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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” โ€“ 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, youโ€™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 youโ€™re craving, leave me a comment and they might make it onto my baking list!

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

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EASY HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMELโœจ(recipe below) even i EASY HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMELโœจ(recipe below) even if youโ€™ve never made salted caramel from scratch before, this recipe is VERY beginner friendly + nearly fail proof! There are only 4 ingredients involved, no candy thermometer required, and takes just 10 minutes to make ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿฝ this is my go-to caramel for drip cakes, drizzling desserts, flavoring coffee, adding it to buttercream, and so much more! ๐Ÿฏ โ€‰
โ€‰
Full recipe (with video + detailed instructions) linked in my bio or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/salted-caramel-recipe/
โฃโ€‰
SALTED CARAMELโ€‰
Yield: 1.25 Cupโฃs
โฃโฃโ€‰
Ingredients:โฃโฃโ€‰
1ย Cupย (200g) white granulated sugarโฃโฃโ€‰
6ย Tbspย (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubesโฃโฃโ€‰
1/2ย Cupย (120ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperatureโฃโฃโ€‰
1 1/4ย tspย kosher saltโฃโฃโ€‰
โฃโฃโ€‰
Instructions:โฃโฃโ€‰
1. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly until it melts into an amber-colored liquid and no sugar clumps remain, 5-6 minutes.ย โฃโฃโ€‰
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the butter (it will bubble up when you do) and use a whisk to combine it with the sugar mixture until the butter is fully melted and incorporated, 2-3 minutes.ย โฃโฃโ€‰
3. Add the heavy whipping cream in a steady stream while whisking. As soon as the cream is incorporated, let the caramel boil for a full minute before removing it from the heat and stirring in the salt.ย โฃโฃโ€‰
4. Let the caramel cool to room temperature before using it in a cake recipe or as a drip. If youโ€™re using it to drizzle over ice cream or warm baked goods, you only need to cool it slightly (20 minutes or so). It will thicken as it cools.ย โฃโฃโ€‰
โฃโฃโ€‰
#caramelย #saltedcaramelย #bakedfromscratch #caramelcakeย #caramelsauce
SPICE CAKE ๐ŸคŽ filled + frosted with brown butter cr SPICE CAKE ๐ŸคŽ filled + frosted with brown butter cream cheese frosting for the dreamiest Fall cake!! These spice cake layers are perfectly moist with the ideal amount of spice, and the rich nutty caramel notes combined with the classic tang of cream cheese frosting take the flavor beyond.

Comment RECIPE and Iโ€™ll send it right to you! Or find the full recipe linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/spice-cake-recipe/

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4ย Cupsย (298g) all purpose flour
1ย tspย baking powder
1ย tspย baking soda
1/2ย tspย salt
1ย Tbspย ground cinnamon
1ย tspย ground allspice
1ย tspย ground ginger
1/2ย tspย ground nutmeg
1/4ย tspย ground cloves
1 3/4ย Cupsย (350g) packed brown sugarย 
3/4ย Cupย (180ml) vegetable oil
1ย Cupย (240g) unsweetened applesauce
4ย large eggs, room temperature
2ย tspย pure vanilla extract
1ย Cupย (240ml) buttermilk, room temp

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350ยบF (177ยบC). Grease and line three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add the brown sugar, vegetable oil, and unsweetened applesauce. Whisk together until uniform, then whisk in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla.
4. Whisk in half of the dry ingredients, followed by all of the buttermilk, then the rest of the dry ingredients. 
5. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.ย Cool completely before frosting (full recipe with brown butter cream cheese frosting linked in my bio)

#spicecakeย #cakedecoratingย #layercakeย #cakeloverย #creamcheesefrosting
PUMPKIN CUPCAKES ๐Ÿงก topped with spiced cream cheese PUMPKIN CUPCAKES ๐Ÿงก topped with spiced cream cheese frosting to give every bite the most heavenly pumpkin spice flavor! The perfect cupcakes to kick off your fall baking ๐Ÿ‚

Comment RECIPE and Iโ€™ll send it right to you!

You can also find the link in my bio (or google โ€˜Sugar and Sparrow Pumpkin Cupcakesโ€™) 

#pumpkinspiceย #pumpkincakeย #pumpkinseasonย #falldessertsย #creamcheesefrosting
OATMEAL CREME PIE CAKE ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ Iโ€™m always thinking abou OATMEAL CREME PIE CAKE ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ Iโ€™m always thinking about this cake during back-to-school season because Oatmeal Creme Pies take me right back to my elementary school days! Itโ€™s layers of tender brown sugar oatmeal cake with the gooiest homemade marshmallow filling and tastes just like the real deal in cake form โ€“ perfect party cake for an Oatmeal Creme Pie lover! 

Full recipe linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/oatmeal-creme-pie-cake/โ€‰
โ€‰
#oatmealcremepie #vintagecake #layercake #partycake #cakedecorating
NO-BAKE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE โœจthis is the perfect EA NO-BAKE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE โœจthis is the perfect EASY no-bake dessert for Fall and I cannot get over the incredible spiced caramel flavor!! I added Biscoff cookie butter to my favorite no-bake cheesecake base, piled it onto a Biscoff cookie crust, then topped it with a melted cookie butter drip + tons of crunchy cookie crumbs. โ€‰
โ€‰
๐ŸคŽFull recipe linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/no-bake-biscoff-cheesecake/โ€‰
โ€‰
BISCOFF CRUST:โ€‰
1ย 8.8oz package Biscoff cookies (250g)โ€‰
1/3ย Cupย (75g) unsalted butter, meltedโ€‰
โ€‰
FILLING:โ€‰
16ย Ozย (452g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temp 
1/4ย Cupย (50g) powdered sugarโ€‰
3/4ย Cupย (210g) creamy Biscoff cookie butterโ€‰
1ย tspย ground cinnamonโ€‰
1ย tspย pure vanilla extractโ€‰
1ย Cupย (240ml) heavy whipping cream, coldโ€‰
โ€‰
INSTRUCTIONS:โ€‰
1. Combine the Biscoff crust ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand, then press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. โ€‰
2. In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth, then add the powdered sugar, cookie butter, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix until smooth. โ€‰
3. In a separate medium bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks, then fold into the cream cheese mixture until no streaks remain.โ€‰
4. Add the filling on top of the Biscoff crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.โ€‰
5. Once set, top with melted cookie butter and crushed Biscoff cookies.โ€‰
โ€‰
#biscoffย #biscoffcheesecakeย #nobakecheesecakeย #biscoffcakeย #nobakeย 

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