If there is anything more fun than eating a rainbow in a jar than I don’t know what is. I have seen so many variations of this Rainbow Cake in a Jar floating around, but I was on a mission to make my own version of these to share with you all today for St. Patrick’s Day.

I was looking to create a version of this Rainbow Cake in a Jar combined with this Rainbow Cake in a Jar, but I wanted my jars to be small and I wanted a lighter frosting combination than a heavy and rich buttercream on top. The rainbow cakes that I had seen recipes for were traditionally in a quart or pint jar. While I am sure I could indulge in a quart of cake, these smaller versions are the perfect size for a fun treat to celebrate the holiday.

To begin, you will need to make your cake batter. The cake mix batter that you make from a box can be very runny and create muddy layer. Making your cake batter from scratch only takes a few more minutes, is made from ingredients you already have in your pantry, and will yield a thicker batter that is easier to smooth and create the stacking layers you are going for. No matter how you stack it, this batter will create individual colors for the perfect cake

Since this cake batter is thick, it can easily be scooped with an ice cream scoop. Two big scoops in each bowl of this batter and then add as much food coloring as you like for your rainbow layers. I love the Betty Crocker Neon food coloring, but if I am feeling fancy and professional, I love the Wilton food coloring for rich hues.

These 1/2 pint jars do have a more narrow opening than the wide mouthed jars, but I am not much of a perfectionist when it comes to cake. You will want to just make sure the interiors of your glass jars are sprayed lightly with cooking spray and then spoon in each layer of your rainbow colors (as perfectly or imperfectly as you like).

If you want the striping to be even, you can use a Ziploc bag and just cut the tip off of one corner and pipe each layer in to create perfect stripes. I prefer to be lazy and let the colors lie where they may. Either way should create beautiful rich rainbow colors. Be sure not to fill them higher than about halfway in your jar, otherwise your cupcakes will overflow.

Nestle your jars in a 9×13 baking dish with a rim on it. Pour 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of your baking dish to create a little water bath for your jars. Wipe up any spills or drips on the edges of the jars before placing them in the oven.

Bake these at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Here are my rainbow cakes. They are definitely perfectly imperfect with the layers, but I still love them. How could a rainbow cake in a jar not brighten someone’s day?

I topped these sweet treats with my favorite 7 minute frosting. If you have never sampled the infamous 7 minute frosting, it is to die for! I am one of those weird people that prefers the whipped cream frosting over buttercream and I think that is why this recipe is such a favorite of mine. It is light and delicious and tastes like a little bit of marshmallow fluff on top of the cupcake.

The secret ingredient to this perfectly-perfect pantry recipe is just a little bit of boiling water. You stir the water into the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar, then beat the mixture for seven minutes. With just these few ingredients, something magical happens and you end up with an amazing amount of frosting… four cups to be exact!

The next time you have no ingredients on hand or simply don’t have the energy to make a big batch of frosting, keep this recipe in mind for the most deliciously light and and easy-as-pie frosting you can ever imagine!

This is the perfect “cloud” topper to this vanilla cake. With a few rainbow sprinkles for a finishing touch, you have the perfect snack to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your family!





5.0 from 1 reviews Print Author: Amy Clark Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 1 hour 5 mins Serves: 8 Individual rainbow cakes are a festive way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. These cupcakes in ½ pint jars are topped with a light frosting for a surprisingly light and fun snack! Ingredients 1½ sticks unsalted butter

1½ cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2½ cups flour

1¼ cups milk

Betty Crocker Neon Food Coloring or Wilton Food Coloring (for bright rainbow colors)

8-10 ½ Pint Jars

Cooking Spray

Sprinkles

Cloud Frosting: ¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup boiling water

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

3 unbeaten egg whites Instructions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take off the screw caps on the jars. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Put butter in mixer and beat at medium speed until somewhat smooth. Pour in sugar and beat well. Add 2 eggs. Mix well. Add: vanilla, baking powder, salt, flour, and milk. Beat until it is mixed. Divide your batter into six separate bowls (approximately two large ice cream scoops of batter into each bowl for even distribution). Tint your batter the colors of the rainbow- Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, & Violet. Using a small spoon, carefully spoon in each color of batter into layers or use a Ziploc bag and cut the tip off one corner of the bag to pipe each layer into the jars. Place jars in a 9x13" baking pan (with rim) and fill with a ½ cup of water to create a water bath for your cake. Bake for 25-40 minutes or until your cake springs back and a skewer poked in the center comes out clean. (length of time will depend entirely on how tall you stacked your batter!) This should yield 8-10 rainbow jars. Allow to cool and begin preparing your Cloud Frosting. Cloud Frosting: Mix sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla and egg whites. Add boiling water. Beat on high until the mixture forms peaks, which should be just about seven minutes. Spoon cloud frosting on top of the cakes and finish with Rainbow Sprinkles. 2.2.1

Cake Recipe Adapted from Amy Sedaris’s Vanilla Cupcake Recipe Inspired by: Off the (Meat) Hook Submitted: Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale

All supplies for this month’s fun project can be purchased at your local Walmart store and this project is done in conjunction with the Walmart Moms program.

If you are making rainbows with your kids today, I highly recommend this fabulous tune for teaching them the colors of the rainbows. They Might Be Giants sing about a man named Roy G Biv that I happened to be singing in the kitchen while I made these cakes. You will never forget the order of the colors in the rainbow again!