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Sugar & Sparrow

Lifestyle and Cake from Portland Oregon

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vanilla buttercream

the best vanilla cupcakes recipe

March 1, 2026 · In: Cupcakes, Featured, Recipes

The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Originally published in 2018, this vanilla cupcake recipe has become my go-to (and many of yours)! I recently updated the photos to showcase how beautifully moist and fluffy they are….

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Sugar and sparrow vanilla sheet cake

July 3, 2025 · In: Cake, Featured, Recipes, Sheet Cakes

The Best Vanilla Sheet Cake Recipe

For all the times you want a delicious vanilla cake but don’t want the commitment of decorating a full-on layer cake, this vanilla sheet cake is just the thing. It’s…

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banana split cupcakes recipe

June 12, 2019 · In: Cupcakes, Featured, Recipes, Seasonal, Summer

Banana Split Cupcakes 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!…

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milk and cookies cake

February 8, 2019 · In: Cake, Featured, Recipes

Milk & Cookies Cake Recipe

One of my favorite go-to things to bake are actually the simplest things ever: chocolate chip cookies. I don’t have a fancy recipe (I literally just use the one on…

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christmas floral cake tutorial

December 3, 2018 · In: Featured, Holiday, Seasonal, Tutorials

Holiday Floral Buttercream Cake Tutorial

I’ve been in the Holiday spirit since before Thanksgiving, which is about the time all the cute decorations hit the shelves and the Christmas music started flooding the radio stations….

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salted caramel apple cake

November 12, 2018 · In: Cake, Fall, Featured, Recipes, Seasonal

Salted Caramel Apple Cake Recipe

Fall is officially here and this salted caramel apple cake is the perfect way to celebrate! It features layers of super moist, perfectly spiced apple cake with an easy homemade…

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smooth buttercream cake tutorial

June 28, 2018 · In: Cake Basics, Featured, Tutorials

How To Frost A Cake With Smooth Buttercream

One of the most frequent questions I get as a cake decorator is how I get my buttercream cakes so smooth and sharp. To answer you, I’m going to be…

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smores cake recipe

June 25, 2018 · In: Cake, Featured, Recipes, Seasonal, Summer

Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Cake Recipe

There’s something about me you’ve got to know: I really really love s’mores. I had my first one as a kid sitting around a crackling campfire under the stars and…

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sugar and sparrow

June 7, 2018 · In: Cake, Lifestyle, Recipes

Nutella Banana Cake with Toasted Meringue

Huzzah! It’s my birthday! Well, technically it was last week but I’m still celebrating. I’m a whopping 32 years old now, and although I usually dread birthdays because of the…

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Welcome to Sugar & Sparrow

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strawberry cupcakes recipe with strawberry frosting

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ALMOND JOY CAKE 🤎🥥 this tastes just like an Almond ALMOND JOY CAKE 🤎🥥 this tastes just like an Almond Joy candy bar in cake form: layers of soft, fluffy coconut cake with silky chocolate ganache, sliced almonds, and the dreamiest coconut-almond buttercream! 

Comment RECIPE and I’ll send it on over! Or find it linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/almond-joy-cake-recipe/

#almondjoy #coconutcake #almondcake #cakedecorating #candycake
You butter believe I made myself the Halloween cos You butter believe I made myself the Halloween costume of my dreams!! 🧈 

#diyhalloweencostume
#foodcostume #halloweencostume #handmadecostume #bakerlife
MELTED CANDLE CUPCAKES 🖤🕯give me a few cupcakes, s MELTED CANDLE CUPCAKES 🖤🕯give me a few cupcakes, some dye-free black buttercream, and black chocolate ganache and watch me transform them into the spookiest edible centerpiece! 

Full tutorial is linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/melting-candle-cupcakes/ but I have a condensed version below: 
 
SUPPLIES: ⁣ 
-9 cupcakes⁣  (made these with my small batch black velvet cake recipe!) 
-1 batch of dye-free black buttercream 
-boba straws or skewers (for stabilizing the taller candles) ⁣ 
-icing smoother + turntable ⁣ 
-black ganache for dripping⁣ 
-3 birthday cake candles⁣ 
-matches ⁣ to light them
⁣ 
INSTRUCTIONS: ⁣ 
1. Fill and stack the cupcakes: one stack of 2 cupcakes, one stack of 3 cupcakes, and one stack of 4 cupcakes. For the two taller cupcakes I inserted a boba straw through the middle to stabilize the stack for frosting. ⁣ 
2. Frost the stacked cupcakes with smooth buttercream and keep the top edge raw. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the frosting firm up. ⁣ 
3. Transfer the frosted cupcake candles  onto a small plate and pipe ganache around the edges and tops to look like melted wax. ⁣ 
4. Insert a birthday cake candle into each cake candle (keep the wick about 1/4 inch from the cake surface) and light! ⁣ 
⁣ 
#candlecake #halloweencake #cupcakes #blackvelvetcake #blackbuttercream
BISCOFF COOKIE BUTTERCREAM 🤎 this delicious frosti BISCOFF COOKIE BUTTERCREAM 🤎 this delicious frosting is flavored with Biscoff cookie butter and goes with literally ANY Fall cake recipe 🙌🏼 So far my favorite cake flavors to pair it with are pumpkin cake, banana cake, chocolate cake, coffee cake, and spice cake, but I am also testing a full-on Biscoff cake this week!! 

Full recipe + my favorite cake pairing suggestions are at https://sugarandsparrow.com/biscoff-buttercream/ 
⁣⁣ 
INGREDIENTS⁣⁣ 
1 Cups (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature⁣⁣ 
1/2 Cup (94g) Biscoff cookie butter⁣⁣ or spread
3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar⁣⁣ 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract⁣⁣ 
2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature⁣⁣ 
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste⁣⁣ 
⁣⁣ 
INSTRUCTIONS⁣⁣ 
1. Cream the butter and Biscoff cookie butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a hand mixer and large bowl). Mix on medium-high until creamy and well combined, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.⁣⁣ 
2. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after mixing in each addition. Add the vanilla, milk, and salt and continue mixing on low speed until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes.⁣ 
⁣⁣ 
#biscoffcake #biscoff #buttercream #frosting #cakedecorating
DYE-FREE BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES 🖤 These all black c DYE-FREE BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES 🖤 These all black cupcakes use black cocoa powder (and NO food coloring!) to achieve that rich black color for the cupcakes + black buttercream. That means they won’t turn anyone’s mouth black AND they taste like Oreo cookies in deliciously moist cupcake form 👻

✨Full recipe (with dye-free black buttercream) is linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/black-velvet-cupcakes/ 

BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES
Yield: 14 cupcakes

1 Cup (132g) all purpose flour
3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/3 Cup (38g) black cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 Cup (120ml) full-fat buttermilk*
1/2 Cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. Place all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together to combine. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot coffee (or hot water) and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Cool completely before frosting with dye-free black buttercream (full recipe linked in my bio).

*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand (I rarely do!), use 1/2 Cup whole milk mixed with 1 1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice. 

#blackcupcakes #blackbuttercream #blackcocoapowder #halloweencupcakes #halloweenbaking

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