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Cake In A Jar Recipe – thin layers of sponge cake, baked from scratch, soaked in lemon simple syrup, with raspberry preserves and lightened up pastry cream in between.
Cute, festive and great for the times you crave a slice of cake, but don’t want to buy a whole big cake.
This cake in a jar will make a delicious Mother’s Day gift.
What is cake in a jar?
Pieces of cake layered with pastry cream or any cake filling, fruit, curd or jam in a small individual Mason Jars.
I’ve always wanted to share a cake in a jar recipe.
The options to make one are endless.
Different kinds of cake, filling or fruit.
I put together a cake in a jar recipe, using my go-to sponge cake recipe, store bought raspberry (any fruit is fine) preserves and the most decadent pastry cream.
Pretty much a universal recipe, most people will like or at least easily customize.
Ingredients you need for a cake in a jar:
-
Other:
How to make a cake in a jar?
- Prepare the cake batter and bake the cake. Cool the cake.
- Cut out circles of the cake or cut it into cubes.
- Prepare the pastry cream.
- Layer the cake with pastry cream and fresh fruit or preserves in small Mason jars. Close the lids.
- Refrigerate.
This lightened up pastry cream is so good and you could definitely enjoy it on its own with some berries.
I love to make things from scratch. But if you don’t have time for baking, I can totally understand and relate.
As much as I love baking from scratch, I admit it requires time, a lot of people don’t always have.
Yes, you could use cake mix for the layers, if you’d like to save some time, but trust me the taste will be different.
I found the recipe for this sponge cake in a very old cook book, I got from Europe.
There is no oil or butter in it.
It is made with eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder.
It has great texture.
I use it in a lot of cakes.
Even inexperienced bakers can make this cake in a jar.
It is so simple, if you follow my instructions.
Why this Cake In A Jar Recipe is so good?
- It is not only the recipe, it is the idea.
- The idea for portion control.
- You eat your cake in a jar and this is it (not really!).
- You  can freeze these for up to 1 month, then when ready to enjoy, just defrost in the fridge overnight.
- They are the perfect sweet present.
- Especially this time of the year!
- Mother’s Day is on Sunday.
- This cake in a jar is convenient to take on the go.
- Take to work.
- It will make the perfect party dessert!
- Well if it is my birthday party, I’d love a whole cake like this Matcha Green Tea Cake, or Coconut Cheesecake Cake or even this Strawberry Charlotte Cake.
Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day! Try this cake in a jar recipe, if you don’t feel like baking and decorating a whole cake.
Simple recipes are usually the best!
How long can this cake in a jar be kept in the fridge for?
You can keep this cake in a jar in the fridge for up to 7 days if the lids of the jars are tightly closed.
CAKE IN A JAR RECIPE
Ingredients
For the cake layers:
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
For the lightened up pastry cream:
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, , divided
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
Other:
- 1/2 cup raspberry preserves, (or any fruit preserves)
- 1 cup simple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of a 9″ cake pan with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray on top of the paper and the sides of the pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs on medium speed and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating on high speed for 8 minutes until light and thick. we need the egg sugar mixture to be very fluffy.
- In a bowl combine flour and baking powder.
- Add flour mixture to the eggs and using a rubber spatula, fold flour into the eggs. This step is tricky, make sure there are no thick pockets of flour. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix. Stop folding, when there are no pockets of flour.
- Pour batter into a pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden.
- Remove from the pan, using a knife to loosen the cake. Let it cool on a cooling rack.
- Using a serrated knife, carefully cut cake into two thin layers through the middle.
For the pastry cream:
- In a bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the egg yolks, the flour, and the salt. Set aside.
- Heat the milk and the remaining in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the vanilla extract and cool for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the warm milk to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. It may take from 2 to 6 minutes. It needs to be thick.
- Cool completely at room temperature. You can place the bowl over a bowl filled with ice, to speed up the cooling process.
- Beat 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tbsp sugar with a mixer until stiff peaks.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard. Use immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
To assemble the cakes in a jar:
- Add lemon juice to the simple syrup.
- Using a round cutter like this, cut circles out of the cake layers. We need 3 circles for each cake in a jar.
- Place one round of cake on the bottom of each jar. Brush with simple syrup. Spread raspberry preserves.
- Add about 3 tbsp pastry cream (or more). Repeat with 2 more cake rounds per jar, until you use them all, finishing with pastry cream for each cake in a jar.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh this is such a fun recipe, Mira! I’ve always wanted to try cake in a jar too, and now I need to make this! I absolutely love these flavors together and it’s so pretty, too! SO perfect for Mother’s Day! Pinned!
What a great grab-and-go dessert this is! Love that you can turn it into a present as well! 🙂
I love all the delicious layers to get a little something in each bite. A great to-go dessert.
Jar foods are so much fun!! I’ve never made a cake in a jar before but it looks amazing! I love all those yummy layers and can’t wait to try this1
This is only good for portion control if you don’t eat more than one like I would, Mira!
These really reminds me of a very traditional dessert here in the UK called trifle!
So delicious, and so cute!
Que delÃcia esse bolo de pote, vou testar a receita e quem sabe fazer pra vender aqui as pessoas compram muito. Simplesmente maravilhosa essa receita.
looks great, how do you recommend to sterilize the lids and jars? thank you
Hi,
I sterilize them in hot water for 5 minutes.