Recipe: Valentine's Day Cup-A-Cakes

These mini cakes are baked in decorative jars and make the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Kids can help: Mix ingredients and add the sprinkles.

Cinnamon Red Hot candies

You'll also need:

Ribbon

Cream butter and sugar. Add applesauce and egg and mix well. Blend in vanilla, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest and food coloring. Mix well.

Combine dry ingredients and add slowly to mixture, stirring well. Spoon batter into each glass jar, filling only ¼ full. Set jars on cookie sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Let jars and cakes cool completely.

Frost cakes. To get the roped icing effect, put icing in a pastry bag and, using a large tipped opening, make a circular, graduated rope, ending with a peak at the top. Decorate jars by cutting a circular piece of colored paper to fit the lid insert. Finish with a red ribbon or tape a red strip of paper around the top rim of the jar.

The recipe makes about 12 jars.