Initially, I thought about making birthday cake truffles from scratch like this but after looking at the ingredients list I just wanted to keep things simple and use what I already had. Since these sprinkle cake truffles are made from baked funfetti cake and vanilla funfetti buttercream, they were already downright delicious. They taste like a little bite-sized truffle version of the double funfetti cake! 

These sprinkle cake truffles are super versatile in the sense that you can literally use whatever flavor of cake scraps and buttercream you’re already working with. The toppings can be rainbow sprinkles or any sprinkle color palette. You could sub the sprinkles for other toppings like graham cracker crumbs, cookie crumbs, or whatever would best accent your cake design. The possibilities are totally endless!

If you need some inspiration for your next cake flavor, here are all my cake and buttercream recipes to browse. Just use the cake scraps and buttercream from any of these:

• Cake Recipes
• Buttercream Recipes

And here is the double funfetti cake recipe pictured in this post!

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Sprinkle Cake Truffles

Bite sized cake truffles made from a mixture of cake and frosting, rolled in rainbow sprinkles to make perfect edible cake toppers!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 12 truffles

Ingredients

• 1 Cup crumbled cake scraps*
• 1/4 Cup buttercream frosting
• 1/4 Cup rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

• Place the crumbled cake and buttercream frosting into a medium sized bowl and combine them with a rubber spatula until the mixture sticks together. It should be tacky enough to form balls when you roll it between your hands. If it's not quite that tacky yet, add more buttercream a Tablespoon at a time until it reaches the proper consistency.
• Use a Tablespoon to scoop the cake/buttercream mixture and then roll it between your hands to form a 1 inch ball. Place it on a lined baking sheet and continue forming balls until you have used all of the cake/buttercream mixture.
• Pour the rainbow sprinkles (or topping of your choice) onto a small plate or into a small bowl. Roll each ball through the sprinkles until the surface is covered and place back onto the lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the sprinkle cake truffles for at least 20 minutes, after which they should be firm and ready to place on your cake (or enjoy as-is!)

Notes

*For the cake scraps, I used the leftover cake from leveling my layers and simply crumbled it up with my hands. You can feel free to use extra cupcakes or any kind of cake trimmings for this part of the recipe. 

Make ahead tips: these sprinkle cake truffles can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Did you make these sprinkle cake balls? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post Sprinkle Cake Truffles appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I recently made another gum paste rainbow arch topper, this time for a Bluey themed cake, and realized it’s such a fun DIY that I needed to share it with you all. The main things you need are gum paste, food color gels to create your rainbow color scheme, toothpicks, and about 48 hours of dry time. Here’s a quick video of the process before you read all about it below:

PS: If you love creative cake decorating tutorials like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! 

Gum Paste Vs. Fondant

Gum paste is a pliable sugar dough that is very similar to fondant in texture and workability. The main difference is that it dries much harder than fondant. And while you’d use fondant to cover a cake and make simple decorations that guests might want to eat, you should only use gum paste for decorations like cake toppers or sugar flowers since it dries rock hard. Gum paste is technically edible, but it’s not really much fun to eat (and might chip a tooth!). 

You can get gum paste on Amazon or at your local craft store that has a cake decorating aisle. If you make a lot of custom cakes, I definitely recommend having some on hand at all times for last minute decorations. It’s so much fun to work with and so durable – a win win! 

You Will Need

• Gum paste
• Food color gels of your choice (I used AmeriColor Deep Pink, Sky Blue, Electric Purple, and Lemon Yellow)
• Rubber gloves
• 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening 
• A Cup or mug
• 1-inch circular cookie cutter or round glass 
• Small paint brush
• 1 Tbsp water
• Sharp knife
• Large spatula
• 2 toothpicks 
• Wax or parchment paper

Step 1: Color the Gum Paste

Measure the gum paste into four 1-inch balls and place the rest back in the package. You may need to knead the gum paste with a little vegetable shortening to make it pliable if it seems too firm to work with at this point. 

Put on your rubber gloves (so you don’t dye your hands!) and knead food color gel into the gum paste balls one by one to create the color palette you’re imagining. I used AmeriColor Deep Pink, Lemon Yellow, Sky Blue, and Electric Purple for this color palette (one drop per ball). Be sure to store any gum paste that’s not in use underneath a cup to keep it from drying out. 

Step 2: Roll the Gum Paste

One by one, roll out each gum paste ball with your hands to make them into tube-like shapes. Each gum paste tube should be between ⅛ and ¼ inches in diameter, and about 8 inches long. 

Do this part carefully so that each colored tube for the rainbow arch is the same diameter, and store any finished tubes underneath a glass while you’re rolling the other colors out. 

Step 3: Assemble the Rainbow Arch

Place the round cookie cutter or circular glass onto your work table. This will be used as a centerpiece to build the rainbow arch around. Starting with the color that you want on the inside of the rainbow arch, wrap the middle of one of the gum paste tubes around the centerpiece to make a perfect arch, with the ends of the tube parallel to each other. I went with my Electric Purple tube for the inside color.

Dip the small paint brush into the water and paint the edges of the gum paste arch. This will act as glue for the next color. 

Wrap the next gum paste tube around the arch and gently press it around the first gum paste color to adhere it with the water. 

Repeat adding water to the edges and adding additional gum paste tubes until your rainbow arch is all together, then remove the circular centerpiece. I ended up making the inside of the arch smaller by gently reshaping it with my hands once the centerpiece was removed.

When your arch looks beautiful and even, use a sharp knife to chop off the uneven ends. 

Step 4: Add Toothpicks

Gently flip the rainbow arch over (I used a large spatula to do this) and paint a little bit of water between the arch grooves where you’ll be placing your toothpicks on both sides. Then, gently press toothpicks onto the water. 

I’ve never had any problems with the toothpicks not adhering securely with this method, but if you want to make the arch topper extra sturdy, you can use a little water to glue a thin piece of scrap gumpaste over the toothpicks. This should hold them in place very well.  

Step 5: Allow to Dry for 48 Hours 

Allow the rainbow arch topper to dry in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours, flipping it over at the 24 hour mark so that both sides dry equally. The color of your gum paste can fade if it dries in the direct sun, which is why it’s important to keep it in a dark place like your pantry or a drawer. 

Once it’s completely dry, top your cake and be amazed! I love the rainbow arch look so much and I know it would look amazing in all sorts of colors. Perfect for a whimsical look or a modern one! 
Did you make this rainbow arch topper? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below or feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram. I love to see your creativity!

The post Rainbow Arch Cake Topper Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

This technique you’ll be using for these sprinkle letters also works for shapes and number cake toppers, so feel free to let your imagination run wild! The main things you’ll need are Candy Melts (tempered chocolate works just as well), some pretty sprinkles, and toothpicks to turn the letters into cake toppers. I used a template that I printed out to make sure each letter was the same size and font. You could print out a template with any font you want or wing it when you pipe out your letters – the sprinkles tend to cover up any imperfections, making this technique pretty fail proof regardless. 

Here’s a quick video to show you how to make these sprinkle letters before I walk you through the steps below. 

If you love creative cake tutorials like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! I’ve got a growing collection of recipes, decorating tutorials, and Cake Basics over there. Hit the subscribe button on my page so you never miss a new video.

You Will Need:

• Printed letter template (I used this one)
• Wax paper
• Scissors
• ½ Cup Wilton Candy Melts or tempered white chocolate
• 2 piping bags
• Wilton Tip 3
• Sprinkles of your choice (I used Sprinkle Pop “Treasure Hunt”)
• Toothpicks

Step 1: Print the Letter Template

To create my template, I simply typed out the word “YAY” in a word document and experimented with fonts until I found one I loved (it’s called Bebas Neue). It took a few prints to figure out what size I wanted the letters to be, and that will vary depending on how long your word is or how tall you want the letters to end up. Once you get them the size and font you want, print the template and cut out the individual. 

If you want to replicate these exact YAY sprinkle letter toppers, here’s the template I created.

Step 2: Pipe the Letters 

Melt the Candy Melts according to the package instructions. Alternatively, you can use tempered white chocolate or Ghirardelli Melting Wafers that don’t require tempering (but taste amazing!). 

Once melted, place the Candy Melts into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 3. Cut out some pieces of wax paper and place them over each individual letter, then pipe each letter onto the wax paper pieces using the template beneath as your guide. 

Step 3: Sprinkle the Letters

Working quickly so that the Candy Melts don’t set before this step, drop pinches of sprinkles onto the letters, then press them in gently so that the entire surface of each letter is covered with sprinkles. It’s important to use a light touch with this part because you don’t want the Candy Melts to spread and warp your letters. 

Let the sprinkled letters set up for about 20 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Afterwards, shake the excess sprinkles off of the letters to reveal the pretty toppers beneath. 

Step 4: Add the Toothpicks

Place the remaining Candy Melts (you may need to re-melt them by now) into a piping bag and snip off about ⅛ to ¼ inch opening on the end. Turn the sprinkle letters face down so that the backs are facing upward, then pipe a line of Candy Melts onto the back of each one. Add a toothpick onto the line and cover it with more melted Candy Melts. 

Let the toothpicks set firm for another 20 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Once your sprinkle letters are beautifully set and functional, you can place them on top of the cake.  

Just imagine what you can create now that you know this quick and easy cake topper technique! I’d love to know if you give it a go. Be sure to comment below to tell me about your sprinkle letter toppers or tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you make with my tutorials! 

The post DIY Sprinkle Letter Cake Toppers appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I used Wilton Candy Melts as the foundation for these colorful number cake toppers, but you could also use any tempered chocolate as a base and the process would be the same. The best part is that you can use this tutorial to create numbers (or letters) in any font you want! Just print out your favorite numerical look onto printer paper, lay a piece of wax paper over the top, and pipe the Candy Melts or chocolate on top. Cover with your favorite sprinkles and you’re good to go!

Here’s a quick video I whipped up to show you how to make these sprinkled-covered numbers in just a few easy steps. Give it a watch before you read all about how to make them below:

If you have yet to check out my YouTube Channel, go give it a look! There are tons of video tutorials to help you learn, and I’m working on adding more recipes to the mix. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing!

You Will Need:

• Printed number templates
• Wax paper
• Piping bag
• Wilton Candy Melts 
• Bamboo Skewers
• Your favorite sprinkles (I used these “Hey Sugar” sprinkles by Sprinkle Pop)

Step 1: Pipe the Number with Candy Melts

Melt the Wilton Candy Melts according to the package instructions, then place them into a piping bag and snip off a small (about ⅛ inch) opening. 

Place your printed number template (face up) onto a flat surface and cover it with a sheet of wax paper. Then, pipe the outline of your number with the melted Candy Melts and fill in the center. 

Step 2: Cover with Your Favorite Sprinkles

While the Candy Melts are still wet, generously add the sprinkles to cover the entire surface, gently pressing them into the number without spreading the Candy Melts outside of the lines. 

When the surface is perfectly sprinkled, place the number into the refrigerator and let it set up for about 10 minutes. 

Step 3: Turn it Into a Cake Topper

After the sprinkled number is set, remove it from the wax paper backing and place it face down. Place a bamboo skewer onto the back and cover it with more melted Candy Melts. 

Return the sprinkle number (with the bamboo skewer attached) to the refrigerator and allow it to set up for 10 more minutes.

And there you have it, a fun and festive sprinkled number topper: 

These sprinkled number cake toppers are so perfect for topping cakes and totally edible (minus the skewer, of course). And you can even use these same steps to create letter cake toppers in any font you want! Definitely a skill you’re gonna want to have in your back pocket for any cake that needs a custom cake topper like these. Happy cake topper making, people!

Did you make these number cake toppers? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below or feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you’re up to in the kitchen! 

The post DIY Sprinkled Number Cake Toppers Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

TOPS Malibu has always been my go-to when it comes to cake sparklers, and they were kind enough to send me these number sparklers to celebrate the New Year. They’ve got a huge selection of cake toppers and party supplies, so there’s something for every celebration. The thing I love the most about their sparklers in particular is that they come in all sorts of numbers, shapes, and sizes! Perfect for birthday cakes, anniversaries, cupcakes (they even make them in tiny sizes!), and New Year’s. Be sure to check out their gorgeous collection here!

I wish I could share a slice of this cake with every one of you, but you’ll just have to feast with your eyes until virtual eating gets invented (could that even happen?!). Until then, here’s a peek at my hopes and dreams for 2019, in no particular order at all:

Start teaching local workshops. If you’re in the Portland area, you’re in luck! I’m planning on putting together some workshop material so I can start teaching cake stuff in person. I’d love to know what you’d want to learn from me, so let me know in the comments section. There’s no real eta on that or anything, it’s definitely a dream though!

Keep working towards a cookbook. So the funny thing about this whole cake blog thing is that I never really imagined my recipes working out in other peoples’ kitchens. But apparently they do! And receiving feedback from you guys about recipe successes has been so, so encouraging. It’s pushed me to write more than I ever thought I could! So with every new recipe I make, I think to myself, this could go in my future cake cookbook. I’m gonna keep it up and dream towards it!

Spend less time on social media. This past year, my social media channels have grown a ton (for which I am so thankful!) but I also kindof hate that my go-to has become checking Instagram far too often. It’s that autopilot thing where my finger just clicks on the app when I have down time. Don’t get me wrong, I love Instagram, but I’m working towards setting boundaries for myself so I don’t spend so much time there. This will probably look like establishing a schedule and blocking off only certain times/days I open the app. I’m hoping it increases my ability to be more present and creative.

Work out more. Ok, this is probably on everyone’s list but whenever I incorporate workouts (particularly running) into my weekly routine, my mood skyrockets. I’m nicer to everyone when I work out. So I should probably do that more.

Finish my house remodel. We bought a house nearly two years ago and have completed a few major projects since then. My husband and I ripped all the carpet out and re-floored the entire house ourselves, skim coated the texture off all the walls to make them smooth, and installed a sliding glass door. Still on the list are full remodels of the bathrooms and kitchen. And oh man, I can’t wait to have more counter space and a more photogenic kitchen!

Rethink my closet. Here’s a little something about me and fashion: I hate shopping. So much that I rarely do it and only justify buying something if it’s on super-sale or thrifted. But the thing about shopping like that is items tend to fall apart after just one or two seasons of wear and those super-sale items are typically made in terrible working conditions (hence the low price). This past year, I’ve been inspired to do more research into where my clothes are coming from and supporting brands who are committed to making clothing ethically. I’ll admit, it takes more time and thought, but I feel better about investing in pieces that are made well and in great working standards that build communities rather than destroy them.

Buy a legit lighting setup. The thing about my approach to food photography is I depend on that dreamy natural light to take photos and videos of my cakes. It gets really hard in the Winter (aka now) because the daylight is so short and most of those precious hours are spent at my day job during the week. This year I’m researching different lighting setups so I can mimic that dreamy daylight at night. I’ll let you know if it’s possible! Oh, and this year expect a full look into my food photography setup and tips on taking better food photos. I’m far from an expert, but I do have some things to say.

Well enough about me and my goals already! I want to hear what yours are. Let me know in the comments below! And PS I hope this year is your best one yet

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