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A jar of homemade cake mix tied with red ribbon and a bell.

Homemade Cake Mix Recipe

Crafts, Dessert, Homestead-Life, Recipes

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Regardless, I only link to products we use on our homestead or believe in.
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Would you believe that making a homemade cake mix is faster and cheaper than running to the store to buy one in a box? It's true.

How to make homemade cake mix recipes in a jar. Never buy a boxed cake mix again with this recipe and free printables and recipe cards!

Plus, this homemade cake mix recipe tastes better than the boxed counterpart, doesn't contain any questionable GMO ingredients, and can be stored in one of my favorite items of all time, a Mason jar. 

This is my great-grandmother's Chocolate Cake recipe and you know when a recipe has been passed down for that many years, it's a keeper.  Ain't no one passing down and making a recipe for that many generations if it isn't good, can I get an amen?

Resources for making Homemade Cake Mix in a Jar

1 quart-sized Mason jar

Funnel for pouring in dry ingredients

Long-handled spoon

Embellishments for decorating the jar

Get yourself more from-scratch cooking and time-tested recipes in The Made-from-Scratch Life. With over $20 in free bonuses, this is the perfect book to give with this homemade cake mix in a jar recipe so they'll never go back to store-bought processed stuff again!

How to make homemade cake mix recipes in a jar. Never buy a boxed cake mix again with this recipe and free printables and recipe cards!

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix in a Jar

  1. Place your canning funnel on your Mason jar
  2. Pour in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder
  3. Tap the top of the dry ingredients to help remove the air pockets and settle all of the ingredients into the jar.
  4. Place a metal canning lid (I wash and dry used canning lids for these dry goods projects) and band on.
  5. Pretty up the jar however you want, I especially like this red and white jute twine and silver jingle bells for the holidays.
  6. Attach the FREE printable tag with baking instructions.

Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix Baking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine ingredients in jar with 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup cold water, 1/2 cup brewed coffee and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir until smooth and pour into greased and floured pans (two 8 inch cake pans, one 9×13 baking pan or cupcake tins).

Bake cake for 30 to 40 minutes or bake cupcakes for 16 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Other Homemade Mix Recipes:

  • Homemade Spice Mixes and Herb Blends + Free Printable Tags
  • DIY No-Knead Bread Mix Recipe in a Jar
  • DIY Homemade Brownie Mix in Jar- Best Ever Fudge Brownies
  • Homemade Pancake Mix
  • DIY Homemade Pantry Mixes
  • Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix 3 Ways (From Scratch!)

Homemade Cake Mix Recipe

MelissaKNorris
4.15 from 21 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 8 to 12

Ingredients
  

  • Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions
 

  • Baking Directions
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Combine ingredients in jar with 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup cold water, 1/2 cup brewed coffee and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir until smooth and pour into greased and floured pans (two 8 inch cake pans, one 9×13 baking pan or cupcake tins).
  • Bake cake for 30 to 40 minutes or bake cupcakes for 16 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
How to make homemade cake mix recipes in a jar. Never buy a boxed cake mix again with this recipe and free printables and recipe cards!

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Melissa Norris

Melissa K. Norris inspires people's faith and pioneer roots with her books, podcast, and blog. Melissa lives with her husband and two children in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. When she's not wrangling chickens and cattle, you can find her stuffing Mason jars with homegrown food and playing with flour and sugar in the kitchen.

Read more about Melissa

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Comments:

  1. Mare

    December 10, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    Melissa, this is just like a cake my mom used to make, except she used milk instead of coffee. As a coffeeholic, I’m going to have to try this. It’s one of the few chocolate cakes I’ve ever liked. Imagine that, even as a kid I didn’t like chocolate cake, until my mom got this recipe from the label of a Hellman’s Mayonnaise jar! This is such a delightful, moist, cake. I’m really looking forward to the mocha version! Thanks for sharing with us.

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      December 10, 2016 at 5:58 pm

      Mare,
      Yay! You could use milk but my grandma’s instructions was the coffee and it is a delightful cake.

      Reply
  2. Mary Kay

    6 years ago

    What size pan does you Gramma’s chocolate cake go into. I put the recipe together for my granddaughter, she is 12 and I want her to have all the info she needs to be able to make it.

    Reply
    • Shauna

      6 years ago

      Mary Kay, she says it can go in two 8-in pans, a 9×13, or cupcakes.

      Reply
  3. Shauna

    6 years ago

    Melissa, thank you so much for all you do for us! This is amazing, I just put together 7 of these in a 1/2 hr (for various gifts, teachers, co-workers, etc)! Next year I’ll be making all of my Christmas gifts!! You rock, lady!

    Reply
  4. Jen

    January 11, 2017 at 4:22 pm

    What kind of flour are you using for this cake mix?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      January 12, 2017 at 3:37 am

      I’ve used all-purpose, spelt, and a blend of the both.

      Reply
  5. Sharon Shackleford

    February 9, 2017 at 1:53 am

    Hi Melissa,

    I was wondering what kind of flour you use for the cake? I grind my own wheat for bread but haven’t tried it yet for cakes.

    By the way, I’m really enjoying your podcasts!

    Sharon

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      February 9, 2017 at 5:57 am

      Hi Sharon,
      I’ve used all-purpose from the store as well as with my home ground flour I prefer to use spelt or soft white wheat. I’ve used spelt as my pastry flour for a couple of years now and it turns out great.
      I’m so glad you’re enjoying the podcast!

      Reply
      • Francine

        December 20, 2022 at 4:28 pm

        When you use the soft white wheat do you measure it the same as all purpose? I grind with Mockmill, do recommend sifting it?

        Reply
  6. Annette Codding

    November 19, 2018 at 1:04 am

    Thank you for always sharing your treasured family recipes! I really love them…and the fact that you are so generous with them!

    Reply
  7. anna scala

    January 27, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    Hi, What would be the shelf life of this cake mix? TY, anna

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      January 28, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      The same as the individual ingredients on your shelf, depends on how old they are when you mix it up, but most flour is a year or so.

      Reply
  8. Tammy

    December 11, 2020 at 6:29 am

    Can I assume, for a yellow/white cake just leave out the cocoa powder and replace the coffee with milk?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      December 11, 2020 at 11:46 am

      You’ll need to increase flour for white/yellow, it’s not just omitting cocoa powder and yes, use all milk.

      Reply
  9. Shirley Lambert

    December 13, 2020 at 3:06 pm

    This cake sounds fantastic. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. Sheryl

    December 14, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    How much do you increase the flour for a white/yellow cake?

    Reply
  11. Robin A

    November 9, 2021 at 6:12 pm

    I was wondering if you had a new link to the free printable tag – the current one doesn’t work. I am looking forward to making some homemade gifts in a jar for the holidays, thanks for the wonderful recipes!

    Reply
  12. Jean Genrich

    January 5, 2023 at 3:48 pm

    I want to make the Homemade Cake Mix, but it requires brewed coffee. I don’t drink coffee so what could I use in place of the coffee? Thank you for your suggestions and all the recipes that help us be self-sufficient.

    Reply

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