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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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ALMOND JOY CAKE 🤎🥥 this tastes just like an Almond ALMOND JOY CAKE 🤎🥥 this tastes just like an Almond Joy candy bar in cake form: layers of soft, fluffy coconut cake with silky chocolate ganache, sliced almonds, and the dreamiest coconut-almond buttercream! 

Comment RECIPE and I’ll send it on over! Or find it linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/almond-joy-cake-recipe/

#almondjoy #coconutcake #almondcake #cakedecorating #candycake
You butter believe I made myself the Halloween cos You butter believe I made myself the Halloween costume of my dreams!! 🧈 

#diyhalloweencostume
#foodcostume #halloweencostume #handmadecostume #bakerlife
MELTED CANDLE CUPCAKES 🖤🕯give me a few cupcakes, s MELTED CANDLE CUPCAKES 🖤🕯give me a few cupcakes, some dye-free black buttercream, and black chocolate ganache and watch me transform them into the spookiest edible centerpiece! 

Full tutorial is linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/melting-candle-cupcakes/ but I have a condensed version below: 
 
SUPPLIES: ⁣ 
-9 cupcakes⁣  (made these with my small batch black velvet cake recipe!) 
-1 batch of dye-free black buttercream 
-boba straws or skewers (for stabilizing the taller candles) ⁣ 
-icing smoother + turntable ⁣ 
-black ganache for dripping⁣ 
-3 birthday cake candles⁣ 
-matches ⁣ to light them
⁣ 
INSTRUCTIONS: ⁣ 
1. Fill and stack the cupcakes: one stack of 2 cupcakes, one stack of 3 cupcakes, and one stack of 4 cupcakes. For the two taller cupcakes I inserted a boba straw through the middle to stabilize the stack for frosting. ⁣ 
2. Frost the stacked cupcakes with smooth buttercream and keep the top edge raw. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the frosting firm up. ⁣ 
3. Transfer the frosted cupcake candles  onto a small plate and pipe ganache around the edges and tops to look like melted wax. ⁣ 
4. Insert a birthday cake candle into each cake candle (keep the wick about 1/4 inch from the cake surface) and light! ⁣ 
⁣ 
#candlecake #halloweencake #cupcakes #blackvelvetcake #blackbuttercream
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

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