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The Best of 2022

December 31, 2022 · In: Featured, Lifestyle

I LOVE the feeling of a new year right around the corner and have been getting so excited about all that’s to come in 2023 (like my BOOK RELEASE)! Before I get too ahead of myself though, I wanted to look back at this past year and reflect a bit. Particularly on all the fun recipes and cake decorating tutorials that YOU loved most.

Here are the top 10 greatest hits of 2022: 

Black Velvet Cake

I made this all black cake for Halloween and it turned out to be a mega-hit on Instagram and TikTok, which made it a mega-hit on this blog too. The cake itself has ZERO food coloring in it – the magic ingredient is black cocoa powder! Since it’s the same stuff used in Oreo cookies, the cake ends up tasting like Oreo cookies and is just delicious. Paired with my favorite black buttercream, it’s a cake fit for Wednesday Addams. 

black velvet cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Funfetti Buttercream

For my birthday, I could not stop thinking about putting sprinkles in my buttercream and turning it into Funfetti buttercream. Paired with my Funfetti cake, it was an absolute joy to make and to eat! I’m a firm believer that sprinkles make everything more fun.

funfetti buttercream recipe by sugar and sparrow

Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake

My husband requested a strawberry shortcake for Father’s Day, and for the sake of being over the top, I decided to make a strawberry shortcake layer cake. It turned out so tall that it should not be called a shortcake at all. He loved it though! Layers of fluffy white cake, whipped cream frosting, sweetened fresh strawberries, and baked shortbread crumbles. Top it with fresh chamomile flowers for extra cuteness! 

strawberry cake with chamomile flowers by sugar and sparrow

White Chocolate Ganache

This has been one of my number one recipes for years, and this past year I decided to finally make a video for it! The video shows how to make the recipe, drip a cake with it, and troubleshoot if things go awry. White chocolate ganache can be super finicky, but with this video and detailed recipe, you’ll love working with it!

Strawberry Buttercream 

This Strawberry Buttercream recipe is so good I could eat it by the spoonful! It uses freeze dried strawberries, which are packed with flavor yet won’t add any liquid to the buttercream (unlike fresh strawberries). The result is the most amazing strawberry flavored buttercream that is the perfect consistency for frosting cakes, piping cupcakes, and adding to all kinds of bakes! 

strawberry buttercream recipe by sugar and sparrow

Fiber Art Cake

I felt like getting creative with some piping, so I made this fiber art-inspired cake and it turned out to be one of my most popular Reels of 2022. It was so much fun to make! While I don’t have a tutorial for this specific cake, I do have this Fiber Art Cake tutorial that will show you all those piping techniques I used. 

Brown Butter Frosting

This past year, I learned how to brown butter! I turned it into brown butter frosting and it was the best idea. It pairs so well with pretty much any cake recipe, but I particularly enjoyed it with my pumpkin cake and chocolate cake. I’m hoping to make more brown butter recipes in 2023!

brown butter frosting recipe by sugar and sparrow

Lemon Lavender Cake 

After I discovered the secret to making the perfect lavender buttercream, I had to put it on some lemon cake first and foremost. This lemon lavender cake is perfect for spring or summer and just bursting with bright flavors – zesty lemon and just the right amount of lavender. A must try! 

lemon lavender cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Strawberry Cake

This strawberry cake recipe has been a blog favorite for a while, but this year the Pancake Princess decided to review it as part of her Best Strawberry Cake Bake Off and it jumped back into my top 10. I absolutely love this cake: layers of moist, delicious strawberry infused cake made with fresh strawberries (pureed and reduced for maximum flavor) and my favorite strawberry buttercream recipe. 

strawberry cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Salted Caramel 

This is probably the easiest salted caramel you could ever make – only four ingredients and no candy thermometer required! I love using this as a drip on my cakes, in between layers, and whipping it into salted caramel buttercream. It’s the perfect recipe for anyone who’s ever been intimidated to try making caramel! 

easy salted caramel recipe

2022 was such a great year and I’m looking forward to ringing in a whole new year of possibilities! I’m wishing you all the very best in the coming year and hope you have great memories to look back on from this past one.

By: Whitney · In: Featured, Lifestyle

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PUMPKIN CUPCAKES 🧡 topped with spiced cream cheese PUMPKIN CUPCAKES 🧡 topped with spiced cream cheese frosting to give every bite the most heavenly pumpkin spice flavor! The perfect cupcakes to kick off your fall baking 🍂

Comment RECIPE and I’ll send it right to you!

You can also find the link in my bio (or google ‘Sugar and Sparrow Pumpkin Cupcakes’) 

#pumpkinspice #pumpkincake #pumpkinseason #falldesserts #creamcheesefrosting
OATMEAL CREME PIE CAKE 🙌🏼 I’m always thinking abou OATMEAL CREME PIE CAKE 🙌🏼 I’m always thinking about this cake during back-to-school season because Oatmeal Creme Pies take me right back to my elementary school days! It’s layers of tender brown sugar oatmeal cake with the gooiest homemade marshmallow filling and tastes just like the real deal in cake form – perfect party cake for an Oatmeal Creme Pie lover! 

Full recipe linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/oatmeal-creme-pie-cake/ 
 
#oatmealcremepie #vintagecake #layercake #partycake #cakedecorating
NO-BAKE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE ✨this is the perfect EA NO-BAKE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE ✨this is the perfect EASY no-bake dessert for Fall and I cannot get over the incredible spiced caramel flavor!! I added Biscoff cookie butter to my favorite no-bake cheesecake base, piled it onto a Biscoff cookie crust, then topped it with a melted cookie butter drip + tons of crunchy cookie crumbs.  
 
🤎Full recipe linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/no-bake-biscoff-cheesecake/ 
 
BISCOFF CRUST: 
1 8.8oz package Biscoff cookies (250g) 
1/3 Cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted 
 
FILLING: 
16 Oz (452g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temp 
1/4 Cup (50g) powdered sugar 
3/4 Cup (210g) creamy Biscoff cookie butter 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
1. Combine the Biscoff crust ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand, then press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  
2. In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth, then add the powdered sugar, cookie butter, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix until smooth.  
3. In a separate medium bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks, then fold into the cream cheese mixture until no streaks remain. 
4. Add the filling on top of the Biscoff crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. 
5. Once set, top with melted cookie butter and crushed Biscoff cookies. 
 
#biscoff #biscoffcheesecake #nobakecheesecake #biscoffcake #nobake 
A mini pumpkin spice latte cake to celebrate my SI A mini pumpkin spice latte cake to celebrate my SIL 🥳 two 6-inch layers of spiced pumpkin cake with the most delicious coffee buttercream + a little vintage piping for good measure ☕️ making a birthday cake for my family and friends will always be my favorite love language!!

👩🏽‍🍳 Recipes: perfect pumpkin layer cake + coffee buttercream (both found at sugarandsparrow.com) or you can find a dedicated PSL cake recipe in my book! 
✨ Piping Tips: @wiltoncakes tip 3 for the writing + tip 4B for the borders
☕️ Garnish: chocolate covered espresso beans

#pumpkincake #birthdaycake #pumpkinspicelatte #minicake #cakedecorating
BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 🤎🧈 brown butter BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 🤎🧈 brown butter is the KEY to making cream cheese frosting even better! You get the tang of cream cheese but with rich, nutty caramelized notes of brown butter and it’s HEAVENLY on any Fall cake 🙌🏼 I paired with my carrot cake recipe here but it’s also incredible with spice cake, pumpkin cake, chocolate cake, and more! 

Full recipe + all my favorite cake pairing suggestions in my bio and here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/brown-butter-cream-cheese-frosting/

BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 
YIELD: 3.5 Cups  
 
INGREDIENTS 
1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter 
8 Oz (226g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature NOT the spread 
4 Cups (480g) powdered sugar 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
pinch of salt, or to taste 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
1. Brown the butter: Add the butter into a large frying pan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes while stirring constantly. First it will foam, then bubble as little white particles of milk solids separate, then the white specks will caramelize and turn medium-brown and smell deliciously nutty. Remove from heat, transfer to a glass container, and cool until it re-solidifies and is the consistency of softened butter (about 45 minutes in fridge).  
2. Add the cooled brown butter into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the cream cheese. Mix on medium-high until fluffy and light in color, 5 min, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. 
3. 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 and salt and continue mixing on low speed until smooth and uniform. 
 
#brownbutter #creamcheesefrosting #creamcheese #buttercream #cakedecorating

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