Blog - Sugar & Sparrow

Sprinkled Rose Cupcakes Tutorial

March 18, 2019

by Whitney

This post originally appeared as a guest post on SprinklePop’s blog. It’s too good not to re-share here, because these cupcakes are one of my fave looks for Spring. Enjoy!

Spring deserves to be celebrated, and that’s just what I think of when I look at these cupcakes. They remind me of a Spring parade and kindof make me want to throw confetti in the air because warmer weather is on the way! The Sorbeto sprinkle mix by SprinklePop is like a happy color explosion, and I think it’s the perfect way to add a little more fun to these buttercream flower cupcakes. It’s pretty much the best way to welcome Spring if you’re as excited as I am about it!

Buttercream Flower Wreath Cake Tutorial

March 13, 2019

by Whitney

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I dream of Spring all Winter long, and now that it’s only a few days away I can literally feel my excitement level going up! My favorite thing about Spring is the flowers start blooming again, which always gets me in the mood to incorporate buttercream flowers into my cake designs. They’re so easy to whip up with the right piping tips, a few flower nails, and some pre-cut parchment paper squares – all of which I found at my local JOANN store! With such a great selection of craft and cake decorating supplies, I always find what I’m looking for.

1st Birthday Smash Cake Recipe + Decorating Ideas

February 25, 2019

by Whitney

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First birthday parties are my absolute favorite, mostly because it’s so much fun to watch a little babe figure out how to eat cake for the first time! My tiniest niece turned one a few weeks ago, and I was so delighted to get to make her smash cake. It got me thinking about sharing my best tips on smash cakes with all of you, since they’re super easy to make and the perfect DIY project if you’re planning a first birthday for your little one (or in charge of the cake for someone else’s babe). From the perfect sized cake pans to a great vanilla cake recipe and decorating ideas, I’ve got you covered!

Milk & Cookies Cake Recipe

February 8, 2019

by Whitney

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One of my favorite go-to things to bake are actually the simplest things ever: chocolate chip cookies. I don’t have a fancy recipe (I literally just use the one on the back of the Hershey’s chocolate chip package), but in my opinion, a warm chocolate chip cookie dipped in milk at the end of a long day is like heaven. So as I was whipping up a batch the other day, I had an epiphany: why not translate the deliciousness of chocolate chip cookies and milk into cake form? It didn’t take me long after that to start testing recipes for the best milk & cookies cake ever. Here’s what happened:

Sprinkled Ombrè Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

February 6, 2019

by Whitney

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This was originally a guest post I wrote for SprinklePop’s blog. It’s too good not to re-share here, because the sprinkles on these cupcakes are the prettiest Valentine’s Day blend I’ve ever seen!

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with your s/o or Galentine’s Day with your best gals, it’s the perfect reason to whip up something sweet, pretty, and made with love. If you’re looking for a dessert that’s quick and easy (but looks like you spent lots of time and effort!), this cupcake project is for you! All it takes is your favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, pink food color gel of your choice, and this stunning Romance sprinkle mix by SprinklePop. And if you’re looking for a great cupcake recipe for underneath all that magic, I’ve got some tasty suggestions below!

Painted Buttercream Cake Tutorial

January 31, 2019

by Whitney

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Painted buttercream cake by Sugar and Sparrow

Let me tell you about the most freeing cake project I’ve ever created: I had a smooth, frosted cake on the turntable as my blank canvas, a pretty buttercream color palette set before me, and absolutely no vision of what the cake would look like in the end. The only thing I was sure of was that I was going to play with some bold buttercream colors. With a great album on in the background to keep me company, I started by adding a big color swatch onto the cake, then a few more, then spatula painted the buttercream wherever I felt like, and ended it all with a good splatter painting sesh. It was the first time I truly let myself go in a cake decorating session with no real expectations or rules, and that’s exactly why I want to share the process with you!

SugarBearHair Vitamins Cake Collaboration

January 24, 2019

by Whitney

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When you think of hair vitamins, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I’ve always thought swallowing a big, chalky pill was the only way to get all the nutrients I need for my hair. So when SugarBearHair reached out and asked me to create a cake design with their gummy vitamins and sent me a few bottles for inspiration, I was really excited to try them out (both for the health of my hair and for the sake of testing products firsthand before I promote them). It’s been a month and a half now and I can honestly say that the look and feel of my hair has improved – it’s softer, shinier, thicker than ever, and has grown about an inch (updated 2/18/19)! So to celebrate these tasty little gummies that have become part of my beauty regimen, a cake was in order.

Sprinkle Drip Cake Tutorial

January 21, 2019

by Whitney

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sprinkle drip cake tutorial by sugar and sparrow

This was originally a guest post I wrote for SprinklePop’s blog. It’s too good not to share here, because sprinkle drip cakes are so much fun to make with any sprinkle mix!

There are drip cakes, and then there are sprinkle drip cakes. And let me tell you, while both are pretty to look at, the sprinkle version is so much more fun! The sprinkle drip cake trend was popularized by one of my favorite cakers to follow on Instagram, @brittanymaycakes. To my knowledge, she’s the little genius behind putting sprinkles on top of a ganache drip, and I just had to give it a go because it looks so stunning – especially with this Bewitched sprinkle mix by SprinklePop.

White Chocolate Ganache Drip Cake Recipe + Tips

January 14, 2019

by Whitney

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Ever since I shared this recipe and tutorial for semi-sweet chocolate ganache drip cakes, I’ve gotten so many questions about making white chocolate ganache drip cakes. I’m so excited to share these tips with you because I know how finicky white chocolate ganache can be if you don’t get the ratio and timing just right. In fact, the first time I made it (using a super popular recipe that won’t be named) the ganache was so thin and runny that the drips just ran down the side of the cake and pooled at the bottom, even after cooling it to below room temperature! I have since experimented with white chocolate ganache to find the perfect ratio of chocolate to heavy whipping cream, and have found some handy tips for making it extra white and beautiful.

The Perfect One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe

January 11, 2019

by Whitney

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chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream recipe

After testing so many chocolate cake recipes over the years, I’ve come really close to perfection only to miss the mark on the essentials of a good chocolate cake: moistness, fluffiness, and great chocolate flavor. You know, the kind with the slightly sticky crumb that just melts in your mouth and almost makes your eyes roll back in your head because it’s just that good. While my chocolate cakes of the past have been acceptable, this one I’m about to share is the absolute best I’ve ever had. No joke. It’s moist, decadent, and makes me so giddy I want to shout it from the rooftops!