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Everything I Baked in May

May 29, 2026 · In: Featured, Lifestyle

If I had to describe what May was like in my kitchen, I’d probably compare it to a rollercoaster. There were extreme highs like taking the first bite of this orange poppyseed cake with mascarpone frosting and realizing I had achieved what I call “fancy restaurant status” โ€“ it’s flawless in my eyes! Or drooling over the photos of my strawberry shortcake sheet cake and feeling so satisfied that it looks as delicious as it tastes. Then there were lows like testing this chocolate chip cookie cake so many times that I felt crazy, only to nail it and ruin the final cake before I could photograph it (thus requiring me to make it AGAIN)!

BUT. This month was also about perseverance. I didn’t give up on that cookie cake, or making my no-bake marbled strawberry cheesecake exactly how I was imagining (even though I had to buy what felt like 72 boxes of cream cheese to get there). And all of it was so satisfying in the end, because I got to publish 7 new recipes I’m really proud of and finalize a couple more that will go live in June. I hope you love all of them as much as I do!

whitney depaoli of sugar and sparrow holding an ice cream cake

New Recipes

Here are the latest recipes that went live on my site in May:

strawberry shortcake sheet cake baked in a 9x13 pan

Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Bakery-style vanilla sheet cake baked in a 9×13 pan, topped with whipped cream cheese frosting and homemade strawberry sauce. The perfect easy dessert for a crowd!

Get the Recipe

orange poppyseed cake recipe with mascarpone frosting

Orange Poppyseed Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

This orange poppyseed cake is tender and moist, bursting with bright citrus flavor, and kept so light and refreshing with whipped mascarpone frosting! You get the crunch of poppy seeds in every bite which I find so satisfying. 

Get the Recipe

mascarpone whipped cream frosting recipe for cakes and cupcakes

Whipped Mascarpone Frosting

This frosting is silky smooth, deliciously light, and the perfect consistency for filling and frosting cakes and cupcakes! It comes together so quickly with just five ingredients and is perfect for anyone who “isn’t a frosting person.”

Get the Recipe

strawberry swirled no-bake cheesecake topped with strawberries

No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake

Tangy no-bake cheesecake with swirls of beautiful strawberry reduction, set on a buttery graham cracker crust. Stunning, delicious, and perfect for making ahead!

Get the Recipe

lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting

Lemon Cupcakes

These lemon cupcakes are light and refreshing, perfectly fluffy, bursting with natural lemon flavor, and irresistible topped with lemon cream cheese buttercream.

Get the Recipe

lemon cream cheese buttercream for cakes and cupcakes

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

If you love the tang of cream cheese frosting, youโ€™re going to be obsessed with this lemon variation! Ideal for Spring and Summer cakes, it’s so light and refreshing, beautifully tangy and complex, and perfectly thick for decorating cakes and cupcakes.

Get the Recipe

chocolate chip cookie cake recipe with vanilla buttercream border and sprinkles

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

The perfect birthday dessert for anyone who loves a thick and chewy, bakery-style chocolate chip cookie! Adapted from my beloved sheet pan chocolate chip cookie recipe and can be served warm and gooey or decorated as a celebratory cake.

Get the Recipe


Recipes Coming Soon

Here are the recipes I’ll be publishing in June. My gluten-free friends, I realize I’ve been meaning to publish the GF vanilla cake for two months now! If you’ve been waiting, comment below and I’ll email you the recipe early.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

homemade chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake slice on a plate

I made my DREAM birthday cake and will be publishing the recipe ASAP! It’s no-churn chocolate and vanilla ice creams swirled together and loaded with cookie dough chunks, set on an Oreo cookie crust. Heavenly.

Berry Chantilly Sheet Cake (Photo Update)

Berry chantilly sheet cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

I revisited my Whole Foods inspired berry Chantilly sheet cake and it’s just as delicious as I remember! I will be updating some of the photos next month, but the recipe will remain the same with the exception of adding almond extract (optional).

Whitney DePaoli Sugar and Sparrow ice cream cake recipe

I hope you love these new recipes! I had a blast making them. If there are any dessert recipes youโ€™re craving, leave me a comment and they might make it onto my baking list!

By: Whitney ยท In: Featured, Lifestyle ยท Tagged: everything I baked

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@sugarandsparrowco

CLASSIC BIRTHDAY CAKE ๐Ÿฅณ yellow cake with chocolate CLASSIC BIRTHDAY CAKE ๐Ÿฅณ yellow cake with chocolate frosting makes me so nostalgic for my childhood birthdays + my homemade version captures that moist and fluffy texture of box mix, but itโ€™s 100% HOMEMADE! Pair it with chocolate frosting + lots of rainbow sprinkles and make it to celebrate someone special ๐Ÿ’›
โ€‰โ€‰
Full recipe (with chocolate frosting) is linked in my bio or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/yellow-cake-recipe/
โ€‰โ€‰
INGREDIENTSโ€‰โ€‰
2ย Cupsย (210g) sifted cake flourโ€‰โ€‰
1 1/2ย tspย baking powderโ€‰โ€‰
1/2ย tspย baking sodaโ€‰โ€‰
1/2ย tspย saltโ€‰โ€‰
1/2ย Cupย (113g) unsalted butter, room tempโ€‰โ€‰
3ย Tbspย (45ml) vegetable oilโ€‰โ€‰
1 1/3ย Cupsย (267g) granulated sugarโ€‰โ€‰
2ย large eggs, room tempโ€‰โ€‰
2ย large egg yolks, room tempโ€‰โ€‰
1/3ย Cupย (80g) sour cream, room tempโ€‰โ€‰
2ย tspย pure vanilla extractโ€‰โ€‰
3/4ย Cupย (180ml) whole milk, room tempโ€‰โ€‰
โ€‰โ€‰
INSTRUCTIONSโ€‰โ€‰
1. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Grease and line three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans.โ€‰โ€‰
2. In a medium bowl, add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.โ€‰โ€‰
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer and large bowl), beat the butter on high speed until itโ€™s creamy, 2 min. Add the vegetable oil and sugar, then continue to mix on medium-high until pale and fluffy, 2 min. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, mixing on low speed for 10-15 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream and turn the mixer to high speed for 1 min. โ€‰โ€‰
4. Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on low speed until the ingredients just start to combine, then add the milk in a steady stream and continue mixing until incorporated, about 30 seconds. โ€‰โ€‰
5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 28-32 minutes.ย Let the cakes cool, then fill and frost with chocolate buttercream (full recipe linked in my bio!)โ€จโ€‰โ€‰
#birthdaycake #yellowcake #cakedecorating #chocolatecake #cakelover
Sโ€™MORES ICEBOX CAKE ๐Ÿ”ฅ Every bit as gooey and decad Sโ€™MORES ICEBOX CAKE ๐Ÿ”ฅ Every bit as gooey and decadent as it seems and I am blown away at how EASY this recipe is! Itโ€™s layers of graham crackers, chocolate ganache, and homemade marshmallow creme, piled high in a loaf pan and refrigerated overnight. The graham crackers soften into a cake-like texture and transform this dessert into the easiest sโ€™mores cake ever. โ€‰
โ€‰
Recipe linked in my bio and at https://sugarandsparrow.com/smores-icebox-cake/
โ€‰
#smorescakeย #iceboxcakeย #nobakeย #smoresย #cakedecorating
WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING โœจsilky smooth, delicio WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING โœจsilky smooth, deliciously light, and the perfect consistency for cake decorating (including filling layer cakes + piping)! Imagine a whipped cream frosting with notes of rich mascarpone cheese and thatโ€™s what this frosting tastes like. Itโ€™s a DREAM on my orange poppyseed cake and I canโ€™t stop thinking of other Spring/Summer cake flavors I want to try it with! 

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

INGREDIENTS:
1ย Cupย (8oz, 227g) mascarpone cheese, cold
2ย tspย pure vanilla extract
1/8ย tspย salt
1ย Cupย (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
2ย Cupsย (240g) powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. With the whisk attachment on a stand mixer (or hand mixer with a large bowl), beat the mascarpone, vanilla, and salt together at medium speed until creamy, 1-2 min
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the heavy whipping cream slowly, then turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until soft peaks form, which could take less than 1 min (keep an eye on it!). You should be able to dip a spatula into the mixture and see a peak that slightly droops when held upright.ย 
3. Add the powdered sugar all at once and mix on low speed until incorporated, then turn the mixer to medium speed and whip for about 30 seconds longer, until the frosting is thick and silky. Use right away or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

#mascarponeย #mascarponecream #whippedcreamfrosting #whippedcreamcake #cakedecorating
BERRY CHANTILLY CAKE ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿซfully inspired by the iconi BERRY CHANTILLY CAKE ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿซfully inspired by the iconic Whole Foods Chantilly cake (iykyk ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ) and every bit as delicious! My homemade version is layers of extra soft and fluffy vanilla cake, berry jam, Chantilly cream frosting with rich notes of mascarpone and a hint of almond, and fresh berries throughout. Itโ€™s the idealideal berries and cream cake and ALWAYS a hit!! 
โฃ
Full recipe is linked in my bio (or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/berry-chantilly-cake-recipe/)

PS: I also have a sheet cake version of this recipe! Google โ€œsugar and sparrow berry Chantilly sheet cakeโ€ to find it! 

#chantillycake #whippedcreamcakeย #berrycake #cakedecoratingย #vanillacake
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SHEET CAKE ๐Ÿ“aka classic straw STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SHEET CAKE ๐Ÿ“aka classic strawberry shortcake toppings on a fluffy vanilla sheet cake and ideal for a crowd! Itโ€™s my favorite bakery-style white cake thatโ€™s so soft and moist, topped with silky whipped cream cheese frosting and thick homemade strawberry sauce. So easy to throw together with simple ingredients + a total showstopper โœจ

Grab the recipe link in my bio or find it at https://sugarandsparrow.com/strawberry-shortcake-sheet-cake/ 

#strawberrycake #strawberryshortcake #sheetcake #whippedcreamfrosting #cakedecorating

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