Pumpkin Spice Cake in Jars

Trying to come up with the perfect homemade Christmas gift for your friends and family? Gifts in a jar are ideal. They are economical and tasty, and everyone appreciates the effort that goes into making them. This pumpkin spice cake recipe is no exception.

Notes

Store the jars in a cool, dry place, just as you would any canned goods.

There's NO need to refrigerate the cakes, they keep in the pantry for about 6 months. Maybe longer, they don't last that long around here.

I start about late August so I'll have plenty to give as Christmas gifts. Single folks love the cakes because each jar is enough for one or two people.

If you'd like to make a regular cake out of this instead of messing with the jars, here's the directions:

Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 50 minutes or until cake tests done.

Everything else is the same as above, with the exception of using the jars.

Ingredients

8 12-ounce Ball quilted crystal jelly jars (#14400-81400)
8 new lids (do not use old ones)
8 rings (ok to use old ones)
vegetable shortening (to grease jars)
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup salad oil
6 ounces canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
Place a cookie sheet onto the middle rack of the oven, remove the top rack.
Sterilize the jars, lids and rings by boiling them for 15 minutes. Keep the lids and rings in the water until you're ready to use them. Make sure there are no knicks or cracks in the lips of the jars. Remove the jars from the water and place them on a clean dish towel to air-dry (up, not upside down).
While the jars are cooling, prepare the cake batter. Once the jars are cool, using a pastry brush, grease the inside of each jar with shortening (not use Pam, Baker's Secret, butter or margarine).
Coarsely chop the raisins and walnuts; set aside. I use my mini chopper and do them in batches.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl.
Add raisins and walnuts; toss to lightly combine.
In another large bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick and yellow (2-3 minutes).
Gradually beat in the sugar until thick and light.
At low speed, beat in the oil and pumpkin; blend well.
Gradually stir in the flour mixture until well blended.
Divide the batter among the 8 canning jars (should be slightly less than 1/2 full. Wipe the outsides of the jars and place them jars on the cookie sheet.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cakes (deep) and comes out clean.
When cakes test done, carefully remove them from the oven one by one and place the lids and rings on them and screw down tightly (keep the lids in the hot water until you're ready to use them).
Place the jars on your counter to cool. Check the jars once they've cooled by pressing down on the lids, they shouldn't move at all.