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Sunshine In A Jar

By Michelle Myers 8 Comments

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This post may contain affiliate links.

 

You have to try this amazing SUNSHINE IN A JAR dessert!  Perfect for a picnic, afternoon at the ball fields or just a fun after dinner treat.

Sometimes you’re randomly sitting by a pool, supervising your loud(seriously, my kids might be the loudest swimmers EVER) offspring and your mind wanders and you realize that cake sounds good for dinner and you start fantasizing about a bakery that delivers and then there is a scream; a scream shattering your fantasy, a scream of the magnitude to let you know that somehow a shark has infiltrated the pool filter and eaten the Malibu Barbie raft or a sibling, those things pretty much being equal to my 3 year old. After you somehow find the strength to yell above the child to convince her to stop screaming, calm her enough to restore speech, and determine the cause of the screaming, you’re informed that the sun is on her. The. Sun. Is. Shining. On. Her. This is why she is yelling. You inform her your powers do not extend to controlling the sun, she resumes crying, you try to recall what you were thinking about, dinner happens(it’s not cake, boo!), baths, kid’s bedtime, Facebook, Pinterest, and bedtime. And then it’s the middle of the night, which is typically when I do my best thinking, and it hits me, sunshine cake, a food that corresponds with the blog. Maybe it’s all the desserts in a jar you saw on Pinterest, maybe it’s the screaming sunshine incident from the afternoon, maybe you haven’t had a carbohydrate in a few days and it’s messing with your psyche, but whatever it is, sunshine in a jar is born!

cake1

I used a lemon cake mix but tweaked the instructions by adding key lime juice in place of the water. This gave the cake a much better flavor and more homemade taste. I had originally planned on using lemon juice but forgot to pick some up and since I had the key lime on hand, I went with that. Mix all the ingredients together and place in regular size muffin tins that you’ve greased well, bake according to directions.

cake2

While the cakes are baking and then cooling, you can whip up the frosting. My baker friend has let me in on a secret, cake mixes aren’t that bad if you make the icing from scratch, premade icing has a weird aftertaste to me so I’m all for a better alternative! All I did was make a basic buttercream by beating 2 sticks of softened butter with 1.5 lb. of powdered sugar, a few drops of milk and 1 tsp. of vanilla to achieve the desired consistency. After the buttercream was smooth, I was ready to fill the jars. I use a high tech method for the icing: I scoop it all into a gallon size plastic bag, squeeze out the air, clip the corner and voila, I have a disposable piping bag!

 

[envira-gallery id=”18109″]

I wanted this little gift to look as great as it tasted so if the sides were a tad toastier than I liked, I simply cut them off with a butter knife, my kiddos were happy to take care of the scraps for me. Next, I dropped a cake in the jar squirted in some icing, added a second cake, and then more icing. Try to keep the buttercream at least 1/2 inch from the top so none of it winds up stuck to the lid.

cake7

To carry on our theme, I used green, grassy colored cupcake lines to cover the lid insert then twisted the top firmly in place. After tying a bright ribbon around the jar, I wiggled a business card between the jar and ribbon on the backside. For a finishing touch, we placed a fun little spoon under the ribbon so everyone could enjoy their treat!

cake8

Oh, and see those cute little chevron spoons, you can get those or forks on Amazon Just Click Here
Everyone went nuts over them and they are one my new most favorite things. Here are the forks Click Here

Chevron forks for use with sunshine in a jar recipe at sunshineandhurricanes.com

I also used jars that were half pint in size, which are available here or at most grocery stores or big box stores like Target and Wal-mart.

I’ve used these little sunshine cakes for party favors and they’d be fun gifts for co-workers, teachers, or any group of people you’d like to share appreciation with! This was a simple project with a big cuteness factor and fun to create!

sunshineandhurricanes.com

Filed Under: Dessert Tagged With: cake, Dessert, favor, gift, lemon, mason jar

About Michelle Myers

Michelle Myers is mom to four kiddos ranging from elementary thru high school, each with strong opinions and a flair for the dramatic. In other words, they're a lot like her. Former educator and lover of learning, she divides her time between carpool and Starbucks by reading voraciously and giving TED talks to herself at red lights. A Floridian for almost 40 years, Michelle loves the beach, making people laugh, and date nights with her hubby of 25 years...and yeas, they clearly married at age 7.
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Comments

  1. Melinda @Home.Made.Interest says

    September 11, 2014 at 10:38 am

    Stopping by from Thrifty Thursday link party. Love how simple this is, and the packaging is too cute! Pinning.

    Reply
    • Michelle Myers says

      September 15, 2014 at 9:28 am

      Thanks, Melinda! It’s a fun little project and always a hit for party favors!

      Reply
  2. Kalyn Brooke | Creative Savings says

    May 27, 2014 at 5:11 pm

    Oh my goodness, these tasted amazing!! The lemon flavor came out so well and the jars were way too cute! Loved it!

    Reply
    • Kira Lewis says

      May 29, 2014 at 7:46 pm

      Thanks so much! Michelle deserves all the crafty credit. She’s amazing.

      Reply
      • lisa says

        June 30, 2015 at 2:09 pm

        Maybe try baking in cupcake liners and they won’t be so brown and won’t lose so much cupcake and less time taking liner off than trimming brown parts off. Very cute idea!

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Lego Challenge Game & Lego Themed Snacks - Sunshine and Hurricanes says:
    September 16, 2014 at 11:25 pm

    […] bread all provide the perfect backdrop for brick building. Offer peanut butter, cream cheese, buttercream frosting along with cut up fruit, Cheerios, or M&Ms and the kids will be creating yumminess in no […]

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  2. Thrifty Thursday Link Party #15 says:
    September 11, 2014 at 8:11 am

    […] Sunshine in a Jar 2. Easy Apple Cake 3. How to Save $125/month on Groceries 4. Family History Project Printable 5. […]

    Reply
  3. Friday's Fun Findings - What We Are Loving This Week says:
    May 24, 2014 at 8:13 am

    […] We posted our sunshine cake in a jar recipe earlier this week and it was a big hit, but the little chevron utensils that Michelle […]

    Reply

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