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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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wilton tip 104

Wilton Tip 104

The perfect tip for piping buttercream flowers and ruffles.

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wilton 352

Wilton Tip 352

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

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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

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berry chantilly cake recipe inspired by whole foods

Berry Chantilly Cake Recipe

mocha frosting recipe by sugar and sparrow

Mocha Buttercream Recipe

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@sugarandsparrowco

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE 🍓🤎this is one of m STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE 🍓🤎this is one of my favorite cake recipes from my book Anyone Can Cake, and I love it so much that I recently published the recipe on my blog for everyone to enjoy! It’s layers of moist and decadent chocolate cake, rich chocolate ganache, and strawberry buttercream with the most AMAZING natural flavor and color. 
 
Get the recipe link in my bio or search “chocolate covered strawberry cake” on my blog to find it! 
 
#strawberrychocolatecake #chocolatecake #cakesofig #cakes #cakedecorating
PINK OMBRE CAKE 💕 this was such a fun cake proj PINK OMBRE CAKE 💕 this was such a fun cake project and will work in any color you’re dreaming of, but I went with pink in case you need a good Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day party cake! I used my extra soft bakery-style white cake recipe as the base for coloring these ombre cake layers + my vanilla buttercream for the pink ombre finish on the outside.

💗full recipe + cake decorating tutorial is linked in my bio and at https://sugarandsparrow.com/pink-ombre-cake/

#pinkcake #ombrecake #cakedecorating #partycake #cake
MOCHA BUTTERCREAM (recipe below) ☕️🍫 this f MOCHA BUTTERCREAM (recipe below) ☕️🍫 this frosting is a mashup of my favorite chocolate buttercream + coffee buttercream recipes and is SO incredible on chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, . A must try if you love a good mocha! ⁣⁣ 
 
Full recipe with cake flavor pairing suggestions at sugarandsparrow.com/mocha-buttercream-recipe/⁣⁣ 
⁣⁣ 
MOCHA BUTTERCREAM⁣⁣ 
Yield: 2.5 Cups⁣⁣ 
⁣⁣⁣ 
INGREDIENTS:⁣⁣ 
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature⁣⁣ 
3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar⁣⁣ 
1/4 Cup (22g) unsweetened cocoa powder⁣⁣ 
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder⁣⁣ 
2 Tbsp whole milk, room temp 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract⁣⁣ 
Pinch of salt ⁣⁣ 
⁣⁣ 
INSTRUCTIONS:⁣⁣ 
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter on high until light and creamy (about 5 minutes).⁣⁣ 
2. Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals. In a small bowl, combine the instant coffee/espresso powder with the whole milk before adding it in with the vanilla and salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.⁣⁣ 
⁣⁣⁣ 
#mocha #mochacake #chocolatecake #buttercream #chocolatebuttercream
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE 🤎 if you love chocolat FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE 🤎 if you love chocolate (like REALLY love it) this needs to be your next bake! It’s naturally a gluten free cake, so rich and decadent, and extra-fudgy from folding whipped cream into the batter. It reminds me of a dessert I’d order from a fancy restaurant, perfect for a Valentine’s Day dessert or special occasion (or just a chocolate craving). 
 
Full recipe with topping ideas linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/ 
 
INGREDIENTS 
1 Cup (6oz, 170g) semi-sweet chocolate (high quality chips or bar) 
1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter 
3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee (optional) 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
3 large eggs, room temp 
1 large egg yolk, room temp 
1/2 Cup (42g) unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/3 Cup (80ml) heavy whipping cream, cold 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and line an 8-inch round pan. 
2. In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the chocolate and butter (sliced so it melts easily). Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the butter has melted and the mixture can be whisked into a completely smooth, uniform consistency. Let cool for 2-3 min. 
3. To the chocolate mixture, add the sugar, espresso powder (or instant coffee) if using, vanilla, and salt. Whisk together until combined, then whisk in the eggs and egg yolk until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until combined and thick like brownie batter. 
4. Add the heavy whipping cream into a separate medium bowl and use a hand mixer to whip it into soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Once the whipped cream has reached soft peaks, use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are set and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 200ºF (93ºC). 
6. Let the cake cool in the pan for no more than 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate and let the cake cool in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. � 
 
#flourlesschocolatecake #glutenfreecake #chocolatecake #homebaked #cakedecorating
THICK CARAMEL FILLING ✨ this is my favorite extr THICK CARAMEL FILLING ✨ this is my favorite extra-thick caramel recipe that stays gooey at room temperature, perfect for filling cakes and cupcakes! I’ve used it in my Milky Way cake, Snickers cake, Twix cake, and my most recent Millionaire cake and it’s a keeper. You can even use it as a drip! 
 
Find this recipe in my bio + all the cake recipes mentioned at https://sugarandsparrow.com/thick-caramel-filling/ 
 
THICK CARAMEL FILLING 
Yield: 3 Cups (enough to fill a layer cake + use as a drip) 
 
INGREDIENTS 
1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter 
1 Cup (200g) packed brown sugar 
2/3 Cup (210g, 160ml) sweetened condensed milk 
1/3 Cup (80ml) light corn syrup 
5 Tbsp (75ml) heavy whipping cream 
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the sweetened condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy whipping cream, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula constantly until the mixture is fully combined and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. 
2. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until the caramel begins to thicken, 6-7 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, you’ll want to cook this until it reaches 225F/107C. That is the temperature that will thicken the caramel while keeping it nice and soft at room temperature. 
3. Remove the caramel from the heat and mix in the vanilla extract. Pour into a separate container and let the caramel cool completely to room temperature before using it to fill the cake. You can either leave the container on the counter for about 2 hours or speed the cooling process slightly by placing the container in the refrigerator. It will thicken significantly as it cools.� 
 
#caramel #caramelcake #homebaked #cakes #cakedecorating

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