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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

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Featured Posts

red velvet cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

carrot cake recipe small batch

Small Batch Carrot Cake

cookie bar recipe with halloween candy bars

Halloween Candy Cookie Bars

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@sugarandsparrowco

LEMON CUPCAKES 🍋 after about a dozen recipe tes LEMON CUPCAKES 🍋 after about a dozen recipe tests, this one is everything I could want in a lemon cupcake! Fluffy-yet-moist, bursting with natural lemon flavor, and absolutely irresistible topped with lemon cream cheese buttercream. 

Full recipe (with frosting) linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/homemade-lemon-cupcakes/

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup (132g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup (60ml) whole milk, room temperature
3 Tbsp (45ml) lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºF) and line a standard cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer and large bowl), add the lemon zest to the sugar and mix on low speed until fragrant and well combined, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice with the milk and set aside. 
4. Add the butter to the lemon-sugar mixture and cream on medium speed until and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable oil and beat until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.
5. Mix in the eggs one at a time on low speed, then add the vanilla and turn the mixer to medium speed for one minute.
6. Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the lemon-milk mixture. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
7. Divide the batter equally between the liners and bake for 14-18 min. Cool, then top with frosting of your choice (link in bio for lemon cream cheese frosting)�
#lemoncupcakes #creamcheesefrosting #lemon #cupcakes #cupcakedecorating
April in my kitchen 🌸 I published 5 NEW recipes April in my kitchen 🌸 I published 5 NEW recipes on my site, baked my Oreo cupcake recipe for a fundraiser and found it was just as delicious as I remember, and filmed/photographed 3 recipes that will be on my blog in May (Lemon Cupcakes, Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream, and No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake) 🥰 

Comment “APRIL” to get all the available recipes and stay tuned for more! 

#bakersofinstagram #springbaking #cakedecorating #cupcakes #bakinglove
SHEET PAN COOKIE CAKE 🍪 slice it warm for a fud SHEET PAN COOKIE CAKE 🍪 slice it warm for a fudgy chocolate chip cookie OR let it settle into a moist and chewy cookie cake that’s perfect for decorating! My fave vanilla buttercream + sprinkles turn this giant chocolate chip cookie into the perfect birthday cake alternative at the end 🥳
⁣
Full recipe + decorating ideas at https://sugarandsparrow.com/sheet-pan-chocolate-chip-cookie-cake/
⁣
INGREDIENTS⁣
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted⁣
1 1/3 Cups (267g) packed light or dark brown sugar⁣
1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar⁣
3 large eggs⁣
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract⁣
1 tsp baking soda⁣
1 tsp cornstarch⁣
1/2 tsp salt⁣
3 Cups (398g) all purpose flour⁣
2 Cups (350g) semi-sweet chocolate chips⁣
⁣
INSTRUCTIONS⁣
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and line a 13×18 inch sheet pan.⁣
2. In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over the top of the sugars. Whisk together until uniform. Add the eggs and vanilla, then continue whisking until uniform. Whisk in the baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.⁣
3. Add the flour and use a silicone spatula to fold it in until smooth cookie dough forms. Reserve 1/2 Cup of the chocolate chips and set them aside, then fold the remaining 1 1/2 Cups of chocolate chips into the cookie dough.⁣
4. Place the chocolate chip cookie dough onto the prepared sheet pan and use an offset spatula to spread it all the way to the edges in an even layer.⁣
5. Bake the cookie cake for 14-16 minutes, until it looks golden brown on the edges and set. 
6. Enjoy warm or let it cool and decorate with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles! ⁣
⁣
#cookiecake #chocolatechipcookies #sheetcake #birthdaycake #cakedecorating
STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES 🍓based on my beloved strawb STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES 🍓based on my beloved strawberry layer cake recipe, this cupcake version is just as moist yet fluffy and bursting with natural strawberry flavor! Between the mix of fresh strawberries in the cupcakes + freeze-dried strawberries in the frosting, the flavor is out of this world 🚀

Full recipe link in my bio (with strawberry buttercream) + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/strawberry-cupcakes/

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
Yield: 14 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
5 oz (143g) fresh or frozen strawberries
1/3 Cup (80ml) whole milk, room temp
1 1/2 Cups (158g) sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temp
1 Cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
3 Tbsp (45g) sour cream, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 drop pink food coloring (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS: 
1. Puree the strawberries using a food processor (you’ll have about 1/2 cup of puree), then place into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 10-15 min, stirring occasionally, until you have 1/4 cup. Refrigerate until room temp.
2. Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a standard cupcake pan with liners.
3. Whisk together the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
4. In a stand mixer w/ paddle attachment (or hand mixer + large bowl), whip the butter on high for 2 min. Add sugar and beat for 2 min, until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 min. Meanwhile, whisk together the strawberry puree, whole milk, and food coloring (if using).
5. Turn the mixer off and add all of the dry ingredients at once. Mix on low until just combined, then add the strawberry milk mixture until just combined, about 30 seconds.
6. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 14-18 minutes. Cool completely before topping with strawberry buttercream (full recipe linked above). 

#strawberrycupcakes #strawberrycake #pinkcupcakes #strawberry #cupcakes
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM (recipe below)☕️ this frost COFFEE BUTTERCREAM (recipe below)☕️ this frosting has AMAZING coffee flavor, is so easy to decorate cakes with, and pairs beautifully with so many flavors (chocolate, vanilla, or any cake flavor you’d want to turn into a latte). 

All my cake pairing suggestions are linked in my bio or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/coffee-buttercream-recipe/ 

COFFEE BUTTERCREAM⁣
Yield: 2.5 Cups⁣

INGREDIENTS⁣
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder⁣
1 1/2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature⁣
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature⁣
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar⁣
2 tsp pure vanilla extract⁣
Pinch of salt⁣

INSTRUCTIONS⁣
1. Combine the instant espresso/coffee with the whole milk and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on high until creamy and smooth (about 5 minutes), scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times in between.⁣
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals. Add the vanilla, the coffee/espresso milk mixture, and salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated, about one minute.⁣

#coffeebuttercream #buttercream #frosting #coffeecake

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