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These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

January 9, 2019 · In: Lifestyle

I know Christmas isn’t just about presents, but there’s something special about getting meaningful things from (and for!) the people you love. You know, those gifts that make you feel known. This year I got quite a few special cake-related things along those lines, and I wanted to share them with you because they’re just so good:

A cute linen apron.

My sister in law got me this pretty linen apron that has the cutest criss cross straps! Maybe now my clothes won’t be so covered in powdered sugar.

linen apron for baking

A tiny cupcake stand.

This teeny tiny stoneware cupcake stand is also from my sister in law, made by the Hearth & Hand collection at Target. I’m kindof obsessed with all things miniature and I’m so excited to use it in my food photography. It’s perfect!

white cupcake stand by hearth and hand

The perfect white cake stand.

I gifted this one to myself for Christmas (hehe) because I’m trying to grow my cake stand collection. It’s surprisingly hard to find plain white cake stands that aren’t super short and wide! This one is a 6 inch stand on a taller pedestal, and it comes in all sorts of sizes and colors.

white cake stand

A personalized cake design journal.

Little did I know, my husband was tucked away in his office designing me a custom cake journal. I cried instantly when I unwrapped it because it was just so thoughtful! Every page features a blank cake that I can draw all over and cast creative vision. I’m always scribbling cake designs on napkins and scraps of paper, so to have all of my designs in one place is going to be magical.

personalized cake decorating journal

The cake cookbook that started it all.

And as if that wasn’t thoughtful enough, my sweet husband also hunted down the cake cookbook that started my passion for baking! My mom used to have the entire collection of these Jean Parè cookbooks and I poured over this specific one when I was a little kid. My mom passed away a handful of years ago and I sadly didn’t inherit her recipe books, but I’m so happy to have this little piece of my childhood back thanks to the internet and my thoughtful husband.

jean pare company's coming cookbook cake

I’ve already started baking some of the recipes and they’re just so good. Some of them are hilarious though. There is a recipe for Chocolate Potato Cake that incorporates mashed potatoes into the batter and another quite famous one for Tomato Soup Cake, which is basically a spice cake with a can of tomato soup added. I can’t imagine either of those being tasty, but I’m going to have to bake them just to see!

jean pare cake cookbook

What are a few of your favorite things right now? Let me know in the comments!

By: Whitney · In: Lifestyle · Tagged: cake decorating, cake stand, cupcake stand, gifts for bakers, jean pare, jean pare cake cookbook, linen apron, personalized journal, sugar and sparrow, white cake stand, white cupcake stand

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Comments

  1. Gail Petragnnai says

    January 23, 2019 at 10:23 am

    I LOVE everything about your cakes!!
    Could you please please tell me where you got the white cake stand with the wood at the bottom???

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      January 23, 2019 at 10:58 am

      Aw thank you so much, Gail! The cake stand with the wood bottom was a gift from my sister in law and she says she got it on Amazon but I have not been able to find it anywhere since. There’s a similar one on Amazon called the “Petra Marble Cake Stand” but it’s not identical. I’ll make a whole blog post about it if I find it again because I’ve gotten so many inquiries about it! 🙂 I’ll keep my eyes out!

      Reply
      • Renee says

        December 5, 2019 at 4:35 pm

        https://www.riverbendhome.com/rbhitem/552237*1

        I think I found it!

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          December 6, 2019 at 11:17 am

          Oh yeah! That one is super similar! Mine has a gold line through the top of it, but the design of that one is super close and the same size!

          Reply
  2. Emily says

    January 18, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Stop it. What perfect gifts!! But that custom journal? Brilliant. So thoughtful and BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for sharing! Fun fun fun! (Glad your cereal cake led me to your blog. Darling!)

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      January 23, 2019 at 10:56 am

      Yesss! I’m loving the journal (and all the things) so much!! And wonderful job on the cereal cake – saw it on Instagram and I’m amazed!!

      Reply

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@sugarandsparrowco

Everything I baked in June☀️I was so motivated to Everything I baked in June☀️I was so motivated to bake this month (summer flavors had me INSPIRED!) and could barely keep up with myself but I ended up publishing 7 new recipes on my website + finalized 5 more that will be up ASAP! 

Comment “JUNE” to get all the recipes that are available now:

-Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
-Rocky Road Cupcakes (w/ homemade marshmallow creme filling!)
-Blackberry Lavender Cake
-Homemade Blackberry Filling
-Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
-Strawberry Shortcake Cookie Bars
-Berries & Cream Sheet Cake

https://sugarandsparrow.com/everything-i-baked-in-june
 
#cake #bakersofinstagram #baking #bakinglove #cakedecorating
WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING ☁️ this easy 4-ingre WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING ☁️ this easy 4-ingredient whipped cream frosting is deliciously light, comes together SO easily, and is stabilized with cream cheese to make it the perfect thick consistency for filling and frosting cakes and cupcakes!! It’s so good with my strawberry shortcake sheet cake and berries & cream cake and I have a feeling I’m going to be whipping it up for many more summer cakes😍

Full recipe with cake pairing suggestions at https://sugarandsparrow.com/whipped-cream-cheese-frosting/ 

INGREDIENTS 
1 Cup (8oz, 226g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, cold
1 Cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups (600ml) heavy whipping cream, cold

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Chill the bowl of your stand mixer (or the large bowl you’ll be using with your hand mixer) into the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
2. Into the cold mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until creamy, 2 min. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix for 1 min.
3. Add the vanilla extract, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream (down the side of the bowl so it doesn’t fly everywhere). Once all the cream is added, continue mixing on medium-high for just about 30 seconds longer, keeping a close eye on the mixing bowl to watch it thicken. It should come together into a thick, silky frosting consistency at this point, where you can dip the whisk into the frosting and it holds a slight peak when you hold it upright.
4. Use the frosting immediately to decorate cakes and/or cupcakes for best results!

#whippedcreamfrosting #creamcheesefrosting #cakedecorating #whippedcream #frosting
TOP 10 4TH OF JULY DESSERTS 🎆 These are just a few TOP 10 4TH OF JULY DESSERTS 🎆 These are just a few of my favorite summer dessert recipes that will disappear at any Fourth of July celebration.

Comment “JULY” and I’ll send you all 20+ of my favorite 4th of July dessert ideas – naturally red white and blue desserts like my berries and cream cake, easy no-bake desserts, no-churn ice cream, strawberry shortcake inspired recipes, and all the treats that will go FAST at any barbecue.

https://sugarandsparrow.com/4th-of-july-desserts/

#fourthofjuly #4thofjuly #summerdessert #partycake #dessertideas
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIE BARS 🍓my hot take: str STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIE BARS 🍓my hot take: strawberry shortcake toppings on a buttery, soft sugar cookie base is WAY BETTER than traditional strawberry shortcake. I topped my favorite sugar cookie bar recipe with silky whipped cream cheese frosting + homemade strawberry sauce and now I’m ruined 😵

Full recipe is linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/strawberry-shortcake-cookie-bars/ 

SOFT SUGAR COOKIE BARS
2 Cups + 2 Tbsp (283g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temp
1 Cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy release.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer) cream together the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, 2-3 min.
4. Turn the mixer to medium and add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until combined, then add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a uniform cookie dough forms.
5. Press the cookie dough into the prepared pan in an even layer, all the way to the edges. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. 
6. Cool the sugar cookie bars in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Top with whipped cream cheese frosting and strawberry sauce (full recipe linked in my bio!)

#strawberryshortcake #strawberries #whippedcreamfrosting #cookiebars #sugarcookies
BLACK FOREST CAKE 🍒 this is my favorite thing to m BLACK FOREST CAKE 🍒 this is my favorite thing to make during cherry season! My version is decadent chocolate cake soaked with homemade cherry syrup, fresh cherry filling, and whipped cream frosting. Top it with a chocolate ganache drip if you want to go the extra mile! 

Full recipe + decorating tutorial is linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/black-forest-cake-recipe/

PS I’m working on a sheet cake version of this recipe that’s even easier! Stay tuned.

#blackforestcake #cherrycake #chocolatecake #cherries #cakedecorating

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