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Sugar & Sparrow

Lifestyle and Cake from Portland Oregon

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My Favorite Tools

vegan vanilla buttercream recipe by sugar and sparrow

The right tool can be the difference between a cake and a caketastrophe.

These are all of the caking and content creation tools I’ve come to love over the years and use on the daily. Whether you’re brand new to cake baking or a seasoned pro, you’ll find something on this page to help on your journey.

Visit my Amazon Store

I’ve set up an Amazon Store that collects all my favorite tools in an up-to-date storefront.

VISIT THE STORE

Tool Section Shortcuts

Baking Tools
Decorating Tools
Piping Tools
Content Creation Tools

Baking tools

kitchenaid stand mixer in pistachio

5-Quart KitchenAid Mixer

The perfect all-purpose stand mixer for whipping up layer cakes, cupcakes, and up to three batches of buttercream.

Buy on Amazon
kitchenaid 7 quart stand mixer in milkshake

7-Quart KitchenAid Mixer

The perfect large batch stand mixer for whipping up layer cakes, cupcakes, and up to eight batches of buttercream.

Buy on Amazon
kitchenaid paddle attachment

KitchenAid Paddle Attachment

The ideal attachment for mixing cakes, cupcakes, and buttercream. Designed for perfect results.

Buy on Amazon
kitchenaid whisk attachment

KitchenAid Whisk Attachment

The ideal attachment for whipping cream and meringue. Designed to incorporate lots of air.

Buy on Amazon
4 inch cake pans

4-inch Cake Pans (Set of Four)

A set of four mini cake pans that have a removable bottom for easy release! Perfect for my small batch cake recipes.

Buy on Amazon
6 inch cake pans

6-inch Cake Pans (Set of Four)

My go-to for party cakes, as three layers will serve up to 18. I recommend having at least three of these pans.

Buy on Amazon
8 inch cake pans

8-inch Cake Pans (Set of 2)

A double-layer 8-inch cake is a great size for a party. I recommend having at least two of these pans.

Buy on Amazon
24 cup cupcake pan

24-Cup Muffin Pan (for Cupcakes)

A great pan for baking two dozen cupcakes at once, which is a life saver if you’re making larger batches!

Buy on Amazon
OXO kitchen scale

OXO 11-Pound Kitchen Scale

My recipes are written in American Cups and metric measurements, and it’s always more precise to bake by weight.

Buy on Amazon

Decorating tools

norpro icing smoother

NorPro 6-Inch Icing Smoother

This is my favorite tool for frosting smooth buttercream cakes.

Buy on Amazon
wilton icing spatula set

Wilton Icing Spatula Set of 3

Three essential icing spatulas in one set! I love the gold/navy color combination of these.

Buy on Amazon
wilton cake leveler

Wilton Adjustable Cake Leveler

The easiest tool for leveling your cake layers or torting them horizontally.

Buy on Amazon
13 inch icing spatula

13-inch Angled Icing Spatula

My go-to icing spatula for applying buttercream to cakes and smoothing the top.

Buy on Amazon
9 inch straight icing spatula

9-inch Straight Icing Spatula

This straight icing spatula is the perfect size to spread filling in between your cake layers.

Buy on Amazon
9 inch angled icing spatula

9-inch Angled Icing Spatula

The best size icing spatula for creating sharp edges on your buttercream cakes.

Buy on Amazon
cake turntable

Cake Turntable

A turntable is necessary for frosting smooth buttercream cakes, and this is a great budget-friendly option.

Buy on Amazon
ateco turntable

Ateco Turntable

A high quality turntable that will last a lifetime. It comes with a non-slip pad to place under your cakes.

Buy on Amazon
icing comb set

Icing Comb Set

My preferred way to add decorative texture to your buttercream cakes with minimal effort.

Buy on Amazon

Piping tools

disposable piping bags

Disposable Piping Bags

A pack of 100 disposable piping bags that are high quality (nice and thick).

Buy on Amazon
Wilton Tip 1m

Wilton Tip 1M

The perfect tip for piping rosettes and swirls on cakes and cupcakes.

Buy on Amazon
wilton tip 4b

Wilton Tip 4B

My go-to piping tip for decorating cakes and cupcakes with open stars.

Buy on Amazon
wilton tip 104

Wilton Tip 104

The perfect tip for piping buttercream flowers and ruffles.

Buy on Amazon
wilton 352

Wilton Tip 352

My go-to tip for piping leaves to accent buttercream flowers and succulents.

Buy on Amazon
Wilton Tip 2D

Wilton Tip 2D

A great tip for piping realistic rosettes on cakes and cupcakes.

Buy on Amazon
Wilton Tip 233

Wilton Tip 233

The best tip for piping shag buttercream (or grass, or fur textures).

Buy on Amazon
Wilton Tip 2

Wilton Tip 2

The perfect size for writing a message on your cake or piping small dots.

Buy on Amazon
Wilton Tip 3

Wilton Tip 3

Slightly larger opening than Tip 2. Perfect for writing and piping dots.

Buy on Amazon
americolor heavenly seventy

AmeriColor Heavenly Seventy Set

70 highly concentrated colors for tinting your buttercream any color you can imagine.

Buy on Amazon
wilton color right food color gels

Wilton Color Right System

8 concentrated food color gels with instructions for custom mixing any color you want.

Buy on Amazon
sprinkle pop sprinkles

Sprinkle Pop Sprinkles

My favorite brand of sprinkles for decorating cakes. There are so many options for any color palette, theme, or season.

Buy on Amazon

Content Creation tools

If you’re wondering what tools I use for food photography and videography, here are some of my essentials. You’ll find even more in my Content Creator Tools list on Amazon.

canon 800d t7i

Canon 800D/t7i

This was my very first DSLR camera and I still use it to this day. It made the transition from iPhone to real camera pretty seamless. Very beginner-friendly and takes amazing photos and video.

Buy on Amazon
canon 50mm lens

Canon 50mm Lens

The ideal lens for food photography and portraits. I researched lenses a TON and this was the one recommended across the board. The nifty fifty.

Buy on Amazon
canon rp

Canon RP

This is a full-frame camera that’s very user friendly. I used it for a lot of my book photography and still use it as a secondary camera. It also shoots video in 4K.

Buy on Amazon
fifine usb microphone

Fifine USB Microphone

This is the microphone I use to record all of my voiceovers for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It has amazing sound quality and is so user (and budget!) friendly.

Buy on Amazon

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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!

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Featured Posts

chocolate caramel pecan pie cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake with Salted Caramel

no churn chocolate fudge brownie ice cream scoops

No-Churn Fudge Brownie Ice Cream

sprinkle number cake topper tutorial

DIY Sprinkled Number Cake Toppers Tutorial

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@sugarandsparrowco

OATMEAL CREME PIE CAKE 🙌🏼 I’m always thinking abou OATMEAL CREME PIE CAKE 🙌🏼 I’m always thinking about this cake during back-to-school season because Oatmeal Creme Pies take me right back to my elementary school days! It’s layers of tender brown sugar oatmeal cake with the gooiest homemade marshmallow filling and tastes just like the real deal in cake form – perfect party cake for an Oatmeal Creme Pie lover! 

Full recipe linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/oatmeal-creme-pie-cake/ 
 
#oatmealcremepie #vintagecake #layercake #partycake #cakedecorating
NO-BAKE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE ✨this is the perfect EA NO-BAKE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE ✨this 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.  
 
🤎Full recipe linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/no-bake-biscoff-cheesecake/ 
 
BISCOFF CRUST: 
1 8.8oz package Biscoff cookies (250g) 
1/3 Cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted 
 
FILLING: 
16 Oz (452g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temp 
1/4 Cup (50g) powdered sugar 
3/4 Cup (210g) creamy Biscoff cookie butter 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
1. Combine the Biscoff crust ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand, then press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  
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.  
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. 
4. Add the filling on top of the Biscoff crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. 
5. Once set, top with melted cookie butter and crushed Biscoff cookies. 
 
#biscoff #biscoffcheesecake #nobakecheesecake #biscoffcake #nobake 
A mini pumpkin spice latte cake to celebrate my SI A mini pumpkin spice latte cake to celebrate my SIL 🥳 two 6-inch layers of spiced pumpkin cake with the most delicious coffee buttercream + a little vintage piping for good measure ☕️ making a birthday cake for my family and friends will always be my favorite love language!!

👩🏽‍🍳 Recipes: perfect pumpkin layer cake + coffee buttercream (both found at sugarandsparrow.com) or you can find a dedicated PSL cake recipe in my book! 
✨ Piping Tips: @wiltoncakes tip 3 for the writing + tip 4B for the borders
☕️ Garnish: chocolate covered espresso beans

#pumpkincake #birthdaycake #pumpkinspicelatte #minicake #cakedecorating
BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 🤎🧈 brown butter BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 🤎🧈 brown butter is the KEY to making cream cheese frosting even better! You get the tang of cream cheese but with rich, nutty caramelized notes of brown butter and it’s HEAVENLY on any Fall cake 🙌🏼 I paired with my carrot cake recipe here but it’s also incredible with spice cake, pumpkin cake, chocolate cake, and more! 

Full recipe + all my favorite cake pairing suggestions in my bio and here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/brown-butter-cream-cheese-frosting/

BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 
YIELD: 3.5 Cups  
 
INGREDIENTS 
1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter 
8 Oz (226g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature NOT the spread 
4 Cups (480g) powdered sugar 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
pinch of salt, or to taste 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
1. Brown the butter: Add the butter into a large frying pan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes while stirring constantly. First it will foam, then bubble as little white particles of milk solids separate, then the white specks will caramelize and turn medium-brown and smell deliciously nutty. Remove from heat, transfer to a glass container, and cool until it re-solidifies and is the consistency of softened butter (about 45 minutes in fridge).  
2. Add the cooled brown butter into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the cream cheese. Mix on medium-high until fluffy and light in color, 5 min, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. 
3. 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 and salt and continue mixing on low speed until smooth and uniform. 
 
#brownbutter #creamcheesefrosting #creamcheese #buttercream #cakedecorating
MILKY WAY CAKE 🍫✨this tastes JUST like a Milky Way MILKY WAY CAKE 🍫✨this tastes JUST like a Milky Way candy bar, but in cake form! It’s layers of decadent chocolate cake filled with homemade chocolate nougat and gooey caramel, then topped with chocolate buttercream. A MUST try if you love Milky Way 😍
 
Comment RECIPE and I’ll send it straight to your inbox or find it at https://sugarandsparrow.com/milky-way-cake-recipe/ 
⁣ 
#milkywaycake #caramel #chocolatecake #chocolatecaramelcake #cakesofinstagram

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