Amber's Lemon Summer Cupcake-in-a-jar recipe

I made this for my son's teachers birthday and it was a great hit! It also makes a great full size cake.
This recipe will make one 9x9 cake that you will cut in half to create two cakes from which you will cut the smaller cakes. My jar was about 4 inches tall and if I'd had another one this recipe would have made at least one more with some leftovers. Possibly even 3. You could even double the recipe, use a 9x13 and make a lot more. Or just a regular cake for a potluck, birthday, ect. So with no further ado, here it is!

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1-1/4 cups sugar
* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pan and set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients one at a time making sure to incorporate them well. Mix all ingredients for two minutes. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cake cool completely. Turn out onto a plate and cut the cake horizontally through the center. Level out the two by cutting off the top of the top cake and flip over so both middles are now up. Cut on circles just a tab bit smaller than the opening of your jar. I had a biscuit cutter that was just the right size. Build the jar up cake, icing, cake, icing until the jar is full. You can make your own icing or buy premade. I got lazy near the end and just grabbed a jar of premade vanilla frosting, added 7 drops of yellow food coloring and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. It is absolutely delightful by the way! Very refreshing, and not too rich. Plus I had extra to put away for a graham cracker snack later, yum-me! Decorate your jar(s) and tie on a label and your ready to gift! *Here's were in my 11:30-at-night-over-tired-mommy world I said out loud to myself, "Now stick a fork in it, your done!"*



Enjoy!

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