I have an order from a bride who wants cakes baked into mason jars for the guests to take home. Has anyone ever tried this? I have heard different things about it, like "it ends in disaster", "bake in a water bath or it will fail" "glass breaks"

I have to admit I am kind of nervous. Can anyone tell me what temp to bake at? If I need a water bath? They are 8oz jars that I am baking in, then adding some buttercream to the top, the sealing them up. I'm not even sure how long the cakes are good for once I have sealed the mason jars.

I am surprised that this is the first time I am hearing of Mason Jar Cakes. The bride made it sound like they are very popular! This is the first time I have had an order for them.

Thanks everyone!!!!

I've seen these online - - apparently you can bake the jars and they won't break. Cute idea. I think it was something like this that was confiscated at an airport. There was a BIG hoohah over it around Christmas.

Here's instructions . . . .

http://baking.about.com/od/giftideas/ss/canningjarcakes.htm

Good luck and be sure and post pics/instructions for everybody.

http://baking.about.com/od/giftideas/ss/canningjarcakes.htm
http://www.fiftytwocakes.com/how-to-bake-jar-cake/
semisweetie.com/cake-recipe/bake-unique-cakes-in-mason-jars/
http://liferearranged.com/2011/06/cake-in-a-mason-jar/
http://www.grouprecipes.com/cakes-baked-in-mason-jars
http://chefmom.sheknows.com/articles/817093/How-to-use-a-Mason-jar-as-a-baking-vessel
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6755357_cake-baked-mason-jar.html

I had not heard of these either. I went and read most of the articles that 2 people were so nice to share. They all pretty much said that you cannot put icing on the cakes and they have to be sealed when warm. I would let your bride know that it will just be cake in the jar. As suggested pick a flavour that is tasty and they won't miss the icing. Good luck I think it is a great idea.

Instead of baking in the jars, it's also feasible to cut pieces of cake and slide them in. That way the bride still gets her iced cake for guest favors. I did this once as a picnic catering job. We made sheet cakes then cut little squares and plopped them in, layered with fruit filling and topped with buttercream. An 8 ounce jar needs very little to fill it up and still get the lid on. They were adorable!

I baked rainbow cake in jars and they turned out great. I posted some photos and instructions on my blog if you want to take a look. I also made a couple dozen up for a party. I put the icing in after they have completely cooled and they stayed fresh for about a week.

http://sugarcelebrations.blogspot.com/2011/07/preserving-dessert-one-rainbow-at-time.html

http://sugarcelebrations.blogspot.com/2011/08/rainbows-by-dozen.html

I dont know about baking them in the jar, but i had seen something like this before where it appears to be cut and stacked into the jar, layering the icing. I think it looks cool and would be an awesome idea for guest favors...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/91197294/homemade-mason-jar-cupcakes-2-pack-gift?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=mason+jar+cake&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

Yep, like Mimi said.

I cut the cake with a circle cutter and star tip pipe in the layers of frosting. Party City has spoons and forks that are the perfect size and are a high quality. They are about 4 inches tall.

Here's my black cloud suggestion in this scenario. If you bake and seal, this may require another HD license. Canning and manufacturing has a whole huge set of requirements and restrictions. I'm also not sure your baking insurance will cover a claim. They also have labeling issues.

One of the most dangerous froms of processing is canning. It's one thing to do this for family, but just one jar, improperly processed, can make someone extremely ill months or a year later.

For sales, I would suggest running this by your HD or Dept of Ag (which probably handles canning) and get the information from them.

Your best bet is to not get into such a high liability situation for such a small project.

I am in the process of wholesaling my vanilla extract. I have to be inspected by the FDA for the Dept of Ag because of the bottling issue (not because of national distribution, that's separate). Soon, my brother will be using my kitchen to manufacture (jar canning) his barbecue sauce recipe for sale. He has to have those additional licenses, inspections, and insurances as well.

That is why I cut the cake, add the frosting, close, and have a sticker that says keep refrigerated. But it is obviously not a canned product. It is a gimmick.

What did you find out on the cakes in a jar? How long to bake & how long will they last sealed in a mason jar?