Canning Jar Cupcakes . . . . Fun Way To Ship Cupcakes To Someone You Love!

Good morning again, and Welcome to 

Fabulously Frugal Friday!

Today we have the wonderful privilege again of hearing from my friend Karina, 

of the Celebrate Every Day Blog!

She is sharing with us how to make the most ADORABLE and fun cupcakes in a jar for quick and amazing gifts........think of sending a little piece of love across the country to a dear friend, or a simple birthday cake in a jar. For toddlers, this would be a fantastic idea, because everyone gets their own cake! And for my oldest, who will soon be having a tea party garden birthday (if the snow ever leaves), we will be implementing this idea for her guests in small jelly jars!

So happy Fabulously Frugal Friday to you, 

and give a wonderful welcome to Karina!

I will see you all back here on Monday for another amazing Make-It-Yourself Monday that you wont forget any time soon! Have a fantastic weekend!

Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

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   Like a lot of folks these days, I love cupcakes.  Doesn't even matter what kind, I just love them.  I love planning the flavor combinations, filling them with delicious gooey yumminess, and icing them with smooth, creamy buttercream frosting.  It isn't important to me whether or not I eat more than one, as a tester of course, but the entire process of making them makes me happy.  I don't think any "chore" makes me more content than baking does.   Most of my family, friends and co-workers have pretty much come to expect cupcakes for any and all special occasions.  Why not? They are easy, fun, and when they are for birthdays you only have to put the candles on one of them, so nobody is spitting all over everyone elses serving.  I know, that's not a pleasant thing to think about, but it's seriously gross when you consider the reality. One thing that has been a struggle for me is being unable to ship cupcakes to the people I love who don't live nearby.  Nothing I thought up would have worked, since we all know that packages tend to get tossed around, and one tip would squash the frosting everywhere. 

   While doing a search online one day I happened on the perfect solution - and I just wish I'd saved the website of the gal who I got it from so I could give her credit - but she was nearly genius in my opinion - and it was SO simple.  What you are about to see and read is a perfect and simple solution to shipping delicious, moist and beautiful cupcakes to someone you love.

What you need:

1)  1 recipe of whatever kind of cupcake batter you choose - doesn't matter if it's from a mix, or scratch.
2)  Creamy filling of your choice - pudding cups work very well if you want something fast and easy
3)  Frosting of choice
4)  1/2 pint canning jars, with lids and rings
5)  Piping bags and tips for decorating

Pre-heat your oven to 325.  Most mixes say to heat to 350, but this actually can over bake your cakes or cupcakes, causing them to dry out.

Spray the inside of your jars with no-stick spray.  Fill 2/3 full of the cake batter.  Today I chose red velvet since it looks nice in the jar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes directly on the oven rack - checking with a toothpick to make sure that it comes out clean.  Because you are baking at a slightly lower heat, you may need to bake them for a couple of extra minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.

If you're going to fill your cupcakes with a filling, just take an apple corer (works best for these cupcakes since they are deeper and cupcake corer's do not typically go deep enough into the cake) and hollow out the center, making sure you leave bottom cake intact.  Save the tops that you pull out.

I decided to fill my Red Velvet cakes with Bavarian Cream filling.  It's so much easier to fill these if you put the filling into a squirt bottle, like a ketchup bottle you find in the picnic section at the store.

Replace the caps. 

Pipe icing of choice over the tops,just shy of the top of the jar, so it doesn't get flattened out when you put the lids on.

I chose cream cheese frosting for these.  You can't really see it here, but I sprinkled them with red sugar crystals.

Put the lids and rings onto the jars tightly, and put them into the freezer til they freeze solid or you're ready to ship them out.

When they are completely frozen, take them out and decorate them however you like.  Fabric or colorful paper between the lid and the ring, a simple ribbon make them pretty and fun!  Pack them tightly in lots of packing paper, and if they are traveling as far as across the country, tuck in a couple small ice packs with them.  Wait until the last possible moment to pack them so they stay frozen as long as possible.  I sent some from Washington State to Virginia priority mail, they got there in 2 days and my Uncle and Aunt said they were moist and wonderful when they ate them.

I'm sure that you will enjoy making these as much as your friends or family will enjoy eating them!

Thank you so much for letting me share these with you today.  God Bless You!

Karina