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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

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@sugarandsparrowco

PEACHES AND CREAM CAKE 🍑 I have not been able to s PEACHES AND CREAM CAKE 🍑 I have not been able to stop thinking about how tender this cake is (even when chilled!) + every bite has the most refreshing, creamy peach flavor 🙌🏼 it’s layers of extra soft vanilla cake, homemade peach syrup, brown sugar peach filling, and cloud-like whipped cream frosting. Best use of your late summer peaches imo!

Comment “PEACH CAKE” and I’ll send the recipe straight to you 💌 or find the recipe at https://sugarandsparrow.com/peaches-and-cream-cake/

#peachesandcream #peachcake #whippedcreamcake #peaches #cakedecorating
OREO CAKE 🖤 with black cocoa powder in those moist OREO CAKE 🖤 with black cocoa powder in those moist chocolate cake layers (same main ingredient in Oreo cookie shells!) + cookies and cream buttercream, the flavor profile of this cake is so spot on!! Make this for the Oreo lover in your life 😍
  
Get the recipe at https://sugarandsparrow.com/oreo-cake-recipe/
  
#cookiesandcream #oreocake #oreo #blackvelvet #chocolatecake 
EASY FUDGE BROWNIE ICE CREAM 🤎 (recipe below) the EASY FUDGE BROWNIE ICE CREAM 🤎 (recipe below) the easiest no-churn chocolate ice cream with gooey brownies + ribbons of fudge in every bite!! Even if you’ve never made ice cream before, you’ll be amazed at how easy this is to make without an ice cream maker 

🍦Full recipe at https://sugarandsparrow.com/no-churn-fudge-brownie-ice-cream/ + more no-churn ice cream recipes linked in my bio 

INGREDIENTS
2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
3/4 cup (4oz, 135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup (30g) cocoa powder 
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2 cups brownie chunks (store bought or homemade) 
6 oz hot fudge sauce

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large chilled bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer (or stand mixer w/ whisk attachment) until stiff peaks form, about 2-4 minutes. Place into refrigerator.
2. Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate, then whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. 
4. Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the chocolate condensed milk mixture. Then, pour the chocolate mixture into the remaining whipped cream and fold together until combined. Fold in the brownie chunks. 
5. Scoop large spoonfuls of the brownie ice cream mixture into a loaf pan along with a few smaller spoonfuls of the hot fudge sauce. Use a wooden skewer or butter knife to swirl the hot fudge and create ribbons as you go. Continue adding and swirling until all of it is in the loaf pan.
6. Press the reserved brownies into the top of the ice cream, then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Freeze for 6-8 hours, after which the ice cream should be semi-firm, scoop-able, and ready to enjoy!

#nochurnicecream #brownieicecream #chocolateicecream #nobake #icecreamlover
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

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