TY’S DAUGHTER SHAY MAKES THIS CAKE FOR EVERY birthday or special occasion. I’ve eaten it for several of my birthdays and cannot get enough, especially when it’s topped with peanut butter frosting. I try to keep at least one jar of the mix on hand in my pantry as it’s perfect for any cake emergency.
1½ cups/300 g granulated sugar
2 cups/255 g all-purpose flour
¾ cup/70 g black cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaping tablespoon instant coffee
Starting with the sugar, layer the ingredients into a clean 1-quart/1 liter jar. Make sure to gently tap the bottom of the jar between each layer, to ensure that everything will fit. No matter what, it will be a snug fit. Apply the lid and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use or give.
To use this mix: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Butter a 9x13-inch cake pan. In a large bowl, beat together 2 large eggs, ½ cup/120 ml unsweetened applesauce, 2 cups/480 ml hot water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add Ty’s Chocolate Cake in a Jar mix and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan (batter will be runny). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. When the cake is cool, top with your frosting of choice. Peanut butter or raspberry flavors go particularly well with this cake.
If giving this mix as a gift, print these instructions on a tag and include it with the jar. Note: Make sure to search out true black cocoa powder for this cake. It gives it a rich, chocolaty flavor and color. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, King Arthur Flour (kingarthurflour.com) sells it.
At any given time, I have several jars of infused salts in my kitchen. I like to use sea salt for these homemade flavored salts as it feels the most receptive to the absorption of the flavors. For the salt blends that are higher in moisture, dry them briefly in the oven to ensure that they don’t form a solid block of salt once put into the jar. Here are a few of my favorites.