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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

no-churn cookie dough ice cream cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

The BEST Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

easter egg cake tutorial

Colorful (Edible!) Easter Egg Cake Toppers Tutorial

no churn dulce de leche ice cream recipe by sugar and sparrow

No Churn Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

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@sugarandsparrowco

TOP 10 BIRTHDAY CAKES 🥳 These are just a few of my TOP 10 BIRTHDAY CAKES 🥳 These are just a few of my favorite birthday cake recipes that will make anyone feel special! 

Comment “BIRTHDAY” and I’ll send you all 24+ of my favorite birthday cake ideas –  classics like funfetti cake and yellow cake with chocolate frosting, plus ice cream cakes, sheet cakes, and more complex flavor combos like Snickers cake and Millionaire cake. 

https://sugarandsparrow.com/best-birthday-cake-recipes/

#birthdaycake #partycake #birthdaycakeideas #cakeinspiration #cakeideas
BERRIES & CREAM SHEET CAKE 🍓🫐 deliciously light, n BERRIES & CREAM SHEET CAKE 🍓🫐 deliciously light, naturally stunning, and the easiest cake you’ll want to make all Summer long!! It’s my favorite bakery-style vanilla sheet cake that’s so soft and moist, topped with silky whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh berries. I love how quickly this cake comes together with simple ingredients + doesn’t require any fancy cake decorating techniques to make it a showstopper✨

Grab the recipe link in my bio or find it at https://sugarandsparrow.com/berries-and-cream-sheet-cake/

#berrycake #berriesandcream #sheetcake #whippedcreamfrosting #cakedecorating
FUNFETTI SHEET CAKE 🥳 the most celebratory flavor FUNFETTI SHEET CAKE 🥳 the most celebratory flavor of all and so perfect for a crowd. It’s extra soft and moist vanilla cake speckled with rainbow sprinkles + captures that box mix texture but it’s 100% homemade and EASY! Top it with vanilla buttercream and rainbow sprinkles for the perfect party cake 🎉
 
Full recipe (w/ frosting) at the link in my bio or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/funfetti-sheet-cake/ 

INGREDIENTS 
2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour 
2 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp salt 
3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temp 
1 3/4 Cup (340g) granulated white sugar 
3 large eggs, room temp 
1/2 Cup (120g) sour cream, room temp 
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 
1 Cup (240ml) whole milk, room temp 
1/3 Cup (60g) rainbow sprinkles, coated in 1 tsp flour 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163ºC). Grease and line a 9×13 baking pan. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.  
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a large bowl and hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 min. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high speed. 
4. Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on low speed until just combined, then add the milk and mix until just incorporated.  
5. Coat the rainbow sprinkles in 1 teaspoon of flour, then gently fold them into the cake batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the baking dish until room temperature, then decorate with vanilla buttercream + rainbow sprinkles (full recipe link in bio!) 
 
#funfetti #funfetticake #sheetcake #cake #birthdaycake
COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM CAKE 🍪🍦this is the birthday COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM CAKE 🍪🍦this is the birthday cake of my DREAMS and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you!! It’s chocolate and vanilla no-churn ice creams with homemade cookie dough chunks in every bite, swirled together and set on a delicious Oreo cookie crust 😍 easy, perfectly sliceable, and ideal for making ahead! I’m already dreaming about when I can make it again ✨

Get the recipe link in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-ice-cream-cake/

#birthdaycake #icecreamcake #cakedecorating #nochurnicecream #icecreamlover
My kitchen in May 💛 some of these recipes had me f My kitchen in May 💛 some of these recipes had me feeling CRAZY with how many tests they took 🤪 but in the end I am so happy with these ones I got to hit the publish button on + I made my DREAM birthday cake that I can’t wait to share ASAP!!

Comment “MAY” to get all the recipes that are available now:

-Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
-Lemon Cupcakes
-Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
-Orange Poppyseed Cake
-Whipped Mascarpone Frosting
-No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake
-Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

https://sugarandsparrow.com/everything-i-baked-in-may
 
#dessert #bakersofinstagram #baking #bakinglove #dessertlovers

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