Cakes baked in Jars?

Did you hear right? Yes, that's right, they are baked in the jar. Is this safe? Certainly! These cakes are baked in a hot oven, then sealed securely in the jars by the great heat arrived at from baking. These recipes can be stored safely just as you would any other home canned food, in a cool, dry place. When ready to serve, bread will slide out. A properly sealed quick bread will stay fresh for up to one year. If you are concerned about the safety of storing your cakes, an alternative is to store them in the freezer. If you do not choose to freeze your cakes, be certain to check the seals on your jar cakes about once each month. If jar cakes are not stored in a cool, dry place, which is out of direct sunlight (dark is even better), the jar seals may become broken due to extreme changes in temperature. Simply push on the center of the seals, to make sure they are secure- a seal which does not have any 'give' should be fine, while a seal which will dent up and down is no longer secure, and the cake should be thrown away immediately. Be sure to pass any storage tips on to the 'receiver' if you give the cakes as gifts.

The jars you will need to use are wide-mouth pint size, thus the names for these recipes: 'Pint Sized Cakes'. Sterilize jars in boiling water for 15 minutes or run them through a 'sani-cycle' in your dishwasher. Remove and allow to air-dry. When recipe indicates, place lids and rings into hot water until you are ready to use them. Do NOT continue to boil the water after adding the lids and rings. Make sure that you bake your cakes at the recommended temperature for as long as the recipe indicates. The cakes must remain at a high temperature for a certain period of time in order to kill any possible bacteria which could be in the food. Under-baked cakes could contribute toward food poisoning. Again, if you are unsure of the safety of your cake- maybe not certain it was baked completely- the best alternative is to store it in the freezer as explained above.

A simple circle of cloth placed between the seal and the ring (of a two-part canning lid) makes a pretty effect and you can also tie a ribbon around the ring. All recipes, unless otherwise noted, are designed to fit into wide mouth 1-pint canning jars. These jars can be purchased in most grocery stores, and are normally found on sale in the late summer each year, or click here for more sources.


Please do not attempt to bake cakes in jars larger than the size recommended in each recipe. Larger jar cakes do not get baked completely and the doughy middle can contribute toward food poisoning. These recipes intended for personal use only and are not to be used for commercial purposes. Many major jar manufacturing companies only guarantee their jars for freezing & water bath, steamer and pressure cooker canning processes, and do not warranty them for baking purposes.


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Pint Sized Carrot-Raisin Bread


2- 2/3 cups White Sugar
2/3 cup Vegetable Shortening
4 Eggs
2/3 cup Water
2 cups shredded Carrots
3 1/2 cups all-purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Cloves
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 cup Raisins

You will need 6 wide-mouth pint-size canning jars, metal rings and lids. Don't use any other size jars. Sterilize jars, lids and rings according to manufacturer's directions. Grease inside, but not the rim of jars. Cream sugar and shortening, beat in eggs and water, add carrots. Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to batter. Add raisins and mix. Pour one cup of batter into prepared jars. Do not use more than one cup or batter will overflow and jar will not seal. Place jars evenly spaced on a cookie sheet. Place in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 45 minutes. While cakes are baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully add jar lids. Remove pan from heat and keep hot until ready to use. Remove jars from oven one at a time keeping remaining jars in oven. Make sure jar rims are clean. (If they're not, jars will not seal correctly) Place lids on jars and screw rings on tightly. Jars will seal as they cool. Cakes will slide right out when ready to serve. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored with other canned food or placed in a freezer. A properly sealed quick bread will stay fresh for up to one year. The cake is safe to eat as long as the jar remains vacuum-sealed and free from mold. If you are concerned about the safety of storing your cakes, an alternative is to store them in the freezer.







Pint Sized Chocolate Cake



1 stick plus 3 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
3 cups White Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 cups Applesauce, unsweetened
3 cups White Flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/8 tsp. Salt

Prewash 8 pint-sized wide mouth canning jars (be sure to use the kind that have no shoulders) in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, dry and let them come to room temperature. Grease insides of jar well. Beat together butter and half of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and remaining sugar, vanilla and applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the applesauce mixture a little at a time: beat well after each addition . Pour one cup of batter into each jar and carefully remove any batter from the rims. Place jars in a preheated 325-degree oven and bake for 40 minutes. While cakes are baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully add jar lids. Remove pan from heat and keep lids hot until ready to use. When the cakes have finished baking, remove jars from oven. Make sure jar rims are clean. (If they're not, jars will not seal correctly) Place lids on jars, and screw rings on tightly. Jars will seal as they cool. Cakes will slide right out when ready to serve. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored with other canned food or placed in a freezer. The cake is safe to eat as long as the jar remains vacuum-sealed and free from mold. If you are concerned about the safety of storing your cakes, an alternative is to store them in the freezer.



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