Cake in a Jar

It's snowing! and as the big flakes fall I bring to you my recent discovery of baking in a jar.

What a concept, right?
Baking mini cakes in heat-proof jars to be stored in preparation for the next Armageddon, pure genius! Alas, folks have been bottling cakes in this fashion for a while now and I'm a little late to ride the wave of cake-jar novelty, but whateves. Tardy for Christmas stockings, this recipe would also be equally charming in your picnic basket or as a lunch box surprise. So the gist of cake-in-a-jar is a simple one; take a favorite cake recipe, divvy it up into Mason jars, bake, seal, store and consume at your leisure. If you want to keep the cakes at room temperature you'll have to sterilize the lids and jars in boiling water before you begin, or if you can't be bothered to boil, skip the step and store the cooled cakes in the freezer.

For my maiden voyage into cake-jar-dom I chose a fail-safe recipe for spiced applesauce cake, but feel free to use your favorite — any will do. I've read other bakers leaving room for frosting, sprinkles, and the like. Oh, the possibilities!

Applesauce Cake
adapted from Joy of Cooking
1 1/2 C. flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves, ground
1/8 t. nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 t. salt

8 T. butter, room temperature
3/4 + 2 T. brown sugar
1 egg
1 C. applesauce, natural unsweetened
1 C. walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 small apple, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter until light, add sugar gradually beat until incorporated. Mix in egg. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts alternating with applesauce. Add nuts.

Divide the batter evenly among the jars (I used a small ice cream scooper) filling to 2/3 of capacity. Bake the filled jars on a jelly roll pan for 45 minutes to an hour or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool cakes for 2-3 minutes then carefully wipe the lip of the jars clean and place lid/rings on and tighten. Not too tight. Allow the cakes to cool and create a seal. Test the seals by depressing on the middle of the lid, it should be well-seated on the glass without any give. Store in freezer or at room temperature depending on sterilizing process. Keep up to 6 months.

Hello, little cake.