Unicorn Cakes (in a jar) - Magic Makings

I told you I was bringing some fun new features to the blog and I'm so happy to be sharing my first one today.  As you may know, we just moved into a new home.  I'm typically really shy and reserved when you first get to know me but I have been wanting to work on that part of me.  I wanted to do something extra special for our new neighbors, make them something from our home and go door to door and introduce ourselves (not something I usually do).  I also wanted this to be a project that both Penelope and I could work on.  I've been adoring all these cute pinterest finds with these pretty cakes in jars.  I wanted to figure out a fun and easy way to make this a kid friendly project.  So that's what I'm sharing with you today.

 Here's what you need:

Baking Pans or a large muffin pan
Box of French Vanilla Cake Mix
(ingredients to make your cake mix)
Almond extract
Raspberry Jam
White Chocolate Pudding Mix
Two cans of cream cheese icing
bowls and spoons
Clean and pretty jars
paper plates
chalkboard paint
cardboard
paint brush
fabric
yarn
scissors

(Have your supplies ready to go the day before, because this is a big project.  Makes it easier to deal with the day of. )  Also, cut out heart or fun shapes out of your cardboard and paint one side with the chalkboard paint the night before.  Chalkboard paint needs to set 24 hours before use.

1.  First thing you want to do is mix up your cake mix according to the directions, but add 1/4 a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter.  Separate into bowls for coloring. The reason I chose a cake mix, rather than baking from scratch was so that it was easy for my three year old to help pour oil and water rather than 15 different ingredients.  She added coloring and stirred all on her own.  (if you have an older child a vanilla cake recipe with the addition of the almond extract would work just fine).

2.  You can bake your cake in three different flat pans and cake dishes, or bake them in large muffin pans.  After you are done baking, after the cakes are cooled use a biscuit cutter or cup to cut out rounds to fit into your jar.  Or if you use a large muffin pan slice your muffin into three horizontal pieces.

 3.  While your cake is baking and cooling, have your little ones paint the other side of your cardboard shapes that you painted the day before.  Let these dry while you move onto your next steps.

4.  Take a cup of your raspberry jam and warm it on your stove top.  Pour into a plastic or Styrofoam cup that is easy to pour out of.

5.  Place or let your little ones place the first layer of cake down in the bottom.  We chose the dark blue cake to be our base.

6.  Pour a little warmed jam right down into the jar on your first layer.

7. Layer with cream cheese frosting next.

8.  Next layer of your cake.

9.  Pour pudding mix right onto your cake layer.

 10.  One more layer of cake.

11. Ice the top, I did this last step myself but all of the other steps my three year old was able to do on her own. Place your lids on top when you are done.

12.  Cut squares of fabric to cover your tops.

13.  Have your little ones help hold the fabric on top while you tie your yarn or string around the jar to hold the fabric in place.

14.  Punch holes into your chalkboard shapes and have your little ones string the shapes onto a second string .  Then tie them around the top and right a sweet little message.

Penelope had so much fun making these.  We named them unicorn cakes because of their pretty colors and pretended that our magical unicorns were coming to eat them.  Just a theme that we came up with to make the project more fun.  You can incorporate any type of theme, change of your coloring and layers to your child's liking.  If you have your components prepared before hand, this would be a great activity to make for a party or a group of kids. Great to give as teacher gifts as well.

If you are thinking, well this seems so girly and I have a little boy or both a boy and girl.  Don't you worry your pretty little face. I have a fun idea for the boys too.

Do you remember making dirt cake when you were a kid?  So easy and so fun.  I used this recipe here and layered the cake alternating the pudding mix, worms and cookie mixture.  Penelope loved putting worms in the jar.  So this is fun for girls and boys.  

I hope you've enjoyed my first Magic Making's post. Fun stuff to do with the little ones.  I know that I seriously enjoyed this special time with my daughter and it was something we both love to do. Make stuff.  She crashed and took a nap right after we were done and the first thing she said when she woke up was 'Mommy, what else can we make together.'  Talk about melt your heart.