Category: Recipes

Coffee Layer Cake With Vanilla Espresso Buttercream

December 24, 2018

by Whitney

coffee layer cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

If you’re reading this, chances are you love coffee as much as I do (or you’re here for a coffee loving friend). I don’t know about your city’s coffee situation, but we Portlanders are spoiled when it comes to good coffee. I wouldn’t call myself a coffee connoisseur per se, but I know what a good cup tastes like. So when I set out to configure the perfect coffee layer cake recipe, I wanted to capture the rich and aromatic flavor of the good stuff. The only way to do that is to use rich and aromatic coffee beans in the recipe!

Gingerbread Layer Cake Recipe

December 16, 2018

by Whitney

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There’s something about using buttercream to glue candy onto gingerbread that evokes whimsy and creativity, no matter what age you are. It’s one of my favorite Holiday traditions, and although it’s a whole lot of fun to decorate a gingerbread house, I find that they end up being more for displaying than eating. Maybe it’s because in order to get a solid structure, you’ve got to make sure the gingerbread is rock hard, or maybe it’s because you’re just so proud of your creation that it’s too pretty to eat. Either way, I wanted to pair the fun of creative candy placement with a gingerbread cake that actually tastes good enough to eat! Behold:

Chocolate Caramel Pecan (Turtle) Cupcakes

November 28, 2018

by Whitney

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turtle cupcakes recipe by sugar and sparrow

Hands down, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is spending an entire day cooking all the food. There’s something so special about working side-by-side in the kitchen with someone you love, turning the music up loud enough to sing, and tackling a huge list of foods to make! It all started with my sweet mom and I, and although she passed away years ago, I’ve been able to keep the tradition alive with my mother-in-law. Of all the things we make together for Thanksgiving, there’s one thing I’m solely responsible for: the pies.

Salted Caramel Apple Cake Recipe

November 12, 2018

by Whitney

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caramel apple cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Whoever thought of putting caramel and apples together was a flavor genius. I just love the sweet and salty complexity a good homemade caramel adds to apples (and apple-flavored things!), so as soon as I perfected this apple spice cake recipe, I knew I had to pair it with salted caramel buttercream and turn it into an caramel apple masterpiece! It’s become such a Fall classic in our household that I make it every year as soon as the leaves start changing colors.

Easy Salted Caramel Recipe

November 2, 2018

by Whitney

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homemade salted caramel by sugar and sparrow

When it comes to salted caramel, this recipe is as versatile as can be. I’ve used it to drip cakes, drizzle cupcakes, coat apples, top ice cream, and have even whipped it up into salted caramel buttercream! It’s one of my forever go-to’s that has never let me down. If you’ve ever struggled with salted caramel before, I hope this one becomes your fail-proof friend.

Salted Caramel Buttercream Recipe

November 2, 2018

by Whitney

comments 15

caramel buttercream recipe by sugar and sparrow

One of my favorite things to do with my homemade salted caramel recipe is incorporate it into buttercream. It ends up being such an awesome blend of sweet and salty, perfect for topping cakes and cupcakes or using as a cake filling. It can transform basic cake flavors like chocolate and vanilla into something above and beyond, and it also adds complexity to Fall-inspired flavors like apple spice cake. Whatever flavors you love pairing with caramel, this salted caramel buttercream is magic!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Halloween Cupcakes

October 12, 2018

by Whitney

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pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream recipe

This post originally appeared as a guest post on SprinklePop’s blog. It’s such a classic Fall recipe and fun Halloween party cupcake idea, so I just had to share it here too. Enjoy!

It’s officially feeling like Fall around here. Leaves are changing the prettiest colors, the weather’s getting colder, and I just spent the entire weekend wearing cozy sweaters and baking with autumnal flavors! One of my absolute favorite things to bake in the Fall are pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They’re a seasonal classic, downright delicious, and they make the whole house smell incredible while they’re baking. I’ve been known to bake them and hoard them all to myself, but they also make great party cupcakes (that is, if you’re willing to share!). For all the more festive occasions, this All Hallows sprinkle mix by SprinklePop is perfect!

Sky High Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake

September 5, 2018

by Whitney

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cookies and cream ice cream cake by sugar and sparrow

Cake and ice cream. They’re undoubtedly a perfect pairing when you serve them side by side, and even better when you combine them into one big beautiful ice cream cake! Since I don’t actually own an ice cream maker, I hadn’t yet ventured into the world of making ice cream before (let alone an ice cream cake). That is, until I discovered The Curious Creamery Ice Cream Cake Kits. These amazing creations are made for people like me, because there’s no ice cream maker required! Just whip up the ice cream mix according to the instructions, layer it with some delicious cake (which is also included in the kit), freeze it all together, and you’re good to go!

The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

August 29, 2018

by Whitney

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vanilla cupcake recipe by Sugar and Sparrow

Whether you’ve been baking for awhile or you’re new to the game, there are a few go-to recipes I recommend having in your recipe box. I believe one of them should be a fail-proof vanilla cupcake recipe, and this one is just that. These babies come out the same every single time: fluffy, moist, rich vanilla flavor, and perfectly soft structure. And they’re so versatile, you can top them with just about any buttercream flavor and be good to go!

Rainbow Funfetti Cake Recipe

July 30, 2018

by Whitney

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If you’d have asked me what my favorite kind of cake was as a kid, I would reply without hesitation that it was Funfetti (specifically the Pillsbury box mix) with the canned rainbow chip frosting to match. The frosting came with a little pouch of rainbow chips that you could mix in by hand, so it felt like a fun little project. To this day, Funfetti cake remains my most popular flavor request from people of all ages, and for all kinds of events (even weddings!). There’s something about the sprinkles baked right into the cake that gets people jazzed, and for good reason. It’s basically a party waiting to happen!