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Introducing My First Book: Anyone Can Cake!

November 1, 2022 · In: Featured, Lifestyle

BIG NEWS! I’ve been keeping a little (huge) secret for almost a year now, and it’s finally time to tell you that I WROTE A BOOK! It’s called Anyone Can Cake and it’ll be at all your favorite book stores in February 2023, but you can pre-order it right here, RIGHT NOW!

I wrote this book for you, whether you’re just starting out with cakes or you’ve been baking for awhile and want to improve. My vision was to break away from the traditional cookbook model of an overwhelming amount of recipes, vague instructions on how to make each one look like the photo, and rarely any information on what to do if things go awry. Instead, Anyone Can Cake will teach you everything you need to know to bake, build, and decorate the perfect layer cake, plus inspire you to have fun in the kitchen with tons of amazing recipes you’ll only find in this book.  

Collectively, this book will help you make cakes that taste as good as they sound and actually look like the photos! 

Anyone Can Cake by Whitney DePaoli

Anyone Can Cake is divided into two halves, designed to take you from square one all the way through to a finished cake. The first half covers how to make the cake. You’ll learn how to bake the perfect cake layers then use them to build a structurally sound layer cake. Then, you’ll learn how to decorate it in all sorts of ways – frosting a cake with a super smooth finish, creating buttercream ombrès, stripes, painterly textures, lambeth piping, using cake combs, and more. I’ll show you how to mix the color palette you’re imagining, master the art of the ganache drip, and add finishing touches like sprinkles and pretty piping. We’ll even cover how to troubleshoot problems like air bubbles in your frosting, fixing your buttercream consistency, and basically everything I could think of when it comes to preventing cake-tastrophes. 

Anyone Can Cake by Whitney DePaoli

The second half of the book is all the recipes you could need to practice everything you learned in the first half of the book. I’ll start with my favorite go-to recipes like my one-bowl chocolate cake, favorite vanilla cake, a brand new extra-fluffy white cake that I wrote up just for this book, and all the frosting and ganache recipes I’ve come to depend on for all my cakes. These are foundational recipes that you can build on for years to come. Then, you’ll get what I’m calling Next Level Recipes. These are the ones that will blow people’s minds when you show up with a cake – a rainbow striped milk & cereal cake infused with Lucky Charms, a Ferrero Rocher cake with a Nutella ganache drip, a Snickerdoodle Cake rolled in cinnamon sugar, and so much more. 

Snickerdoodle Cake by Sugar and Sparrow
ferrero rocher cake by Sugar and Sparrow

My hope for this book is that you would gain so much confidence with your layer cake making and go on to make beautiful cakes that make people’s day. I hope to bring you joy as you bake and learn, and then I hope you go and spread that joy to everyone you’re making these cakes for in your community – like a ripple effect of happiness! 

Pre-Order Anyone Can Cake TODAY from any of these fine retailers:

  • Amazon (US)
  • Amazon (UK)
  • Amazon (CA)
  • Barnes and Noble
  • Books-a-Million
  • Find more retailers on my book page

The official launch date is February 28th, 2023 and I will be updating you as everything moves along. And side note: a pre-ordered copy of Anyone Can Cake (along with some of my favorite baking tools) would make an excellent holiday gift for those bakers in your life! Just thinking ahead for you!

Anyone Can Cake by Whitney DePaoli of Sugar and Sparrow

A million thanks to Page Street Publishing for helping me write the book of my dreams and allowing me to carry out my full creative vision. I had the best time working with them and am so happy they chose me to write this book. I can’t wait for you to have it in your hands!!

By: Whitney · In: Featured, Lifestyle · Tagged: anyone can cake, book, cake book, cookbook, recipe book

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Comments

  1. Ann says

    September 28, 2026 at 6:00 am

    Dear Whitney,

    We love your book “Anyone Can Cake”. Every year, for their birthdays, my daughters ask me to bake the Ferrero Rocher Cake. It’s their birthday special! It’s one of the best cakes we’ve baked with the most amazing frosting & ganache drip. Decadent & Delicious!

    Thank you for all the tips & tutorials!

    It’s one of the friendliest baking guides that I own!

    Best wishes!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 28, 2026 at 9:27 am

      That makes me so happy, Ann! The Ferrero Rocher Cake is one of my all-time faves and I’m so glad it’s become a birthday tradition. I’m cheering you on in all your baking and I’m thrilled that my book has become a go-to baking guide!

      Reply
  2. Joann Fields says

    February 6, 2023 at 12:22 pm

    Congratulations Whitney. I’ve tried so many of your recipes and love them all. Ordered my book and can’t wait to get started on more baking. You are my go to for recipes.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 9, 2023 at 2:10 pm

      Yay, Joann! Thank you so much for pre-ordering. I can’t wait for you to get the book and I’m cheering you on in all your cake baking!!

      Reply
  3. Ann says

    November 1, 2022 at 7:34 pm

    Congratulations Whitney!!!!!! How awesome! A majorly delicious professional accomplishment in life, so enjoy the attention and results of all your efforts……looking forward to putting a copy in my hands!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 1, 2022 at 8:56 pm

      Thank you so much, Ann!! I can’t wait for you to have this book! Thank you for cheering me on!

      Reply

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BISCOFF COOKIE BUTTERCREAM 🤎 this delicious frosti BISCOFF COOKIE BUTTERCREAM 🤎 this delicious frosting is flavored with Biscoff cookie butter and goes with literally ANY Fall cake recipe 🙌🏼 So far my favorite cake flavors to pair it with are pumpkin cake, banana cake, chocolate cake, coffee cake, and spice cake, but I am also testing a full-on Biscoff cake this week!! 

Full recipe + my favorite cake pairing suggestions are at https://sugarandsparrow.com/biscoff-buttercream/ 
⁣⁣ 
INGREDIENTS⁣⁣ 
1 Cups (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature⁣⁣ 
1/2 Cup (94g) Biscoff cookie butter⁣⁣ or spread
3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar⁣⁣ 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract⁣⁣ 
2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature⁣⁣ 
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste⁣⁣ 
⁣⁣ 
INSTRUCTIONS⁣⁣ 
1. Cream the butter and Biscoff cookie butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a hand mixer and large bowl). Mix on medium-high until creamy and well combined, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.⁣⁣ 
2. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after mixing in each addition. Add the vanilla, milk, and salt and continue mixing on low speed until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes.⁣ 
⁣⁣ 
#biscoffcake #biscoff #buttercream #frosting #cakedecorating
DYE-FREE BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES 🖤 These all black c DYE-FREE BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES 🖤 These all black cupcakes use black cocoa powder (and NO food coloring!) to achieve that rich black color for the cupcakes + black buttercream. That means they won’t turn anyone’s mouth black AND they taste like Oreo cookies in deliciously moist cupcake form 👻

✨Full recipe (with dye-free black buttercream) is linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/black-velvet-cupcakes/ 

BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES
Yield: 14 cupcakes

1 Cup (132g) all purpose flour
3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/3 Cup (38g) black cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 Cup (120ml) full-fat buttermilk*
1/2 Cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. Place all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together to combine. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot coffee (or hot water) and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Cool completely before frosting with dye-free black buttercream (full recipe linked in my bio).

*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand (I rarely do!), use 1/2 Cup whole milk mixed with 1 1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice. 

#blackcupcakes #blackbuttercream #blackcocoapowder #halloweencupcakes #halloweenbaking
EASY MUMMY CUPCAKES 👀 this classic Halloween cupca EASY MUMMY CUPCAKES 👀 this classic Halloween cupcake design is so easy to make with chocolate cupcakes, googly eye sprinkles, vanilla buttercream, and one piping tip! Here’s how:

Full tutorial (with recipes for the cupcakes and buttercream!) is linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/mummy-cupcakes/

MUMMY CUPCAKES SUPPLIES: 
-Baked chocolate cupcakes
-Vanilla buttercream
-Googly eye sprinkles
-Piping bag
-Small flat piping tip or basket weave tip

INSTRUCTIONS: 
1. Press two googly eye sprinkles on top of the chocolate cupcake.
2. Starting on the edge of the cupcake, pipe a straight line to the opposite edge, avoiding the googly eye sprinkles. If you’re using a basket weave tip, make sure the grooved edge is face down.
3. Continue piping lines that connect the edges, overlapping the lines until the surface of the cupcake is covered (aside from the googly eyes) and the piping looks like mummy cloths.

#halloweencupcakes #halloweenbaking #chocolatecupcakes #cupcakedecorating #cupcakes
HALLOWEEN CANDY BUCKET CAKE 🎃🍫🍬 this jack-o-lanter HALLOWEEN CANDY BUCKET CAKE 🎃🍫🍬 this jack-o-lantern cake is SO fun to make with two bundt cakes frosted with buttercream to look like a pumpkin candy bucket + lots of Halloween candy to fill it with. The perfect Halloween party cake!! 
 
A condensed tutorial is below but you can find the full tutorial link (with recipes I used!) in my bio + on my blog at  https://sugarandsparrow.com/halloween-candy-bucket-cake-tutorial/
 
🎃 Candy Bucket Cake Tutorial: 
 
1.  Bake two bundt cakes. I doubled my one-bowl chocolate cake recipe and divided it between two 9.5-inch bundt cake pans, then baked at 350F for 35 minutes.  
2. Fill and crumb coat the cakes in the shape of a pumpkin. I used my dye-free black buttercream recipe for this, but any flavor will do.  
3. Frost the cake. I used my vanilla buttercream recipe tinted with @americolor Electric Orange for the frosting. A flexible plastic smoother is KEY to shaping the roundness of the pumpkin (I got mine on Amazon) + I made my own little tool for the grooves from a leftover yogurt container. After I chilled the cake I hand-smoothed the finish with a little parchment paper to iron out the imperfections.  
4. Carve the jack-o-lantern. I chilled the frosting until it was firm to the touch, then used an X-acto knife to cut out the eyes and mouth. 
5. Add the handle. I inserted some crafting wire into hollow black licorice to create the candy bucket handle before sticking it into the cake.  
6. Fill with your favorite Halloween candy!  
 
#halloweencake #pumpkincake #partycake #cakedecorating #bundtcake
These are 10 of the Halloween cake and cupcake rec These are 10 of the Halloween cake and cupcake recipes I’d make for a spooky party! 👻

Comment “HALLOWEEN” and I’ll send all of these recipes and cake decorating tutorials + even more from my Halloween baking archives – spooky classics like my dye-free black velvet cake and pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, plus Halloween party cake tutorials and easy Halloween cupcake designs. 

https://sugarandsparrow.com/halloween-cakes-cupcakes-treats/

#halloweencake #halloweencupcakes #cakedecorating #halloweenbaking #halloweenpartyideas

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