Like many cake makers do, I made my own birthday cake this year! I actually do this as a tradition every year but normally fail to document it in a blog post. This year, all I wanted was sprinkle everything with a splash of chocolate, so I made a double funfetti cake with a little chocolate ganache thrown in the mix. By double funfetti I mean funfetti cake + funfetti buttercream and there is nothing more celebratory than that combo!

This cake starts with my favorite funfetti cake recipe, which I revised for my book to yield a 3-layer 6-inch cake (this blog version yields a larger cake). The ingredients in the book version are tweaked ever so slightly to include a little almond extract and egg whites to make the cake even more light and fluffy. I’ve included the recipe below, and it’s just one of many amazing layer cake recipes you’ll find in my book, which is now available worldwide wherever books are sold! 

I made a double batch of my funfetti buttercream recipe for this cake, but reserved a few Cups of the plain vanilla buttercream before adding the sprinkles just so I could pipe some pretty pink swirls on top of the cake as a finishing touch. The funfetti buttercream is so easy to work with but it’s not the best for piping since the sprinkles tend to get stuck in piping tips. These Ultimate Unicorn Rainbow Jimmies by Sprinkle Pop are my favorite to use in the buttercream recipe and the cake recipe. They don’t bleed their color easily and I just love the cool-toned rainbow colors in the mix. 

I added a little bit of chocolate ganache as filling between the cake layers and as a drip on top. My favorite way to make the ganache recipe work for both consistencies (thick for the filling and thin for the drip) is to make it a day (or at least a few hours) ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will solidify as it cools, then you can microwave it in 5-10 second intervals to bring it back to a room temperature, peanut buttery consistency for the filling. When you’re finished filling the cake, you can microwave the leftover ganache a little more to make it slightly above room temperature, aka the perfect drip consistency. 

Those cute little sprinkle truffles on top came from a last minute idea I had about how to recycle the cake scraps that were leftover from leveling the cake layers. I crumbled the cake tops in a bowl and mixed them together with funfetti frosting until the mixture stuck together enough to form balls when rolled between my hands. This is how you make cake pops, but instead of dipping the balls in melted chocolate, I rolled them in a bowl of sprinkles and then refrigerated the sprinkle cake truffles until I was ready to top the cake with them. They tasted AMAZING and looked so cute as cake toppers that I had to make them their own separate blog post.  

I’m so excited to share this double funfetti birthday cake with friends and celebrate another trip around the sun. It’ll probably be my last hoorah before baby boy gets here in just a few weeks (give or take). We’re gonna end up being birthday buds and I can’t wait to make us both birthday cakes in the years to come! 

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Double Funfetti Birthday Cake

The most celebratory cake of all! A delicious sprinkle-studded funfetti cake with funfetti buttercream that's always perfect for anyone's birthday or celebration.

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Funfetti Cake (from my book, Anyone Can Cake)

• 2 1/2 Cups (290g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
• 2 tsp (10g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs + 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 Cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (100g) rainbow sprinkles**, coated in 2 tsp cake flour

Funfetti Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• pinch of salt, or to taste
• 1/3 Cup (67g) rainbow sprinkles**

Optional Fillings & Toppings

• 1 batch chocolate ganache recipe link below
• 6 sprinkle cake truffles recipe link below

Instructions

Make the Funfetti Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/177ºC. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a baking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and fitting a wax or parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on high for 2 minutes. Add in the sugar and continue to beat on medium-high until light and fluffy (another 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs and egg whites one at a time. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and sour cream. Mix for one minute on high speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. 
• Turn the mixer off and add in the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk while continuing to mix on low until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Gently fold the flour-coated rainbow sprinkles into the cake batter by hand, then divide evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make the Funfetti Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high until creamy and light (almost white) in color, about 7 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition and making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
• Add the vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated and smooth. Reserve 1 1/2 Cups of frosting if you plan on doing any piping on top of the cake at this point. Fold in the rainbow sprinkles to the rest of the buttercream with a rubber spatula.

Make the Chocolate Ganache (Optional)

• If you're planning on filling and dripping the cake with chocolate ganache (like the one pictured), make one batch of this chocolate ganache. You can half the recipe if you're only wanting to use it for the drip.

Assembly

• Once the funfetti cakes are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. If you're planning on making the sprinkle cake truffles, reserve some of the cake scraps from the leveling process in a small bowl and make them according to this recipe.
• Add a swipe of funfetti buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with funfetti buttercream. If you want to add chocolate ganache between the layers like the cake pictured, make sure the ganache is room temperature or slightly below (peanut butter-ish consistency) and use the Soft Fillings method of filling and stacking from this blog post. Crumb coat the cake with funfetti buttercream, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.
• To create the design pictured, frost a smooth buttercream finish onto the cake with funfetti buttercream and place it back into the refrigerator for an additional 20 minutes to chill the buttercream while you heat the chocolate ganache to perfect drip consistency. Drip the cake with the chocolate ganache and place it back into the refrigerator for 5 minutes to let it set.
• If piping the top of the cake, color the reserved buttercream any color you'd like. I used one small drop of AmeriColor Deep Pink. Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M and pipe 6 swirls on top of the cake, spaced about 1 inch apart. Fill in each gap with a sprinkle cake truffle.

Notes

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: To make your own cake flour, spoon and level one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Repeat per the amount of cake flour you need, then sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 4 times (don’t skip that step!). After sifting, spoon and level to re-measure the amount of cake flour you need. 

**Rainbow Sprinkles: the best kind of sprinkles to use in this cake and buttercream are the rod-shaped kind that don’t bleed color. Look for “carnauba wax” and “confectioner’s glaze” in the ingredients list. These are coating agents that will keep the sprinkles from bleeding color into your batter and frosting. My favorite rainbow sprinkles to use are Sprinkle Pop’s Ultimate Unicorn Rainbow Jimmies. 

Make Ahead Tips:

1. The funfetti cakes can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left out at room temperature up to two days ahead of decorating. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and frosting. 
2. For best results, reserve adding the sprinkles to the funfetti buttercream until right before you’re ready to decorate with it. The buttercream (sans sprinkles) can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency, then fold in the sprinkles.

 

The post Double Funfetti Birthday Cake appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

This cake is so simple to whip up and the flavor combination is just divine. I’d even go as far as to say it’s a pretty sensual cake (cue the sax solo). The raspberry buttercream makes it extra aromatic and paired with the chocolate cake, the flavor is decadent but not too heavy. The perfect cake for any raspberry chocolate lover and anyone who doesn’t yet realize they’re a fan of these flavors (aka just about everyone!).

It all starts with my favorite One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe, which is just as easy as it sounds. Basically put everything into one bowl (in the right order, of course) and mix it up! Just in case you want to watch the process before you make this recipe, I do have a YouTube video that I whipped up to walk you through it. It’s basically everything you need and want in a chocolate cake: moist crumb, rich chocolate flavor, and simple ingredients. 

The Raspberry Buttercream is the filling and the frosting on this one, because it’s just so good that way. The secret to the beautiful flavor and consistency of this buttercream is freeze-dried raspberries. There are a few reasons for this: 1) fresh berries have a ton of liquid in them, so when you try to use them in a buttercream recipe, you end up with a more soupy consistency that doesn’t (in my experience anyways) really jive with the butter in the recipe, so it ends up looking really gritty and glossy (in a bad way). And 2) All of that liquid takes away from the flavor of the berry, so you don’t get that perfect raspberry flavor anyways. 

Instead, freeze-dried berries remove the liquid from the berry and keep all the flavor intact, so adding them to buttercream gives you the most flavorful buttercream with just the right consistency. And just look at that naturally gorgeous color! No added food color gels on this one, folks. This is the brand I use in the recipe, but you can find freeze-dried raspberries at most grocery stores, Trader Joe’s, and even Target if you’d rather shop local.

To decorate this beauty, I added a chocolate ganache drip and used Wilton Tip 4B to pipe swirls all around the top before adding a fresh raspberry to each. This recipe yields a triple layer 6-inch cake, but if you’d rather make a little 4-inch version instead you can half the entire recipe (cake and buttercream) to make a better sharing size for 2-4 people. And if this is your first time making and assembling a layer cake, or you want to learn my techniques for doing so, be sure to check out my Cake Basics series that shows you how to build a layer cake from start to finish!

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Raspberry Chocolate Cake Recipe

Layers of rich chocolate cake filled and frosted with raspberry buttercream and dripped with chocolate ganache for extra decadence – a raspberry chocolate lover's dream cake!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated white sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder not Dutch Process
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 whole eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature* DIY recipe in notes
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot water

Raspberry Buttercream

• 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Cup (34g) freeze dried raspberries
• 4 1/2 Tbsp (68ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 Cups (720g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream

Additional Garnishes

• fresh raspberries, optional

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Make the Raspberry Buttercream

• With a food processor, grind the raspberries into a fine powder. Sift out the seeds (if a few seeds end up in the powder that is totally ok) and set the powder aside.
• Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color (5-10 minutes). Add vanilla, milk, and raspberry powder and continue to mix on medium for about two minutes.
• Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the salt and mix on low for another 30 seconds. 

Make the Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). If you’re starting with a chocolate bar, chop it into small pieces until they’re about the size of chocolate chips. 
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds. 
• Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature or slightly above. 

Assembly

• Once the Chocolate Cakes are cooled completely, level and torte the layers to make them even before filling and frosting with the Raspberry Buttercream. After the final layer of frosting is applied, chill the cake for 20-30 minutes before dripping with the Chocolate Ganache. To recreate the look pictured, add swirls of Raspberry Buttercream around the top of the cake with Wilton Tip 4B and add a fresh raspberry to the top of each swirl.

Notes

*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The Chocolate Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The Raspberry Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and mix it together on low for about 30 seconds to bring it back to frosting consistency.
3. The Chocolate Ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.

To Make as Cupcakes: fill cupcake tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Did you make this recipe? I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Raspberry Chocolate Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

If there are fun-sized Almond Joys anywhere in my general proximity, I will eat them. All of them. I just love the flavor combination of sweet coconut, milk chocolate, and almond. It’s a taste trifecta and if you agree, you’re going to LOVE this cake! Just imagine all the textures and flavors in an Almond Joy candy bar, only in cake form, and behold this beauty:

This Almond Joy inspired cake starts with a delicious, fluffy Coconut Cake. It’s packed with so much flavor and texture between the coconut extract, shredded coconut, and canned coconut milk. And side note on the coconut milk: notice that I said canned. You’ll find canned coconut milk in the Asian foods aisle or the baking aisle of your grocery store and it’s loads different than boxed coconut milk (for drinking). The canned version is much more creamy and condensed, making it perfect for baking, so be sure to get the right coconut milk for this cake! It will make all the difference! 

The Coconut Cake turned out so delicious that I just sat there eating a bowl of cake scraps for a good ten minutes. It’s so moist due to the sour cream and creamy coconut milk, and the texture with shredded coconut is unreal. I thought to pair it with straight up Almond Buttercream, but adding some coconut extract to the buttercream really brought out the perfect coconut-almond flavor you’d find in an Almond Joy. So Coconut-Almond Buttercream was born, and it could not be a more tasty compliment to this Coconut Cake!

You can’t have an Almond Joy inspired cake without some milk chocolate, so I whipped up some Milk Chocolate Ganache for drizzling between layers and dripping the top of the cake. After decorating it with some almond slices, a Coconut-Almond Buttercream border, and some more shredded coconut, it looks just as heavenly as it tastes. If you’re as much of an Almond Joy fan as I am, this is going to make your cakey dreams come true!

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Almond Joy Cake Recipe

Layers of fluffy, flavorful Coconut Cake with Coconut-Almond Buttercream and Milk Chocolate Ganache.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Coconut Cake

• 3 1/4 Cups (344g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (330g) white granulated sugar
• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (168g) sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 1/4 Cups (296ml) canned full-fat coconut milk, room temperature
• 1 Cup shredded sweetened coconut

Coconut-Almond Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp coconut extract
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt

Milk Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 Cup (92g) milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream

Additional Garnishes (optional)

• shredded sweetened coconut
• almond slices

Instructions

Make The Coconut Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker’s Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Slowly add the egg whites while mixing on low until well combined. Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the canned coconut milk slowly and mix until just incorporated. Gently fold in the shredded coconut by hand, making sure you scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl without overmixing.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 full) and bake for 40-45 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Coconut-Almond Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar, a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, coconut extract, milk, and salt. Mix on medium-low for another minute or two until fully incorporated.

Make The Milk Chocolate Ganache

• Place milk chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal) and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for twenty seconds.
• Whisk the mixture together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature.

Assembly

• Torte the Coconut Cake layers to level off the tops. Place the first cake layer onto a cake circle and fill it with Coconut-Almond Buttercream, then drizzle with a little bit of Milk Chocolate Ganache (make sure it’s room temp or cooler). Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the filling process before adding the last layer of Coconut Cake on top. Crumb coat with Coconut-Almond Buttercream and place the cake in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to firm up before your final frosting.
• To achieve the design pictured, frost the cake with a final layer of Coconut-Almond Buttercream and add almond slices around the bottom of the cake. Drip the cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache (for tips on dripping a cake read this post!). Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M and fill it with more Coconut-Almond buttercream, then pipe a rope border around the top edge. Fill in the center with shredded coconut and sprinkle some on top of the rope border, then add more almond slices to the rope border.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: the cake layers can be made ahead and stored (wrapped in plastic) at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can wrap the cake layers in plastic and store them in the freezer for up to two months. When you’re ready to use them, thaw them to room temperature before continuing with the frosting and decorating process.

The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer on medium for one minute to bring it back to frosting consistency. 

The chocolate ganache can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature by microwaving it in ten second intervals, stirring after each one, until it’s drip consistency. 

Did you make this Almond Joy cake? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below or feel free to tag me on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Almond Joy Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

One of my favorite easy things to dress up a cake is to do a chocolate ganache drip finish. Over the years, my ability to create the drip look has definitely grown, and I get tons of questions asking what my secret is. The truth is, chocolate ganache has definitely put me through the wringer before (especially white chocolate ganache, which used to be my absolute nemesis). After figuring out the perfect ratio for chocolate to heavy whipping cream and learning the do’s and dont’s of drip cakes, I’ve got it down to a science these days. And now you will too!

This chocolate ganache recipe has been my go-to forever, and it involves only two ingredients: chocolate and heavy whipping cream. There’s no need to be intimidated with this one – just bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate, whisk it together until it’s uniform, and give it time to set up. The type of chocolate you use will determine the amount of heavy whipping cream to incorporate for the perfect consistency. Although semi-sweet chocolate is the most common type I use for drip cakes, I’ve listed the ratios I use for all different types of chocolate below.

Although the recipe seems straightforward enough, there are quite a few tricks to learn before mastering the art of the drip. I’ve listed out a basic step-by-step tutorial and some troubleshooting tips below, but first, here’s a detailed video to show you how to make the recipe and everything you need to know about the technique I use for drip cakes: 

Want to see more Cake Basics videos like this one? Head to my YouTube Channel to see the growing collection. You’ll also find tons of cake recipes and decorating videos there to inspire you and broaden your skill set – be sure to hit the subscribe button so you never miss a new one!

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Chocolate Ganache For Drip Cakes

The perfect chocolate ganache consistency for drip cakes using semi-sweet chocolate, with ratios for white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate included.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (185g) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, or a bar chopped up into bits
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). If you’re starting with a chocolate bar, chop it into small pieces until they’re about the size of chocolate chips. 
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds. 
• Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature or slightly above. 

Notes

Make ahead tip: this ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.

If you’re using white chocolate: my favorite ratio is 3:1, meaning three parts white chocolate to one part heavy whipping cream. Here is my full recipe for white chocolate ganache.

If you’re using dark chocolate: use a 1:1 ratio but add 2 extra Tbsp of heavy whipping cream. Since dark chocolate contains more cocoa solids, it tends to set harder and is prone to cracking if not balanced with more cream. 

Tips For Perfect Chocolate Ganache Drip Cakes

Tip 1: Be Patient With The Cooling Process

Once you’ve whisked the ganache together, it’s crucial to let it cool on your countertop until it’s room temperature or slightly above, about 10-20 minutes depending on how cold your environment is. Trying to speed up this process by placing ganache in the refrigerator doesn’t usually end well – I’ve found that it cools unevenly, leading to thick, globby drips.

Cooling in the fridge also leads to the urge to stir it too often. Ganache (especially white chocolate!) does not like to be stirred too often, and the end result can mean that your whipping cream starts to separate from the chocolate. You’ll know that this has happened because the ganache will look grainy and dull, or even separated like oil and water. To fix situations like these, you’ll need to reheat the ganache to 92ºF to melt the fat crystals and re-whisk to bring it back together.  

Tip 2: Make Sure Your Buttercream Is Chilled

There’s a science to this tip. Since molecules move more slowly at cooler temperatures (and warp speed at higher temperatures), it makes a lot of sense that you can better control how far the chocolate ganache drips when the buttercream is chilled. Make sure that after you do your final coat of buttercream, you chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Tip 3: Always Do A Test Drip

When your buttercream is nice and chilled, do a test drip by letting the ganache run down the side of your cake. If it travels rapidly and pools at the bottom, your ganache is too warm. Continue to cool the ganache for another 5-10 minutes and try your test drip again. If it’s globby or doesn’t travel very far down the side of the cake, it’s too cold. Reheat the ganache in the microwave for about 10 seconds, stir, and try again. Repeat the reheating process as needed until you get the perfect consistency.

The good thing about a test drip is you’re able to see how the ganache will behave. That way you don’t have to commit until you like what you’re seeing.

Tip 4: Drip The Sides Before Filling In The Top

When I first started caking, my initial thought was to just dump ganache over the top of the cake and let it run down the sides naturally. If you’ve ever tried that before, you’ll know it doesn’t end up looking good. You’ll have a lot more control over the appearance if you start by dripping the sides until they’re aesthetically pleasing before filling in the top of the cake.

Try not to add too much ganache to the top when filling it in, because if you add any more to the drips you’ve created, it will make them travel farther than you’d like. Instead, try to use just a little ganache and spread it so that it just touches where your drips begin. The ganache on the top should self-level a bit, so don’t worry too much about getting it super smooth.

Tip 5: Don’t Touch Those Drips

If you’ve ever made a drip cake with ganache before, you’ll know that it’s a little sticky to the touch when it’s room temperature. When the drips have been refrigerated, they’re a little less fragile, but try not to touch the drips at all during the decorating or boxing-up process.

Chocolate Ganache Troubleshooting Tips 

Since the consistency of your ganache is pretty much everything when it comes to a successful drip cake, I wanted to take a moment to talk about what to do if your drips are too thick or too runny. Most of the time, it doesn’t take a whole lot to bring your ganache back to ideal drip consistency. Here are some common problems and ways to solve them: 

Problem 1: The drips are pooling at the bottom of the cake – this typically means your ganache is too warm, in which case I recommend to give the ganache 5-10 more minutes to cool down before attempting your next test drip on your chilled buttercream cake. 

If you’ve let the ganache cool for a significant amount of time and the drips are still too runny, it means that too much liquid (heavy whipping cream) was incorporated into the recipe. To fix this problem, you’ll need to thicken the ganache with more chocolate. This will mean melting about 1-2 additional oz of chocolate in the microwave, warming the existing ganache to the same temperature as the melted chocolate, then whisking it all together before letting it cool back down to ideal drip consistency. 

Problem 2: The drips are thick and gloppy – this means your ganache is too set (or too cold). To fix this, gently warm the ganache in the microwave in 5-10 second increments until it’s ideal drip consistency. 

Problem 3: The ganache has split – this has never happened to me with this recipe, but if your ganache looks grainy or seized, it means that for some reason, the fat is separating from the liquid. To fix it, gently reheat the ganache in the microwave or over a double boiler to 92ºF to melt the fat crystals, then re-whisk to bring it back together. 

Is there anything else you’d like to know about drip cakes? I’m certainly not an expert per se, but if you have more questions, let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer!

The post Tips For Perfect Chocolate Ganache Drip Cakes appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Hooray that it’s nearly summertime! It’s my favorite time of year, mainly because Portland gets sunny and so picturesque. I just want to be outside 24/7 soaking it all up! Since ice cream is such an iconic summer treat, I wanted to use it as inspiration for these Banana Split Cupcakes. There’s no actual ice cream involved, just tons of cuteness and flavors that are so perfect together.

These Banana Split Cupcakes start with the perfect banana cupcake recipe, enhanced with a little cinnamon to really bring out the flavor. The secret to the perfect banana flavor is using over-ripe (aka brown spotted) bananas, so if you ever find yourself in a situation where your bananas are too ripe to eat, it’s always a good excuse to bake with them! If your bananas are not as ripe, the flavor won’t come through as well, so make sure you wait until the peel starts browning for maximum taste.

Next, I topped the banana cupcakes with a scoop of cold vanilla buttercream and it’s amazing how much it looks like ice cream! If you don’t have an ice cream scoop for this part, a spoon will totally do the trick. Just scoop out a bit of buttercream and top the cupcake, then use a spoon to shape it until it looks like ice cream.

To finish the look, I drizzled a little chocolate ganache, added some sprinkles, and topped these beauties with a maraschino cherry. I’m a little obsessed with how they look! For the sprinkles, you can use any rainbow jimmies, but I used the jimmies from the Rainbow Road mix by SprinklePop. It’s no secret that I love their sprinkles, and if you’re in the need of the perfect sprinkle mix for your cake projects, don’t forget to use my code SUGARANDSPARROW15 for 15% off your order.

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Banana Split Cupcakes Recipe

Tasty banana cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream, chocolate ganache, sprinkles, and maraschino cherries. Perfect for any Summer shindig!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Banana Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 Cup (173g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 Cup (177ml) mashed banana (about 2 large)
• 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (94g) packed brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup (103g) white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 Cup (79ml) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• pinch of salt

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 Cup (92g) semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 Cup (79ml) heavy whipping cream

Additional Garnishes

• rainbow sprinkles
• maraschino cherries

Instructions

Make The Banana Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare a muffin pan by lining with cupcake tins. Measure the flour by spooning into your measuring cup and leveling it, then whisk it together with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon and set aside.
• Place the bananas in the bowl of your stand mixer and mash them with a paddle attachment on medium for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
• Cream the butter on high for 1 minute. Add the white and brown sugars and cream on high for another 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.  Add the mashed bananas and vanilla and beat for 1 full minute, then scrape down the bowl and paddle. With the mixer still on low, add the dry ingredients until just combined, then add the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Give it a few stirs with your spatula to ensure that everything is nice and mixed up without overmixing. The batter will be thick.
• Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake tins ⅔ of the way full, then bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for five minutes before removing and continuing to cool on a wire rack or flat surface.

Make The Vanilla Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• Add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated. 
• Place the buttercream into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make The Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk it together until it's uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk.
• Cool ganache at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature. 

Assembly

• Once the Banana Cupcakes have cooled completely, add a scoop of cold Vanilla Buttercream on top of each one and shape it with a spoon until it resembles a scoop of real ice cream. Drizzle the buttercream with Chocolate Ganache (make sure it's room temperature, not hotter or colder than that), add the rainbow sprinkles, and place a maraschino cherry on top.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: The Banana Cupcakes can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can place them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to one month before thawing and using. 

The Vanilla Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks before thawing, re-whipping with your stand mixer, and using. 

The Chocolate Ganache can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.

Did you make this cupcake recipe? I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below or feel free to tag me on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Banana Split Cupcakes Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Ok, Oreo cookie lovers. This one’s for you! After creating this Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake last summer, I’ve been dying to make an all-cake version. So I finally bought a pack of Oreos and took to the kitchen for some experimenting and I am oh so happy with the results. Behold:

This Oreo Cookies & Cream cake all begins with my favorite One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe. Just like the name implies, it’s the easiest cake in the world to make. All the ingredients are mixed into one bowl, and the results are magic: moist, decadent chocolate cake that’s packed with flavor and as easy as whipping up a batch of cake mix! It’s the perfect base flavor for this Oreo cake masterpiece.

Now let’s talk about the Oreo buttercream, because it’s what takes this cake beyond! You’ll want to use a food processor to blend up some Oreo cookies (filling removed), but if you don’t have one on hand, you can always place the cookies in a ziplock bag and smash them up with a rolling pin. The second option is a little more time consuming because you want the Oreo bits to be as small as can be, but it’s a way. After blending the Oreos into as fine of a crumb as you can, you simply add them to the buttercream recipe as a final step. Just look how pretty those little flecks of Oreo are:

After filling and frosting the chocolate cake with Oreo buttercream, I chose to add a chocolate ganache drip for some design intrigue, then added some pretty piping, Mini Oreos, and a few SprinklePop sprinkles (the Wedding White mix) on top to tie it all together. However you choose to decorate, I can be sure of one thing: you’re going to want to eat a piece immediately. Unless, of course, you’ve been snacking on cake scraps and buttercream like I always do!

Update 2020: I’ve changed the measurements in the recipe below to make exactly enough batter for three 6-inch cake pans or two 9-inch cake pans. I always do triple 6-inch layers when making cakes (I like ‘em tall!), and since I get so many questions on how to convert the original recipe into three 6-inch layers I thought I’d just do the math for you. So same great recipe, with the most requested amount of batter! 

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Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake Recipe

Layers of decadent chocolate cake, filled and frosted with Oreo buttercream. Perfect for any cookies & cream lover!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) white granulated sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in the notes
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot water

Oreo Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 Cups (720g) powdered sugar
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 18 Oreo cookies, filling removed

Instructions

Make The Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

Make The Oreo Buttercream

• After removing the filling from the Oreo cookies, use a food processor to blend them into a fine crumb. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between.
• Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle between intervals. Mix on medium until fully incorporated. 
• Turn mixer to low and add vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix on medium for one minute. Scrape down bowl and paddle and add the Oreo cookie crumbs. Mix for another minute on medium until incorporated.

Assembly

• Fill and frost the Chocolate Cake layers with Oreo buttercream. If you want to recreate the same look as pictured, chill the frosted cake for 20 minutes before adding a chocolate ganache drip. I used Wilton tips 1M and 4B to pipe rosettes and open stars as a border around the top edge, then added Mini Oreos and these sprinkles. 

Notes

DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make ahead tips: the Chocolate Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 

The Oreo Buttercream can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer to bring it back to frosting consistency. 

Did you make this recipe? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram so I can see what you’re caking. I love to see your creations!

The post Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

One of my favorite go-to things to bake are actually the simplest things ever: chocolate chip cookies. I don’t have a fancy recipe (I literally just use the one on the back of the Hershey’s chocolate chip package), but in my opinion, a warm chocolate chip cookie dipped in milk at the end of a long day is like heaven. So as I was whipping up a batch the other day, I had an epiphany: why not translate the deliciousness of chocolate chip cookies and milk into cake form? It didn’t take me long after that to start testing recipes for the best milk & cookies cake ever. Here’s what happened:

It’s a chocolate chip cookie flavored cake with vanilla buttercream, chocolate ganache, and plenty of homemade chocolate chip cookies on top! I’m calling it a Milk & Cookies Cake as a nod to its inspiration.

Let’s talk about this cake. I based the ingredients off of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, so there are both brown and white sugars involved in the creaming process. The brown sugar gives such a deep, rich flavor and adds a little bit of moisture. I wanted it to be extra moist though, so I added a some sour cream to the batter as well.

You can use regular sized chocolate chips in this recipe, but I opted for mini chocolate chips instead! Either way, be sure to coat them in a few Tbsp of flour before folding them into your batter at the end. That will make it less likely for them to sink to the bottom of your cake layers in the baking process.

Vanilla buttercream is the milk to this chocolate chip cookie cake, and it provides a nice subtle flavor to wrap it all up in. Just like milk to a cookie, it’s a great complementary flavor that doesn’t try to steal the spotlight. Not too sweet, just right.

I used Wilton Tip 1M to pipe a buttercream rope border on top, then topped it with some homemade chocolate chip cookies to really go the extra mile! Here’s a quick video to show you the entire decorating process, from filling and frosting the cake layers to garnishing with cookies and chocolate ganache:

Like I said before, I’m all about the basic recipe on the back of the Hershey’s chocolate chip bag (although sometimes I get a little crazy and substitute the vanilla extract for almond extract – so tasty!), but if you’ve got a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and want to make them your cake toppers, my hat’s off to you. If you want to use store bought cookies like Chips Ahoy instead, you totally have my blessing. However you decorate it, you can be sure that this cake will satisfy all the cookies and milk loving people in your life!

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Milk & Cookie Cake

A decadent chocolate chip cookie flavored cake topped with vanilla buttercream and extra chocolate chip cookies for good measure.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

• 3 3/4 Cups (400g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/8 Cup (254g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Cup (220g) granulated white sugar
• 3/4 Cup (140g) packed brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (112g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Cups (355ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (283g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, coated in 1.5 Tbsp flour

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

For Garnish (optional)

• chocolate chip cookies
• chocolate ganache drip (see link below)

Instructions

Make The Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans. 
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add in white and brown sugars and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and mix for one minute, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the whole milk and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps, then fold in the flour-coated chocolate chips. Batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (about 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cakes are done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Vanilla Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated. 

Assembly

• Fill and frost the cake layers with vanilla buttercream. Crumble the chocolate chip cookies (either homemade or store-bought) and garnish the cake by adding them to the bottom third of the frosted cake, pressing the crumbles in to the sides. 
• If garnishing with a chocolate ganache drip, chill the cake for 30 minutes before dripping with ganache. Finish by piping a border on top with vanilla buttercream (I used Wilton Tip 1M) and placing whole chocolate chip cookies on top. 

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: the cake layers can be made ahead and stored (wrapped in plastic) at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can wrap the cake layers in plastic and store them in the freezer for up to two months. When you’re ready to use them, thaw them to room temperature before continuing with the frosting and decorating process.

The vanilla buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer on medium for one minute to bring it back to frosting consistency. 

The post Milk & Cookies Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

What’s better than a churro? A churro CAKE of course. Especially when it’s topped with my favorite local xurros from 180pdx (if you’re a Portlander or ever come to visit, this spot is a must). Creating a churro cake has been on my list of ideas for a long time, and I’m so proud to bring you the result of my kitchen experimentation. Behold! 

No matter what event or time of year, this cake is a true crowd pleaser. Not only is it pretty to look at, it’s bursting with flavor. The cake is cinnamon vanilla as well as the buttercream, and the real kick comes from the Mexican chocolate ganache. It’s spiced with a little cinnamon and cayenne to give your tastebuds a little spice burst after the sweetness of the chocolate.

This recipe makes enough for a triple-layer 6 or 8 inch cake. Dress it up with your favorite local churros or homemade churro recipe (I still have yet to try making them from scratch, but when I do I’ll be sure to let you know!), or get creative with the presentation and let the flavors speak for themselves.

However you decide to decorate, I can promise you this: it will be absolutely delicious. I know this because I brought it to work one day and it was gone before lunch – the whole crew at my day job ate it for breakfast! Now that’s a sign of a frickin’ good cake.

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Churro Cake Recipe

A light and fluffy churro-inspired cake with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream and spicy chocolate ganache

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Churro Cake

• 2 3/4 Cups (290g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 Cups (358g) granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) whole milk, room temperature

Mexican Chocolate Ganache

• 1 Cup (185g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• pinch of salt

Garnish

• 3 small churros

Instructions

Make The Churro Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray and placing a wax paper circle in the bottom of each pan.  
• Whisk together sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Cream butter on med-high for one minute. Add sugar and beat on med-high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl and paddle as needed. 
• Turn the mixer down to low and add the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• Add all of the dry ingredients at once with the mixer on low speed until just combined, then add the milk all at once with the mixer still on low. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and mix on low until it all just comes together, about 30 seconds. You might need to hand whisk at the end to get rid of some lumps, but be careful not to overmix. 
• Fill prepared cake pans no more than ⅔ full and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Make The Mexican Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and set aside.
• Whisk together heavy whipping cream, cinnamon, and cayenne in a saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles start to form (aka right before it starts boiling).
• Pour over chocolate chips and let sit for 30 seconds before whisking together until the ganache is uniform in consistency. You’ll need to let this cool on the counter to room temp before filling or dripping the cake. 

Make The Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream

• In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Cream butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between.
• Add powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle between intervals. Mix on medium until fully incorporated. 
• Turn mixer to low and add vanilla and milk. Mix on medium for two minutes. Scrape down bowl and paddle and add salt. Mix for another minute on medium until incorporated.

Assembly

• Torte each cake layer to desired height. Pipe a circle of buttercream around the top edge of the first layer (to make a buttercream dam) and fill with half Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream, half (room temperature) Mexican Chocolate Ganache. 
• Place the next cake layer on top and repeat step one, then add the final cake layer on top.
• Crumb coat the cake with Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream, then ice with a final layer of buttercream.
• Place the cake in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to chill the buttercream before dripping with room temperature Mexican Chocolate Ganache.
• Top with your favorite local churros or topper of your choice. In this design I’ve also piped a few open stars with buttercream using Wilton tip 4B.

Notes

The cake layers can be made ahead, wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can wrap and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

The ganache can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. To bring back to dripping consistency, heat in the microwave for 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until room temperature. 

The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Bring back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add milk, one tsp at a time, if buttercream is too thick. 

Did you make this cake? Let me know by tagging me on Instagram! You might get a shoutout

The post The Tastiest Churro Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.