• Cake
  • Frosting
  • YouTube
  • My Favorite Tools
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipes
    • Cake
    • Cupcakes
    • Frosting
    • Ice Cream
    • Vegan
  • Cake Basics
  • Tutorials
  • Blog
  • About
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Sugar & Sparrow logo in script font

Sugar & Sparrow

Lifestyle and Cake from Portland Oregon

  • Cake Basics
  • Recipes
    • Cake
    • Cupcakes
    • Cookies & Bars
    • Filling
    • Frosting
    • Ice Cream
    • No-Bake
    • Small Batch
    • Vegan
  • Tutorials
  • Book
  • Blog
  • About

Everything I Baked in May

May 29, 2026 · In: Featured, Lifestyle

If I had to describe what May was like in my kitchen, I’d probably compare it to a rollercoaster. There were extreme highs like taking the first bite of this orange poppyseed cake with mascarpone frosting and realizing I had achieved what I call “fancy restaurant status” – it’s flawless in my eyes! Or drooling over the photos of my strawberry shortcake sheet cake and feeling so satisfied that it looks as delicious as it tastes. Then there were lows like testing this chocolate chip cookie cake so many times that I felt crazy, only to nail it and ruin the final cake before I could photograph it (thus requiring me to make it AGAIN)!

BUT. This month was also about perseverance. I didn’t give up on that cookie cake, or making my no-bake marbled strawberry cheesecake exactly how I was imagining (even though I had to buy what felt like 72 boxes of cream cheese to get there). And all of it was so satisfying in the end, because I got to publish 7 new recipes I’m really proud of and finalize a couple more that will go live in June. I hope you love all of them as much as I do!

whitney depaoli of sugar and sparrow holding an ice cream cake

New Recipes

Here are the latest recipes that went live on my site in May:

strawberry shortcake sheet cake baked in a 9x13 pan

Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Bakery-style vanilla sheet cake baked in a 9×13 pan, topped with whipped cream cheese frosting and homemade strawberry sauce. The perfect easy dessert for a crowd!

Get the Recipe

orange poppyseed cake recipe with mascarpone frosting

Orange Poppyseed Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

This orange poppyseed cake is tender and moist, bursting with bright citrus flavor, and kept so light and refreshing with whipped mascarpone frosting! You get the crunch of poppy seeds in every bite which I find so satisfying. 

Get the Recipe

mascarpone whipped cream frosting recipe for cakes and cupcakes

Whipped Mascarpone Frosting

This frosting is silky smooth, deliciously light, and the perfect consistency for filling and frosting cakes and cupcakes! It comes together so quickly with just five ingredients and is perfect for anyone who “isn’t a frosting person.”

Get the Recipe

strawberry swirled no-bake cheesecake topped with strawberries

No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake

Tangy no-bake cheesecake with swirls of beautiful strawberry reduction, set on a buttery graham cracker crust. Stunning, delicious, and perfect for making ahead!

Get the Recipe

lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting

Lemon Cupcakes

These lemon cupcakes are light and refreshing, perfectly fluffy, bursting with natural lemon flavor, and irresistible topped with lemon cream cheese buttercream.

Get the Recipe

lemon cream cheese buttercream for cakes and cupcakes

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

If you love the tang of cream cheese frosting, you’re going to be obsessed with this lemon variation! Ideal for Spring and Summer cakes, it’s so light and refreshing, beautifully tangy and complex, and perfectly thick for decorating cakes and cupcakes.

Get the Recipe

chocolate chip cookie cake recipe with vanilla buttercream border and sprinkles

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

The perfect birthday dessert for anyone who loves a thick and chewy, bakery-style chocolate chip cookie! Adapted from my beloved sheet pan chocolate chip cookie recipe and can be served warm and gooey or decorated as a celebratory cake.

Get the Recipe


Recipes Coming Soon

Here are the recipes I’ll be publishing in June. My gluten-free friends, I realize I’ve been meaning to publish the GF vanilla cake for two months now! If you’ve been waiting, comment below and I’ll email you the recipe early.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

homemade chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake slice on a plate

I made my DREAM birthday cake and will be publishing the recipe ASAP! It’s no-churn chocolate and vanilla ice creams swirled together and loaded with cookie dough chunks, set on an Oreo cookie crust. Heavenly.

Berry Chantilly Sheet Cake (Photo Update)

Berry chantilly sheet cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

I revisited my Whole Foods inspired berry Chantilly sheet cake and it’s just as delicious as I remember! I will be updating some of the photos next month, but the recipe will remain the same with the exception of adding almond extract (optional).

Whitney DePaoli Sugar and Sparrow ice cream cake recipe

I hope you love these new recipes! I had a blast making them. If there are any dessert recipes you’re craving, leave me a comment and they might make it onto my baking list!

By: Whitney · In: Featured, Lifestyle · Tagged: everything I baked

you’ll also love

everything I baked in June Sugar & SparrowEverything I Baked in June
Whitney DePaoli Sugar & SparrowEverything I Baked in April
no churn dulce de leche ice cream recipe by sugar and sparrowNo Churn Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Join the List

Stay up to date & receive the latest posts in your inbox.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Next Post >

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Sugar & Sparrow

Welcome to Sugar & Sparrow

Helping you whip up pretty desserts with confidence and creativity. And hopefully sharing a few laughs with you along the way!

Learn More

Connect

let’s bake!

Get my very best recipes, baking tips, and decorating tutorials sent to your inbox

Featured Posts

pips chai cake

Pip’s “Heart of Gold” Coconut Chai Cake Recipe

the best christmas dessert recipes

32+ Festive Christmas Dessert Recipes

black chocolate ganache recipe by sugar and sparrow

Black Chocolate Ganache Drip Cake Recipe

Search

Archives

Follow Along

@sugarandsparrowco

BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS 🤎 (recipe BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS 🤎 (recipe below) These disappear in MINUTES every time and they couldn’t be easier!! Brown butter gives them the perfect rich, caramelized flavor notes and there are a few other special ingredients that make them thick, fudgy, and so irresistible.

Full recipe at https://sugarandsparrow.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/ 

INGREDIENTS
10 Tbsp (141g) unsalted butter
1/2 Cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/3 Cup (67g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Cups (199g) all-purpose flour
1 Cup (175g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add the butter into a large frying pan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Cook for another 2-5 minutes while stirring constantly and watching closely. Once you see little flecks of milk solids turn medium brown (without crossing over into the burnt/dark brown territory), remove from heat and transfer to a glass container.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with a parchment paper overhang.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugars and brown butter. Whisk in the the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until uniform, then whisk in the cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Fold in the flour until smooth cookie dough forms. Set aside 1/4 Cup of the chocolate chips, then fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
5. Press the cookie dough into the prepared pan in an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top and press them in, then bake for 17-20 minutes, until evenly puffed and the edges are lightly golden. It might seem soft in the middle but don’t be tempted to over-bake! 
6. Let the cookie bars cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature before slicing into squares (or enjoy warm!).

#brownbutter #cookiebars #chocolatechipcookies #dessertlover #easydessert
KEY LIME PIE CAKE 💚 everything I love about key li KEY LIME PIE CAKE 💚 everything I love about key lime pie, in layer cake form! It’s soft key lime cake filled with homemade key lime curd and buttery graham cracker crumble, frosted with tangy key lime buttercream. The IDEAL summer cake and it honestly might be better than the pie if you ask me 🙃

Get the full recipe link in my bio or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/key-lime-pie-cake/ 

#keylimepie #keylimecake #keylime #cakedecorating #layercake
LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE 🍋♥️ this cake has the dreamie LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE 🍋♥️ this cake has the dreamiest layers: soft and zesty lemon cake with raspberries baked into every bite, thick homemade raspberry filling, and lemon raspberry buttercream with the prettiest natural color 😍 
 
✨recipe linked in my bio or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/lemon-raspberry-layer-cake/
 
#lemonraspberry #lemoncake #raspberrycake #pinkcake #layercake
SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM ✨I could eat this salty SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM ✨I could eat this salty-sweet caramel frosting by the spoonful but it’s absolutely delicious on cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and more 🙌🏽 I use my homemade EASY salted caramel recipe here but you can use any salted caramel sauce that you love.⁣

✨Full recipe (including homemade salted caramel) + cake pairing suggestions are on my blog at https://sugarandsparrow.com/salted-caramel-buttercream-recipe/ 
⁣
SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM⁣
Yield: 2.5 Cups ⁣
⁣
INGREDIENTS⁣
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature⁣
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar⁣
2 tsp vanilla extract⁣
1/2 Cup (120ml) salted caramel sauce, room temperature⁣
Pinch of salt⁣
⁣
INSTRUCTIONS:⁣
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until it’s creamy and light in color, 5-6 minutes. ⁣
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each interval.⁣
3. With the mixer still on low, mix in the vanilla extract, salted caramel, and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully combined. ⁣
⁣
#saltedcaramel #caramel #cakedecorating #frosting #buttercream
NO-CHURN BERRY CRISP ICE CREAM✨you don’t need any NO-CHURN BERRY CRISP ICE CREAM✨you don’t need any fancy equipment to whip up this delicious ice cream that tastes JUST like berry crisp a la mode! I layered my favorite 3-ingredient no-churn vanilla ice cream base with ribbons of homemade berry filling + buttery oat streusel in every bite. Even if you’ve never made ice cream from scratch before, I promise you can master this recipe!! 
 
🍦Full recipe linked in my bio or find it at https://sugarandsparrow.com/no-churn-berry-crisp-ice-cream/

#nochurnicecream #icecream #icecreamlover #berries #summerdessert

Footer

On the Blog

  • Cake Basics
  • Recipes
  • Tutorials

Info

  • About
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure

stay in the know

Copyright © 2026 · Theme by Sugar & Sparrow