Bridal Buzz

Margaux Anbouba, a wannabe do-it-yourself expert, has strapped on her apron and plugged in the hot glue gun. While she admits that she’s a DIY fan, she isn’t claiming her crafts are Martha Stewart worthy. So, every other Wednesday, she’s whipping up a DIY party favor so easy that she was able to do it all by herself! If you’re attempting a few DIY elements to your wedding (or at least considering it), check back to see her final products. If she can do it, so can you!

There is one emotion that no bride wants to feel on her wedding day – stress. For those of you who are trying a few DIY projects for your party, the items must either be 1. made very far in advance or 2. so easy, there’s no stress. This Strawberry Short Cake (in a mason jar!) is the easy option. While it can be handed out as a parting snack for your partygoers, it could also be a cute wedding cake option for a rustic-themed affair. Since I erred on the side of simplicity for this post, I used a yellow cake mix for the base of the recipe. For the frosting I made a classic vanilla flavor, which can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container until it’s ready for use. I chose this frosting recipe because it’s similar to the premade stuff without all of the preservatives. Not completely sold on this idea as a wedding favor? Each one only cost $3.34 to make. Jump for the recipe.

What you need:
- Ball Mason Jar (I found mine at World Market) $1.49 each
- Betty Crocker Butter Yellow Cake Mix: $1.34, cooked in a 13″ x 9″ pan
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, chopped in various sizes, mixed with ¼ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt

1. Make yellow butter cake according to instructions.
2. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Simply beat together butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt in a standard mixer.
3. Allow the cake to cool completely, then cut up into squares, varying the size.
4. Create a “crust” at the bottom of the jar by pressing cake into the bottom of it (I used the handle of a cheese knife to do this.)
5. Place frosting in a gallon size zip-lock bag. Cut off a tiny corner of the bag for an instant frosting bag – both cheaper and easier than the real thing!
6. Alternate layering frosting, strawberry mixture, and cake in mason jar.
7. Once your layers reach the mouth of the mason jar, cover with frosting and place a strawberry on top. Get creative with your topper—I cut mine in the shape of a heart. Top with the mason jar ring and cover.
8. Add a ribbon, label, recipe, whatever you like! This is a great way to personalize your party favors.

Margaux Anbouba is a D Weddings intern.