Upcycled Baby Food Jars: Rainbow Cake in A Jar

I have always had a hard time throwing away glass baby food jars (and after four kids, I have gone through plenty of them!).  They are so cute and sturdy, and there are so many different ways that they can be reused.

When Earth911.com asked if I could come up with some ideas for upcycling baby food jars, I was excited, and got to work right away!  (I am their resident craft expert this month, after winning their DIY iPad Case Contest).  I have had so much fun coming up with great uses for these little jars, that I decided to devote a whole week to them.  

So be sure to visit daily for new baby food jar inspiration!

OK, on to today's project!!

Today I want to share with you a fun (and delicious!) way to upcycle your baby food jars- bake a cake in them!!  

Who can resist a piece of colorful cake that is baked up and served in a cute little jar?!?  Not me.

The cake colors can be customized to fit the occasion, party colors, favorite colors, etc., and is a great way to regulate the amount of cake a child eats.  One jar per kid.

Plus, it saves on time if you serve them at a party- you don't have to cut and serve the cake on the spot!  You can bake them a day or two ahead of time, and then they day of the party you don't have to worry about the cake, which I love.

Here's how I made my Cakes in Upcycled Baby Food Jars...

Supplies:

• Cake Mix (I used 2 boxes of Betty Crocker vanilla)
• Food Coloring (I used the gel colors- they come out brighter than the liquid kind)
• Baby Food Jars

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to temperature on cake mix box.  Mix up your cake mix according to the directions on the box.  Depending on how many jars you need, you can make 1 or 2 (or more) boxes.  Decide which color(s) you would like your cake to be, and split the mix into separate bowls, one for each color.  Add a little gel food coloring to each bowl, and mix thoroughly.

2.  With a spoon, carefully fill each jar no more that HALFWAY with cake mix.  Trust me, do NOT fill it up more than halfway!  You can do all one color, or mix it up by layering multiple colors on top of each other.  Rainbow colors are fun, too!  Place jars on a baking sheet, and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes.  Check them at 15 minutes, and continue checking, until they are thoroughly cooked.  

P.S.  If you filled them too high and the cake overflowed out of the jar, just take a butter knife and cut off the top part when it is cool enough to handle.  Not that I know from experience or anything ;)
No more than halfway!

3.  Let them cool, and then place the lid securely on each jar.  These should last for a few days, if they aren't eaten by then.

Now that your cakes are all made, you can leave the jars as is, or you can decorate them if they are for a party or special occasion.  I piped some frosting on the cake, and added some rainbow sprinkles.

Aren't they cute?  Hope you enjoyed this!  I'll be making these for my son's second birthday party later this year, because I love the portion size.  Leave a comment and tell me what you think!!

Here are the other baby food jar ideas I came up with... be sure to check them out too!!

Baby Food Jar Party Favors

Baby Food Jar Wood Vase & Candle Holder Decoration


12 Creative Ways to Use Baby Food Jars

You might also like these DIY serving dishes I created from dollar store items!

You can also use tape to decorate inexpensively!  See how I did it for my daughter's Minnie Mouse birthday party here.

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XO, Laura

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