimes, it really is an experiment and if it turns out I feature it on the blog.
I learned a few lessons during this experiment:
1) It never turns out the way you imagine it will
2) Don’t buy mason jars that don’t have measuring markers
3) Cake rises – a lot
I ended up making 4 mason jar cakes, each of which rose to a different level. I then came to the conclusion that even though the jars didn’t have measuring markers, about half way full of unbaked cake mix would be just about right [especially for frosting-lovers]
DIY Chocolate Cake baked in a Jar
Materials
- Quart-sized Mason Jars
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Cake Mix + Eggs, Water and Veggie Oil
- Cooking Spray
- Frosting
- Sprinkles
- Piping Bag + Frosting Tip of your choice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Make sure you wash and dry the jars thoroughly, especially if they haven’t been used before
Spray the inside of the jars with cooking spray
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, water and oil according to the boxed directions
Fill the jars about half way with cake mix, wiping down the inside of the jar and place on the rimmed baking sheet
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through
Remove the jars from the oven and allow to cool fully before frosting
Fill your piping bag with frosting and begin frosting each jar – top with sprinkles
Decorate and Serve!
