Pie Cupcakes in Jars

Lemon cupcakes with blueberry pie filling? Chocolate chip cupcakes with cherry? We mixed and matched ‘til we came up with the most delicious cupcake-and-pie combos.

1. Strawberry Pie Cupcakes in a Jar

Ingredients

• 1 (15.25 oz) pkg. strawberry cake mix
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup oil
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• 1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1 cup butter, at room temp.
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbs. milk
• 1½ tsp. strawberry extract
• Red liquid food coloring
• 1 (21 oz.) can strawberry pie filling
• 1 cup quartered strawberries
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest
• ¼ cup strawberry sundae syrup
• 12 (8 oz.) canning jars
• Confetti sprinkles

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Prepare cake mix with eggs, oil, 1 cup water and ⅓ cup orange juice according to package directions. Stir in 1 Tbs. orange zest. Divide among liners. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers come out clean, about 20 min. Let cool 10 min; transfer from pans to rack. Cool
2. On medium speed, beat butter until fluffy, 1-2 min. On low, beat in confectioners’ sugar, then milk and strawberry extract. On medium-high, beat until fluffy. Tint pink with red food coloring; transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip.
3. Mix pie filling, strawberries and 1 tsp. orange zest. Remove liners from 18 cupcakes (reserve remaining cupcakes for another use); halve horizontally. Drizzle strawberry sundae syrup over cut sides of cupcakes. In each of 12 jars, layer 1 cupcake slice, 2 Tbs. filling, another cupcake slice, 2 Tbs. filling and third cupcake slice. Pipe on frosting; top with confetti sprinkles.

2. Cherry Pie Chocolate Chip Cupcakes in a Jar

Ingredients

• 1 (16.5 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix and
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup oil 1 cup butter, at room temp.
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbs. chocolate syrup
• 2 Tbs. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 (21 oz.) cans cherry pie filling
• 2 tsp. almond extract
• 12 (8 oz.) canning jars
• Maraschino cherries

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Combine 2 tsp. dry cake mix chocolate chips. Prepare remaining cake mix with eggs, 1 cup water and ⅓ cup oil according to package directions. Stir in chips. Divide among liners. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers come out clean, about 20 min. Let cool 10 min; transfer from pans to rack. Cool.
2. On medium speed, beat butter until fluffy, 1-2 min. On low, beat in confectioners’ sugar, then cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, milk and vanilla. On medium-high, beat until fluffy. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip. Combine pie filling and almond extract. Remove wrappers from 18 cupcakes (reserve remaining cupcakes for another use); halve horizontally. In each of 12 jars, layer 1 cupcake slice, scant 3 Tbs. cherry filling, another cupcake slice, scant 3 Tbs. cherry filling and third cupcake slice. Pipe on frosting; top with maraschino cherries.

3. Lemon Blueberry Pie Cupcakes in a Jar

Ingredients

• 1 (15.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• ⅓ cup oil
• 2 Tbs. + 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 cup butter, at room temp.
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, then
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 3 cups blueberries
• ¾ cup blueberry sundae topping
• ¾ cup canned lemon pie filling
• 12 (8 oz.) canning jars
• Yellow sprinkles

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Prepare cake mix with eggs, 1 cup water, lemon juice and oil according to package directions. Stir in 2 lemon zest. Divide among liners. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers come out clean, about 20 min. Let cool 10 min; transfer from pans to rack. Cool.
2. On medium speed, beat butter until fluffy, 1-2 min. On low, beat in confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and 1 tsp. zest. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip. Combine blueberries and blueberry topping. Remove wrappers from 18 cupcakes (reserve remaining cupcakes for another use); halve horizontally. Spread ¾ cup canned lemon pie filling over 1 side of each cupcake slice (about 1 tsp. per). In each of 12 jars, layer 1 cupcake slice, scant 3 Tbs. blueberry filling, another cupcake slice, scant 3 Tbs. blueberry filling and third cupcake slice. Pipe on frosting; top with yellow sprinkles.