Category: Summer

The Tastiest From-Scratch Strawberry Cake Recipe

July 9, 2020
by Whitney
comments 31
strawberry cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

A few years ago, I created this Strawberry Lemonade cake that became an instant hit: cake flavored with fresh strawberries (pureed and reduced), filled with strawberry buttercream, topped with lemon buttercream – basically Summer in cake form! It’s been on my list to write an all-strawberry cake recipe ever since, and after getting a request for one via Instagram DM, I knew it was time. I took to the store for a pound of fresh strawberries and a package of freeze dried strawberries to give you the ultimate flavor profile. I promise, it’s as delicious as it is pretty to look at! 

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Tasty Toasted S’mores Cupcakes

June 30, 2020
by Whitney
comments 6
smores cupcakes with toasted marshmallow

I can’t tell you how many requests I’ve gotten for a cupcake version of my S’mores Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream. It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes (s’mores fan to the core, here!) and there are so many amazing flavors going on in it: graham cracker cake, decadent chocolate, toasted marshmallow buttercream. I had to get a little creative to capture the magic of these flavors in cupcake form, and I am so happy with how they turned out. Behold!

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A Cactus Cake With Major Desert Vibes

August 16, 2019
by Whitney
comments 8
cactus cake by sugar and sparrow

Of all the beautiful foliage in the world, cactus is among my very favorite. I was so excited when The Cake Blog asked me to create this cactus cake and make all my desert-loving dreams come true! The buttercream ombrè sunrise, pretty piped cactus shapes, and edible (graham cracker) sand have me all heart eyed. Just look at how pretty! 

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Under The Sea Cake Tutorial

August 12, 2019
by Whitney
comments 12
under the sea cake tutorial

Ever since I was a kid I’ve been fascinated with the ocean. I think this is solely because The Little Mermaid was my favorite movie growing up, and I’m still so smitten with colorful coral reefs and the sea life that surrounds them. So when I stumbled upon this Sea Life Gumpaste & Fondant Mold at my local JOANN store, I was so inspired to turn my love for ocean life into an under the sea themed cake! Just look at how magical:

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Sprinkled Cactus Cupcakes Tutorial

July 24, 2019
by Whitney
comments 4
cactus cupcakes tutorial

A few years back, the ultra-creative Alana Jones-Mann popularized the cactus cupcake trend and it was one of the earliest cupcake projects I tried. I’ve gotten to make the design for a handful of events, and they’re so much fun to create every time. So when I saw the gorgeous Cactus Flower sprinkle mix by SprinklePop, I instantly thought of re-creating the cactus cupcake design with a more sprinkly aesthetic. They added such a celebratory element to the look:

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Lemon Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

July 8, 2019
by Whitney
comments 67
lemon cream cheese buttercream recipe

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. 

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The Cutest Beach Cupcakes

June 24, 2019
by Whitney
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beach cupcakes by Sugar and Sparrow

Summer is finally here and I could not be more thrilled about it! Probably because where I live, this is the only season where we have three pretty consecutive months of sun (as opposed to gloom), and all I want to do is bask in it. One of my favorite places to be this time of year is the beach, which is entirely what inspired these Beach Cupcakes I created for The Cake Blog.

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DIY Candy Melt Honeycomb For A Bee Cake

June 20, 2019
by Whitney
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I recently had the opportunity to create this bee-themed cake for Thistle & Lace, and as I was during the design planning process I knew I had to incorporate honeycomb in some way. The black and yellow buttercream stripes were a given, but adding the texture of honeycomb really made the cake come alive. There’s a really quick way to make DIY “honeycomb” for cake decorating, and I want to share the technique with you in this super quick tutorial (especially if you’re planning a bee-themed cake of your own!).

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Banana Split Cupcakes Recipe

June 12, 2019
by Whitney
comments 2
banana split cupcake recipe

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.

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Lemon Layer Cake With Blueberry Buttercream

May 9, 2019
by Whitney
comments 47
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.

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