Delicious Brownie Cakes in a Jar
Submitted by spyfive
Brownie cakes in a jar bake a rich, cinnamon-spiced chocolate cake right inside canning jars, then seal them hot for a charming, giftable treat. Walnut-studded, fudgy, and ready to tie with a ribbon.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1¼ hrsHere’s a homemade gift that bakes and packages itself in one step. A fudgy, cinnamon-kissed chocolate cake batter, made with cocoa, buttermilk and chopped walnuts, gets poured straight into sterilized wide-mouth canning jars and baked.
The clever part comes out of the oven. You cap each hot jar with a lid and ring right away, and as it cools the lid seals with a satisfying pop. That seal is what makes these so giftable, a self-contained little cake you can tie with a ribbon and hand off.
A few things matter for success. Use straight-sided wide-mouth jars made for canning, so the cakes slide out later and the glass handles the heat, and wear heavy mitts since the jars come out screaming hot. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place, or refrigerate to be safe, and enjoy within a few weeks.
Kitchen Tips
- Use only straight-sided, wide-mouth canning jars. Their shape lets the baked cakes slide out, and the glass is made to take oven heat.
- Cap and seal the jars the moment they come out of the oven, while everything is hot, so they seal as they cool.
- Listen for the pop, or press the cooled lids. A sealed lid won’t move.
- Wear heavy oven mitts. The jars are extremely hot coming out of the oven.
Variations
- Skip the cinnamon, or add a pinch of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate.
- Swap the walnuts for pecans or chocolate chips.
- For extra peace of mind, store the jars in the fridge or freezer and warm before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Sterilize, two 1-pint straight-sided wide-mouth canning jars (specifically made for canning jams and jellies) lids and rings by boiling for 10 minutes (keep the lids and rings in the hot water until ready to use); set aside.
In a small bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon, if desired.
Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine butter or margarine, water and cocoa powder; heat and stir until butter or margarine is melted and mixture is well blended.
Remove from heat; stir in flour mixture. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat by hand until smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture into the prepared canning jars; place jars onto a cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a pick inserted deep into each cake comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven, one at a time.
Place a lid, then a ring onto the jars and screw down tightly. USE HEAVY-DUTY MITTS, the jars ARE HOT!! Place jars onto your counter to cool. You’ll hear a sound.
If you miss the sound, wait until the cakes are cool and press on the lids, they shouldn’t move at all, that means they’ve sealed. Store cakes in a cool, dark place.
Note:
Here’s one you can start out with, it makes 2 jars. Every recipe technique is the same, just different ingredients.
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