Rainbow Cake in a Jar

Even though Miss C is uber grown up and mature now, she loves anything "in a jar".  Pies. Cookies. Cakes. You name it. She has excellent taste.

For her birthday this year I though that I would try something a little different. Rainbow cake in a jar. WHOOHOO. I know some of your minds just exploded. Rainbows and cakes and mason jars. Together. Wow.


"How can average everyday out of the box cooks make this?," you might ask.
 Don't let on, but it is really easy.

AND

REALLY messy.....especially if you are impatient and like to "taste test" the batter as I do to ensure my family received only the finest tastes.

Here is what you'll need:

• Box of white (your best choice) or yellow cake mix
• Can of frosting, or your own. I prefer a homemade cream cheese frosting, click for recipe.
• 6 mason jars size 12 oz washed and dried
• package of food coloring
• cake pan 
• water
• hand mixer
• 4 separate smaller bowls
• small ice cream scoop or tablespoon 
• cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 350. While the oven pre-heats make your cake mix according to the directions on the back of the box. (In my picture you may see milk, I always substitute milk for water in cake mixes, I think it gives them a fluffier and richer texture)

 

  Spray the inside of each mason jar well with non-stick cooking spray 

 
Separate the cake mix into each of the four bowls equally. Add food coloring. A lot. The more you add the more vibrant the color, and saturation is the key here. I used some cheap-o stuff from the Dollar Tree, and I ended up using the entire bottle of each color to get the tint I wanted.

Using your ice cream scoop or tablespoon carefully scoop the mixes into your jars. It work best to start with the darker color and work your way up to the lightest. Doing one color at a time in each jar, washing your spoon or scoop as you go from one to the next, is the easiest way to keep the colors from running together and ensuring you have the same amount in each jar.

Grab your cake pan and fill it with around 1/2 an inch or so of water. Add mason jars and place in over. Bake for 25-45 minutes. Mine took 45, but ovens vary so just keep an eye on them.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Take a spatula or butter knife and carefully take off the rounded tops of the cakes if you are a perfectionist. If not, just go ahead and slop from frosting in there. I usually fall into the latter category, but since this is for Miss C, I was careful.

You can put the lids on these and store in the fridge, or just eat them as soon as you are done frosting them like a normal person.

Cream Cheese Frosting

I am a firm believer in the power of a good frosting. While you can doctor up a cake mix in a box, there is not much that can be done with prepackaged frosting.

Luckily, frosting is so easy to make.

Our favorite kind of frosting is one that is not too sweet, with a creamy texture that adheres well to the cakes. Mr. J and Miss C. both are not huge fans of super sweet frosting, so I have experimented with a lot of ingredients, and found this cream cheese frosting recipe seems to impress just about everyone with or without a sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 c. powdered sugar 
• 1 softened stick of butter (1/2 c.)

1. Place softened butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Note that this recipe calls for softened. This does not mean melted. I have found that leaving them out for 15 minutes on the counter top brings them to about the right temperature. You can try to microwave them for 15 seconds or so, but be careful. Melted butter and cream cheese will NOT give you a thick and fluffy frosting, rather you will end up with something that is more like a rick glaze.  

   

2. Add vanilla. Slowly mix in powdered sugar

 3. Use immediately or over and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Stitched Valentine's Day Card

I know, I know Christmas has just passed and already I am thinking about Valentine's Day..... I can't help it!

Valentine's Day is one of my favorites. All of the red and pink, heart decor, and glitter make me feel faint. I know that every day "should be like Valentine's Day" but I love the fact that we set aside a day to let the people in our lives know how much they  mean to us.

This does not have to break the bank however.

Making your own stitched Valentine's Day card is a great way to show someone in your life how much you care. The stitching adds a personal and unique touch, while you can save the $6 you didn't spend on a Hallmark card and add your own sentiment to the inside that will mean a lot more to the recipient. Or, if expressing yourself through words isn't really your thing, you can always google romantic poems/sayings and include one of the many results in your card as well.

Materials:

• Blank cards with envelopes (Can find a pack of 8 at Micheal's $1 spot)
• Yarn or thick thread of your choice
• needle
• shape to trace or a steady hand
• pencil

Step 1:
Take your stencil/shape or freehand a design onto the front of your card lightly with pencil.
Step 2: Using your needle, punch holes closely together around your design. This will help to ensure a uniform stitch.
Step 3: Thread needle and following the holes you already created, work your way around the design.

That's it.
You are really only limited by your creativity in what you want to convey with your cards. Happy crafting!