Category: Recipes

Finally. The Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe.

August 28, 2019

by Whitney

I have a little confession to make: when I first started making cakes, my secret go-to for far too long was the box vanilla cake mix by Betty Crocker.

Phew. Now you know.

Since I became accustomed to the light and fluffy texture of said box mix, every time I tried to make a vanilla cake from scratch, the result seemed off. Blame it on the lack of Propylene Glycol Mono (or the handful of other ingredients in box mixes that you’ve never heard of), but my from-scratch vanilla cakes always ended up too dense, tasted a little cornbread-ish, and just didn’t have that fluffy appeal. Finding a go-to vanilla cake recipe from scratch felt like a mountain I had to climb, but after (what felt like) five hundred tries and a whole lot of not giving up, I’ve found a recipe that is beyond my wildest cake dreams.

Tasty Toasted S’mores Cupcakes

August 9, 2019

by Whitney

comments 4

smores cupcakes with toasted marshmallow

Word on the street is it’s almost National S’mores Day (aka the best food-related holiday)! Since I’m a s’mores lover to the core, it honestly feels like every day could be National S’mores Day and I celebrate as often as I can. I love them so much that I whipped up this S’mores Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream last year, and this year I bring you the cupcake version. Behold!

Homemade Cake Flour Recipe

July 10, 2019

by Whitney

comments 6

There’s a reason why the majority of my cake recipes call for cake flour instead of all-purpose (aka plain flour). The short answer is that cake flour is what makes my cakes ultra light and fluffy! Maybe it’s because I grew up on boxed cake mixes, but I’m always after that light, fluffy (yet moist) texture when crafting a cake recipe. I get tons of questions about whether or not it’s ok to substitute all-purpose flour and while it’s not something I recommend, there is a way to create homemade cake flour using all-purpose. I’ll show you how!

Lemon Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

July 8, 2019

by Whitney

comments 10

We spent the 4th of July bbq-ing with friends, and this year I thought I’d bypass the star spangled cake designs and flavors all together. Instead, I reached for the perfect lemon cake recipe (always a crowd favorite!) and paired it with the tastiest lemon cream cheese buttercream. It did not disappoint. I think this lemon cake is so perfect for any Summer gathering (or year round!), and I can’t wait to share this recipe with all of you lemon fans.

Almond Joy Cake Recipe

July 1, 2019

by Whitney

comments 8

Almond Joy Cake Recipe by Sugar and Sparrow

If there are fun-sized Almond Joys anywhere in my general proximity, I will eat them. All of them. I just love the flavor combination of sweet coconut, milk chocolate, and almond. It’s a taste trifecta and if you agree, you’re going to LOVE this cake! Just imagine all the textures and flavors in an Almond Joy candy bar, only in cake form, and behold this beauty:

Banana Split Cupcakes Recipe

June 12, 2019

by Whitney

comments 2

Hooray that it’s nearly summertime! It’s my favorite time of year, mainly because Portland gets sunny and so picturesque. I just want to be outside 24/7 soaking it all up! Since ice cream is such an iconic summer treat, I wanted to use it as inspiration for these Banana Split Cupcakes. There’s no actual ice cream involved, just tons of cuteness and flavors that are so perfect together.

Lemon Layer Cake With Blueberry Buttercream

May 9, 2019

by Whitney

comments 21

blueberry buttercream recipe by Sugar and Sparrow

As I was perusing the freeze dried fruit section of my local Trader Joe’s, I stumbled upon a bag of freeze dried blueberries and just had to add them to my cart. It’s no secret that I love adding freeze dried fruits to buttercream (case in point: this delicious Raspberry Buttercream Recipe), and could imagine how amazing both the color and the flavor would be with these bluebs added. With my buttercream flavored set, I started thinking on cake flavors to pair it with, and that’s how this lemon cake recipe was born.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Recipe

April 17, 2019

by Whitney

comments 12

Some say that peanut butter and jelly are the perfect match for each other, but I say peanut butter and chocolate are even better. It’s the best blend of salty and sweet ever, and the sole flavor inspiration behind this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. If you’re a chocolate peanut butter fan, this is the cake of your dreams! Behold:

Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake Recipe

April 8, 2019

by Whitney

comments 4

Ok, Oreo cookie lovers. This one’s for you! After creating this Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake last summer, I’ve been dying to make an all-cake version. So I finally bought a pack of Oreos and took to the kitchen for some experimenting and I am oh so happy with the results. Behold:

White Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

April 5, 2019

by Whitney

comments 37

I have this friend who is a total chocolate lover. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday cake, she said, “milk chocolate, white chocolate, any kind of chocolate.” So I decided to make her the ultimate chocolate lover’s birthday cake: layers of my favorite chocolate cake recipe frosted with a flavor ombre that went from chocolate buttercream to white chocolate buttercream. It was to die for.