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Sugar & Sparrow

Lifestyle and Cake from Portland Oregon

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Sugar & Sparrow is TWO!

May 12, 2020 · In: Featured, Lifestyle

And just like that, Sugar & Sparrow is TWO years old! It feels so young and so old at the same time. This past year was all about growing in my recipe writing, getting better at food photography, and creating a steady stream of fun cake tutorials and videos. I learned a whole lot, but there’s so much more room to grow for year three and I’ve got some big ideas. Thanks for sticking with me and following along every step of the way! 

sugar and sparrow

To celebrate two years of cake blogging, I’ve partnered with my friends at Americolor to give away one of their incredible Heavenly Seventy Kits! Just like the name implies, this kit comes with seventy color gels that will take your cakes to the next level. Whether you’re tinting buttercream, cake batter, fondant, gumpaste, ganache, or any other food that can be tinted with water-based gel, Americolor has (in my humble opinion) the best colors on earth. They’re so concentrated that you don’t need to use much to get rich color, they don’t alter consistency, and they are tasteless so you never have to worry about ruining flavors. They will change your life when it comes to color palettes!

Americolor Heavenly Seventy Kit Giveaway by Sugar and Sparrow

For your chance to win this Heavenly Seventy Kit, be sure to follow along on my Instagram and keep your eye out for the giveaway post. The giveaway will be open from May 13th at 10:00am PST to May 14th at 11:59 PST. Aaaand it’s open WORLDWIDE, so as long as you’re over the age of 18 and have a valid shipping address, you’re good to go! 

Americolor Heavenly Seventy Kit
buttercream rainbow cake by sugar and sparrow

There are 20 different shades of Americolor gels on this rainbow cake just to show you a fraction of what you can expect with this Heavenly Seventy kit! The most beautiful colors ever.

So happy to celebrate this milestone and looking forward to all that year three will bring! The only thing I know for certain is that things will look a bit different around here. I’ll still be bringing you tasty recipes and fun cake tutorials, but I’m also working hard on a project I’m calling Cake Basics – a series of videos and blog posts that cover the very basics of cake making! I’ll be walking you through all the simple methods I’ve come to lean on over the years that make a world of difference, all in hopes of giving you even more confidence with your cake making. I can’t wait to show you! 

One other thing I’m certain of for year three: there will be 100% more baby pics on here than previous years. My sweet baby boy is due in August and I could not be more excited! 

sugar and sparrow baby bump

To wrap it all up and take a walk down memory lane, here are a few of my favorite recipes and decorating tutorials from this past year:

Floral Sheet Cake Tutorial

This is hands-down my favorite way to decorate a sheet cake. Just choose your favorite color palette, follow these quick and easy piping techniques, and you’ll end up with a beautiful cake for celebrating anything.

floral sheet cake tutorial by Sugar and Sparrow

Cactus Cake

A true crowd favorite, I love seeing this cactus cake recreated all over Instagram. Such a simple design, but these desert vibes are just so pretty! Featuring a buttercream ombre sunset, piped cacti, and edible (graham cracker) sand. 

cactus cake tutorial by sugar and sparrow

Lemon Layer Cake

Last spring, I decided to try my hand at the perfect lemon layer cake and I’m so proud of how this one turned out (after lots of tries!). I paired it with freeze-dried blueberry buttercream and oh my. Just look at how beautiful that buttercream is! Such a classic flavor pairing. 

lemon layer cake recipe with blueberry buttercream

Striped Buttercream Cake Tutorial

I finally learned how to use a cake comb for buttercream stripes and just love how perfectly spaced they turn out! This was another one of those techniques that took some trial and error, but this tutorial tells all in hopes of helping you create perfectly striped buttercream cakes. 

striped cake tutorial

Buttercream Painted Floral Cake 

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at spatula painted florals, here’s your chance! All you need is a great buttercream color scheme and a few palette knives. It’s basically art therapy at its tastiest. 

spatula painted floral cake by sugar and sparrow

Mint Chocolate Cookie Cake Recipe

This recipe was fully inspired by my love for Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, and if you’re a fan this cake will not disappoint! Layers of decadent mint chocolate cake, mint chocolate cookie crumbles, and mint chocolate chip buttercream. So tasty!   

mint chocolate cookie cake recipe

Knitted Sweater Cake

Inspired by the coziest wool yarn ever, the color and textures on this knitted sweater cake ended up so swoon worthy. This tutorial shows you how to get the look with just three piping tips and some easy buttercream techniques.

buttercream knitted sweater cake by Sugar and Sparrow

Thanks again for following along and encouraging me every step of the way! Can’t wait for what’s in store for year three. If you have any requests for recipes, tutorials, or videos, let me know in the comments below! 

By: Whitney · In: Featured, Lifestyle · Tagged: americolor, americolor giveaway, giveaway, rainbow cake, recipe roundup, sugar and sparrow, tutorial roundup, two year anniversary

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Comments

  1. Erin says

    May 12, 2020 at 9:31 am

    Happy Birthday, Sugar & Sparrow! After just two years, you’ve got a LOT of great content here, Whitney! You should be very proud of yourself 🙂 I follow a lot of baking blogs, but yours is by far my favorite for beautiful and surprisingly easy-to-mimic cake designs. LOVE that cactus cake, by the way; it’s so cute!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 12, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      Thank you so much, Erin! You are so kind and it makes me so happy to hear that you’ve found my blog helpful for your caking!!

      Reply
    • Carol L. says

      May 19, 2020 at 7:40 am

      Happy Birthday! Your posts are beautiful and inspiring. Always look forward to you creations.

      Reply
      • Whitney says

        May 20, 2020 at 10:19 pm

        Thank you so much, Carol!

        Reply
  2. Emily says

    May 12, 2020 at 2:39 pm

    This is so exciting! Your cakes are stunning. I LOVE seeing what you come up with!
    (And congratulations on your baby boy!)

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 12, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      Thank you so much, Emily!!

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    May 12, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    I just love you so much! And your baby boy and alllll the cakes ♥️

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 12, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      I love you friend!!!

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    May 13, 2020 at 8:15 am

    Happy 2nd Birthday Sugar & Sparrow, and congratulations, Whitney, for creating such a beautiful blog! Your recipes are so simple to follow, and the results are stunning ♡ Best wishes for you and your soon to be family of three 🙂
    I love the buttercream painted floral cake and the cactus cake, both are so cute !

    ♡♡♡

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 13, 2020 at 11:38 am

      Thank you for your kind words and for cheering me on, Sarah! So happy you’ve been loving the recipes!

      Reply
  5. Angel says

    May 14, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    congratulations on 2 yrs worth of beautiful and delicious recipes & cake designs!! you have created an awesome blog with awesome content, cue the floral sheet cake

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 15, 2020 at 9:32 am

      Thank you so much, Angel!!

      Reply
  6. Heather says

    May 19, 2020 at 5:30 am

    Happy second birthday from a big fan of yours! Your recipes are delicious and simple to follow, and you deliver them beautifully. Congratulations! Can’t wait to see what’s next!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 20, 2020 at 10:23 pm

      Aw, thank you Heather!! You are so kind and I’m so happy to hear you’ve been loving my recipes!

      Reply
  7. Diane P. says

    May 19, 2020 at 6:11 am

    Congratulations and Happy Birthday. Your recipes and cake designs are just so beautiful. Fresh and refreshing. I love your blog and always look forward to new projects.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 20, 2020 at 10:22 pm

      Thank you so much for cheering me on, Diane!

      Reply
  8. Martha Dooley says

    May 19, 2020 at 6:20 am

    Congratulations on year 2 And your new addition. I love your blog you have the most beautiful cakes And your photography is second to none. I love how you share so much information with us and I have made several of your cakes. I have done at one of the painted looking ones for my granddaughter’s first birthday. You have such an eye for color and it gives me great ideas. I look forward to all those baby pictures as I say with baby pictures too much is not enough

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 20, 2020 at 10:22 pm

      Thank you so much, Martha! You are so kind and I am so honored to share these recipes and tutorials with you. So happy to hear they’ve been loved! Thanks for cheering me on!!

      Reply

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Yellow Cake + Chocolate Frosting (aka Classic Birt Yellow Cake + Chocolate Frosting (aka Classic Birthday Cake) 🙌🏼 🥳 this one is extra nostalgic for me because it’s what my mama made for all my birthdays growing up 💛 this recipe rivals the box mix: super moist and fluffy layers of classic yellow cake (naturally colored with egg yolks) + silky smooth chocolate buttercream. Top with rainbow sprinkles for extra fun! 🎉⁣
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Find this recipe linked in my bio + on page 147 of my book, Anyone Can Cake ✨⁣
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#birthdaycake #yellowcake #chocolatefrosting #chocolatebuttercream #sprinkles #layercake #cakelover #cakesofinstagram #cake #bake #bakingfun #bakedfromscratch #anyonecancake #cakeideas #cakedecorating
Ombré Rainbow Sheet Cake 🌈🥳 for St. Patrick Ombré Rainbow Sheet Cake 🌈🥳 for St. Patrick’s Day or any day, because rainbow cakes are year round if you ask me 🫶🏽⁣
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🎨 colors: custom mixed with @wiltoncakes color right food coloring system ⁣
🌈 piping tips: @wiltoncakes 1M for the rosettes, 104 for the ruffles, 32 for the swirls and stars⁣
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#ombrecake #rainbowcake #sheetcake #cakedecorating #rainbow #stpatricksday #buttercreampiping #pipingskills #bakingfun #satisfyingfood #bake #cakeideas #cakelovers
I wish you could see that the inside of this cake I wish you could see that the inside of this cake had crushed Cadbury Mini Eggs sprinkled between each layer 😍 best Easter candy of all (name a better one, I dare you!) 🙌🏽 ⁣
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#ombrecake #cadburyeggs #cakedecorating #chocolate #ganache #dripcake #eastercake #cakeideas #cakelover #bakingfun #cake
This Mint Chocolate Chip Cake is just so dreamy 😍🫠 if you’re a fan of the ice cream (or just mint chocolate in general) it’s a must try: layers of ultra-moist mint chocolate cake, mint buttercream studded with chocolate chunks, and decadent chocolate ganache 🙌🏽 find the recipe in my book, Anyone Can Cake AND there’s a version of this recipe that incorporates @girlscouts Thin Mint cookies at sugarandsparrow.com 💚 ⁣
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#mintchocolate #chocolatecake #cakedecorating #chocolate #ganache #dripcake #mintchocolatechip #cakeideas #anyonecancake #bakedfromscratch #baking #cake #cakesofinstagram
I had to see how this fiber art inspired buttercre I had to see how this fiber art inspired buttercream piping looked on a sheet cake and I think I’m in LOVE 😍 obsessed with all these textures! Details: ⁣
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🎨Colors: @americolor Fuchsia, Regal Purple, and Turquoise (each color in a pastel shade + a bold shade)⁣
🎂Piping Tips: @wiltoncakes tip 1M, 104, 4B, 233, 5⁣
👩🏽‍🍳Recipes: my one-bowl chocolate cake + vanilla buttercream (both found at sugarandsparrow.com)⁣
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