Description
Red velvet cake in a jar delights dessert enthusiasts with its charming layered presentation. Compact glass containers showcase rich chocolate notes and creamy frosting, creating a portable sweet treat perfect for casual gatherings or personal indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps (30ml) red food coloring
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6–8 small mason jars (8 oz each)
- crushed red velvet cake crumbs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Thoroughly blend flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl, ensuring uniform distribution and eliminating potential clumping.
- Liquid Component Integration: Whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, white vinegar, and red food coloring together until a smooth, vibrant mixture emerges, eliminating any visible streaks.
- Batter Formation: Delicately fold dry ingredients into liquid mixture with minimal stirring, preserving the cake’s potential for a tender, delicate crumb structure.
- Baking Preparation: Pour batter into a parchment-lined, greased rectangular pan, smoothing the surface for even baking and consistent texture.
- Oven Transformation: Position pan in a preheated 350°F oven, baking 25-30 minutes until a test skewer cleanly emerges from the cake’s center, indicating perfect doneness.
- Cooling and Frosting Preparation: Allow cake to cool completely while simultaneously crafting cream cheese frosting by whipping room-temperature cream cheese and butter until silky, gradually incorporating powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Jar Assembly: Cut precise cake rounds matching jar diameter, creating artistic layers by alternating cake and frosting, starting with cake and concluding with an elegant frosting peak.
- Finishing Touches: Embellish with delicate cake crumbs or festive sprinkles, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to enhance flavor cohesion and structural integrity.
- Serving Finale: Present chilled dessert jars, inviting direct consumption with a dessert spoon and celebrating the visual and gustatory harmony of the red velvet creation.
Notes
- Manage Color Intensity: Use gel food coloring for vibrant red hue without altering batter consistency, ensuring rich color without excess liquid.
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir cake batter gently and minimally to maintain soft, tender crumb texture, stopping once ingredients are just combined to avoid tough cake.
- Control Moisture Balance: Let cake cool completely before layering to prevent frosting from melting and maintain structural integrity of jar dessert.
- Optimize Cream Cheese Frosting: Ensure cream cheese and butter are precisely room temperature for smooth blending, preventing lumps and achieving silky, spreadable consistency.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 69
- Calories: 372
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 245mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 56mg