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.

Print

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.

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!

Print

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.

One of my favorite cake decorating techniques I learned over the last year is how to to use icing spatulas and piping tips to create floral print patterns on buttercream cakes. So when my friends over at Wilton asked me to create a cake for their Holiday campaign, (after squealing) I instantly thought of recreating the buttercream floral print look with a Holiday theme! It’s easier than it looks with the right tools, a great color scheme, and some inspiration from your favorite Holiday florals and foliage (think Poinsettias, pine sprigs, snowberries, holly, and all the flowers that make you think of this festive season).

Although I already had the essential Wilton piping tips and icing spatula on hand, Wilton was kind enough to send me the perfect Icing Color Gels and decorating brush set to create the ultimate festive cake!

Here’s a video to see the techniques and step-by-step in action, and I’ll walk you through every detail below:

You Will Need:

• A cake frosted with smooth buttercream
• 1 batch of vanilla buttercream (or other light colored buttercream)
• Wilton Icing Color Gels
• Toothpicks
• Bowls and spoons for color mixing
• Piping bags
• Several Wilton Piping Tip #2 (one for each color you’re using)
• A small icing spatula
• Floral designs for tracing + wax paper and a pencil (optional)
• Wilton decorating brushes
• A small dish of water

Step 1: Chill Your Buttercream Cake  

It’s essential that you begin this technique with a cold buttercream cake as your canvas. That way, you won’t have to worry about accidentally smudging your smooth buttercream as you create the floral patterns.

After frosting (I’ve used a tiny amount of Wilton’s Creamy Peach to get this subtle cream shade for my backdrop), chill the cake for at least 30 minutes, or until the buttercream is firm to the touch.

Step 2: Prepare Your Buttercream Color Palette

While your cake is chilling, divide your buttercream into separate bowls (one for each color). Dip a toothpick into the Wilton Icing Color Gel of your choice and apply it to the first bowl of buttercream. Mix with a spoon and continue adding color until it’s the perfect shade, then repeat with the other colors. The color palette for this specific cake is Creamy Peach, Christmas Red, Juniper Green, Moss Green, Brown, Burgundy, White (non-colored vanilla buttercream), and Black.

When your icing color palette is looking perfect, prepare your piping bags by snipping off the end and fitting each one with a Wilton Tip 2. This will give you a small, perfectly circular opening for more precise piping. Fill each piping bag with your buttercream colors and marvel at how pretty they look all together!

Step 3: Create Floral Pattern Tracings (optional)

Since I am an ultra-perfectionist, I like to know what my floral patterns are going to look like on the cake and give myself a guide by tracing the patterns on prior to piping. I created and printed out templates of simple floral patterns and traced them onto wax paper, then used the dull end of a wooden skewer to imprint the patterns onto my cold buttercream cake.

For the tracings, you could also use floral designs from wrapping paper or doing an online search for Holiday floral patterns. If you’re more of a go-with-the-flow type of cake decorator, feel free to improvise the patterns as you go!

Step 4: Pipe Your Patterns Onto The Cake

Now for the fun part – piping the designs! Using your piping bags, outline the floral pattern tracings one by one. You’ll find that some designs (like the fir tree branches) will only require outlines, while other designs (like pinecones and snowberries) require dots. The Wilton Tip 2 is perfect for either of these techniques, as it allows you to drag the buttercream in precise lines or dot the buttercream on for circular textures.

For the flower designs, pipe the outline of the flower before filling a little bit of buttercream inside the petals. Use a small icing spatula to swipe the buttercream inward and create the look of petals.

Repeat the process of piping and spatula painting until your entire cake is patterned with holiday florals.

Depending on the look you’re going for, you can have as many or as little designs as you’d like!

Step 5: Smooth With Paint Brushes

After all of your piping is complete, it’s time to do a tiny bit of finish work to make everything look smooth and uniform. It’s essential to have a few paintbrushes handy (I’m using Wilton’s 5 Piece Decorating Brush Set) and a small bowl of water for this part. 

Dip your paintbrush into a tiny bit of water and gently press down on any places on the cake where sharp peaks have formed. This technique helps flatten and smooth designs like branches, berries, and anywhere your piping is peaking.

I couldn’t be happier with how this Holiday Floral Cake turned out! Wilton had the perfect paint brushes and Icing Color Gels for this palette and I am so happy to add them to my already-vast collection of Wilton cake decorating products.

What kind of festive cakes are you planning this season? There are a TON of brilliant Holiday cake ideas like this one over on Wilton’s Christmas Ideas page, so be sure to check it out for some inspiration! And if you try this buttercream floral pattern technique, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creativity in action. Happy Holiday season to you and yours!

The post Holiday Floral Buttercream Cake Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Whoever thought of putting caramel and apples together was a flavor genius. I just love the sweet and salty complexity a good homemade caramel adds to apples (and apple-flavored things!), so as soon as I perfected this apple spice cake recipe, I knew I had to pair it with salted caramel buttercream and turn it into an caramel apple masterpiece! It’s become such a Fall classic in our household that I make it every year as soon as the leaves start changing colors.

First, let’s talk about this apple spice cake, because it’s the foundation of all this flavor. It’s made with unsweetened applesauce to give it a rich apple flavor and make it ultra-moist. Combining the apple flavor with the cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg not only gives this cake the perfect spice, it also makes your kitchen smell amazing as it’s baking! There’s nothing more cozy than the aroma of this cake in the oven, especially on a picturesque Fall day.

Next, let’s talk about all this salted caramel tastiness. It all starts with this homemade salted caramel recipe. It’s such a versatile consistency of caramel that you’ll be using it to dip the apple cake topper, drip the sides of the cake, and whip it up into salted caramel buttercream for filling! It’s one of my favorite Fall staples. I like to use the time that the cakes are baking in the oven to make the caramel, because it needs to cool completely to room temperature before using it in buttercream, dipping apples, etc. The cool thing is, it’s a super easy recipe that only involves four ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time.

Once your homemade caramel is cooled to room temperature, you’ll be ready to make the salted caramel buttercream. I like to fill and crumb coat the cake with salted caramel buttercream and then mask the cake (aka frost the final buttercream layer) with vanilla buttercream, just so I can use even more salted caramel for garnish. You can totally skip the vanilla buttercream mask by making a double batch of the salted caramel buttercream for filling and frosting the cake, it all just depends on how much you love caramel. It pairs so well with this cake that you can totally get creative with the final presentation and mix things up a bit!

For my final cake presentation, I garnished the bottom edges with chopped almonds, then dripped the cake with salted caramel before placing a caramel apple on top. The goal here was to make it look like the caramel apple was dripping down the sides of the cake. Here’s a quick video to show you the process:  

The dripping caramel apple design is an easy and intentional way to represent the cake flavors, but you can feel free to decorate however you want! The flavors of this cake are so autumnal and beautiful that you could do something even more simple and let the flavors speak for themselves. However you decorate, I hope this recipe becomes as much of a Fall tradition for you as it has for me! 

Print

Salted Caramel Apple Cake

An ultra-moist apple spice cake paired with salted caramel buttercream filling, then topped with vanilla buttercream, dripping salted caramel, and chopped almonds. A Fall classic!

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Apple Spice Cake

• 3 1/2 Cups (460g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (162g) packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated white sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups (840ml) unsweetened applesauce

Homemade Salted Caramel

• 1 1/2 cup (300g) granulated white sugar
• 9 Tbsp (128g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Salted Caramel Buttercream Filling

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120ml) homemade salted caramel recipe above
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Vanilla Buttercream Topping

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups (420g) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp whole milk or heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• pinch of salt, or to taste

Additional Ingredients

• 1 medium apple
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds

Instructions

Make The Apple Spice Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax or parchment paper circle. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients and set them aside. 
• Cream the butter on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the brown and white sugars and continue to beat on high for 3 more minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle once in between. Add the eggs one at a time, then turn the mixer to medium for one full minute.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. When it just begins to come together after the last flour addition, turn off the mixer and give it a few stirs by hand to make sure everything is incorporated. The batter will be thick. 
• Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans (fill to no more than 2/3 full) and smooth the tops, then bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before filling and frosting.

Make The Homemade Salted Caramel

• Have everything pre-measured and ready to go (you’ll be constantly stirring). Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until it melts into an amber-colored liquid and no sugar clumps remain, 6-8 minutes. 
• Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the butter (it will bubble up when you do) and use a whisk to combine it with the sugar mixture until the butter is fully melted and incorporated, 1-2 minutes. 
• Add the heavy whipping cream in a steady stream while whisking. As soon as the cream is incorporated, let the caramel boil for a full minute before removing it from the heat and stirring in the salt. 
• Let the caramel cool completely to room temperature before using it in a buttercream recipe, dipping a caramel apple, or dripping the cake. It will thicken as it cools. 

Make The Salted Caramel Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until it’s fluffy and light (almost white in color), 5-6 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times in between. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each interval. Add the vanilla. 
• With the mixer still on low, add the salted caramel. Add a pinch of salt, increase the speed to medium, and mix for 2 full minutes.

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.

Assembly

• Fill and crumb coat the Apple Spice Cake layers with Salted Caramel Buttercream, then place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before frosting a final layer with Vanilla Buttercream. Garnish the bottom edge of the cake with chopped almonds, then place the cake back into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill before moving on to the next steps. 
• While the cake is chilling, pour the remaining Homemade Salted Caramel into a small bowl. Insert a popsicle or cookie stick into the apple and dip it into the caramel, coating it thoroughly. Let the excess caramel drip off of the apple and then set it onto a sheet of wax paper, then place it into the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to set. 
• To create the caramel drip effect, first do a test drip on the chilled cake with room temperature salted caramel. If it’s too thick, microwave it in 15 second bursts to bring it to perfect drip consistency without heating it too much. Drip the sides of the cake with salted caramel and partially fill in the top before topping with the caramel apple. Garnish with more chopped almonds on top of the cake and apple. 

Notes

Make Ahead Notes: The cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.

The Homemade Salted Caramel 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, reheat it in the microwave in 15 second intervals until it reaches room temperature. 

Both of the buttercream recipes can be made ahead and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use them, bring them back to room temperature and re-whip each in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

What are some of your favorite Fall flavors? Besides caramel apple, I love a good Chai Latte and am hoping to incorporate those tasty flavors into a cake and/or cupcakes SOON! In the meantime, if you make this caramel apple cake, I’d love to know how you like it. Tag me on Instagram or let me know in the comments below!

The post Salted Caramel Apple Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Whether you’ve been baking for awhile or you’re new to the game, there are a few go-to recipes I recommend having in your recipe box. I believe one of them should be a fail-proof vanilla cupcake recipe, and this one is just that. These babies come out the same every single time: fluffy, moist, rich vanilla flavor, and perfectly soft structure. And they’re so versatile, you can top them with just about any buttercream flavor and be good to go!

Before inventing this recipe, I was very co-dependant on Betty Crocker box mixes for cupcakes (and cake!). That stuff is just so trustworthy, which was exactly what I was lacking from scratch recipes I’d tried. Usually, I’d try a from-scratch recipe and find that the cupcakes had sunken in the middle, had a weird cornbread-ish taste, were too dry, and just lacked luster. So I spent countless hours concocting the perfect ratio of moisture, fluffiness, flavor, and magic.

The soft texture of these cupcakes comes from a balance of incorporating cake flour and extra moisture. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which means the batter is able to retain more moisture (the higher the protein content, the less ability to retain moisture, aka the drier the cake). That being said, the cake flour makes sure that none of the extra moisture from ingredients like sour cream, egg yolks, and whole milk go to waste. The result? A dreamy, melt-in-your mouth texture that’s soft as box mix, only without all the ingredients in a box mix you can’t pronounce. I’ve got all the heart eyes.

You can pair these cupcakes with just about any buttercream flavor, but the buttercream I’ve used in these photos is my go-to vanilla buttercream recipe. Check that recipe out if you have yet to find the perfect American buttercream recipe for topping cakes and cupcakes! I’ve used my Wilton tip 1M to frost a ruffled swirl and topped the cupcakes with Fancy Sprinkles in the Roller Disco mix. I love this look (it’s a classic!) but if you want more inspiration on how to frost cupcakes, here are 10 of my favorite ideas.

However you decorate, they’ll taste amazing. All of my taste testers are unanimous in their love of this recipe. Makes me happy every time!

Print

Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes that are packed with moisture and flavor. A fail-proof recipe you’ll want as a staple in your recipe box. 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Servings 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (265g) cake flour, sifted before measuring*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (169.5g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup (350g) granulated white sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin pan by lining with cupcake tins. 
• Sift the cake flour first, then measure it out 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 sugar and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, 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.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the milk slowly 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 (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick.
• Spoon batter into the cupcake tins until they’re about ⅔ full, then bake for 17 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for five minutes before removing them from the pan and continuing to cool them for at least an hour. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting. 

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. 

Make ahead tip: These cupcakes can be baked, cooled, stored in their muffin tin with plastic wrap over the top, and left out at room temperature up to one day ahead of decorating. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month before thawing and frosting.

Disclaimer: this post does contain some affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you click them and purchase items I’ve recommended. Using these links won’t cost you any extra money, but they do help to keep Sugar & Sparrow up and running. Thank you for your support!

Did you make this recipe? Let me know by tagging me on Instagram. I love to see your creations!

The post The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I’m a visual person, having learned everything I know about cakes on YouTube. So if you’re like me, here’s a handy video tutorial on how I get those edges sharp and those sides smooth as can be. Read on after the video for my best tips to getting the look:  

Disclosure: this post does contain some affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you click them and purchase items I’ve recommended. Clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, but they do help to keep Sugar & Sparrow up and running. Thank you for your support!  

You Will Need

• Cake layers and filling
• Thin consistency buttercream like this one
• Piping bag(s)
• Cake turntable
• Metal bench scraper
• Metal angled spatula
• Hot water and towel

Step 1: Gather The Right Tools

The right tools make all the difference when you’re trying to achieve a smooth finish. You’ll notice that I’ve specified metal spatulas and scrapers in the list above. These materials allow you to heat up the tools when you’re smoothing, and just like ironing a shirt, a little heat will help smooth over any wrinkles and blemishes in the cake finish. I have used this 6-inch stainless steel bench scraper and Wilton’s 13-inch angled spatula since the beginning, and they’ve helped tremendously.

A good cake turntable is a must, and I have two of them that I love. The cheapest of the two is this one by Wilton, pictured above. It has a nice rubber circle built in to the top to prevent your cake from sliding around. I also have this Ateco turntable that comes with a rubber pad to prevent from slippage. The Ateco turntable is not only functional, it’s really pretty, and I use it to photograph my cakes on all the time.   

Step 2: Perfection Starts Inside The Cake

As they say, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. If you want a perfectly level cake, you’ve got to start with perfectly level layers. This means torting cakes that have a little too much rise in the center. My favorite tool for this is Wilton’s Cake Leveler. You can adjust the height of the leveler and slice off any extra cake in seconds, creating perfectly even layers for stacking.

As you’re filling your cakes, make sure the height of the filling is level as well. It helps to get down to eye level and make sure it’s not slanted in any way.

If you’ve got extra time on your hands, you can let the cakes settle at room temperature after you stack them, so gravity will do it’s thing before you start frosting. I almost never let my cakes settle because I keep them so cold all the time, plus I am a bit impatient, but I know this is a step that a lot of cake makers swear by.

Step 3: Mix Up The Right Buttercream Consistency

When you’re frosting a cake, you want the buttercream to be thin consistency, meaning that it’s easy to spread and holds its shape without being runny. This vanilla buttercream recipe is foolproof for this, but whatever recipe you use, test it before adding it onto the cake. A good way to test is dip a rubber spatula into the frosting. It should form peaks that aren’t too stiff, and easily spread when you move your finger over it.

If your frosting is too thick, it’ll be hard to get the sides smooth and will feel like you’re basically ripping through it. The end result can often look airbubbly and have a finish that looks like stucco. No bueno. To fix it, all you have to do is add more liquid (in most cases heavy whipping cream or whole milk) to thin it out to the perfect consistency.

Step 4: Stir The Buttercream To Reduce Air Bubbles

Air bubbles happen all the time. It usually starts with over-mixing the buttercream as the whisk or paddle attachment ends up whipping too much air into it. Sometimes it’s just a fact of life, and I still struggle with airbubbly buttercream at times, even when I’m sure not to over-mix.

In my experience with buttercream, one super helpful trick to greatly reducing air bubbles is this: before you add any buttercream to the cake, give it several stirs with your rubber spatula and press it against the sides of your mixing bowl. This will force out any unwanted air that might be trapped inside the buttercream due to your mixer. You’ll visibly see it becoming smoother and air pocket free as you stir it up.

Step 5: Apply A Crumb Coat

I know some bakers don’t believe all cakes need a crumb coat, but I do. This way, all of the crumbs end up in the first frosting layer (hence the term crumb coat) and never in the final layer. It’s just prettier that way.

To add a crumb coat, spread a thin layer over the entire cake with an offset spatula, filling in all the cracks and holes (like in between layers), and smooth it all with your bench scraper. When you’re done, it should look like a semi-naked cake that’s pretty close to level on all sides and the top. Stick it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (even overnight is a good idea!) to let it firm up a bit before adding your final layer. Starting the final layer with a sturdy foundation is a huge help when it comes to getting a smooth buttercream finish.

Step 6: Apply The Final Layer

After your crumb coat has set, you’re ready to make that perfect buttercream cake become a reality. I’ve learned that piping the buttercream around the cake instead of applying buttercream with a spatula is a huge game changer for me. It helps to keep the buttercream even over the entire cake and makes it way easier to smooth out.

Starting at the bottom of the cake and working your way to the top, pipe the buttercream in even lines as you rotate the turntable. When you reach the top, pipe a ring around the top edge and then fill in the center of the top with buttercream.

First, smooth the top of the cake so that it’s perfectly level and smooth. 

Next, use your bench scraper to smooth the sides, scraping the excess buttercream off of the scraper each and every time. Make sure that as you scrape, the scraper is vertically level, but also about a 45 degree angle toward the side of the cake (tighter angles help reduce those unsightly lines in the cake finish). Feel free to be slow and intentional with this process.

If you notice any gaps in your cake finish, simply fill them in with buttercream and keep scraping.

As you smooth the sides of your cake, the buttercream on the sides will begin to reach higher than the top of the cake like a crown. This is what you want. To get a clean, sharp edge, take your angled spatula and level off the top, smoothing the outsides of the buttercream crown toward the center of your cake. Remember to continue scraping off the excess buttercream and cleaning your tools before smoothing the cake.

Don’t be afraid to get down to eye level and make sure your top is level. Need to raise up one side of the top? Add more buttercream and smooth it down till all is level.

Step 7: Apply A Little Heat

Even if you still have some little flaws in your buttercream finish, here is the magical tip that I’ve discovered that will literally erase them: a hot spatula. Remember how I talked about needing a metal bench scraper and angled spatula? This is why.

Run your metal scraper or offset spatula under super hot water and wipe it clean with a towel so that it’s dry but warm to the touch. Slowly smooth the sides and/or top with this heated device and you will be amazed at how smooth the buttercream becomes. Repeat heating your tools, drying them off, and smoothing the cake until you’ve got the smoothest buttercream you’ve ever seen.

Step 8: Extra Magic

If you’re finding that you’ve been at this process of smoothing for awhile and your cake is still looking a bit flawed, there’s another trick I’ve learned. Stop what you’re doing and put the cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour. The finish will harden and be much easier to work with after you’ve waited awhile.

When the buttercream is good and chilled, pick up where you left off. Apply a very thin layer of new buttercream to the entire cake and smooth it out. You will be amazed at how easy it is to smooth the buttercream when you’ve got a really firm foundation underneath to work with. This part does take a bit more time, and I don’t always do it unless I’m desperate for a smooth finish and the final design depends on it. But when I do, it’s smooth city.

Smooth buttercream cakes don’t have to be intimidating. With enough practice and finding the techniques that work for you, you’ll be a pro at this in no time. If you found the video tutorial portion of this helpful, be sure to check out my other YouTube videos! I’m adding new ones all the time, so subscribe to keep up with them.  

The post How To Frost A Cake With Smooth Buttercream appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

There’s something about me you’ve got to know: I really really love s’mores. I had my first one as a kid sitting around a crackling campfire under the stars and have been hooked ever since. There’s something about a perfectly toasted marshmallow, melty milk chocolate, and crunchy graham crackers that just gets me all shook up. Since discovering this fun little fact about me, my mother-in-law keeps her pantry stocked year-round with all the s’mores essentials to make sure I can have them any time I come over. No matter what time of year, you’ll find stacks of Hershey’s bars, jet puffed marshmallows, and honey graham crackers tucked away in my very own corner of her pantry and it makes me feel very known and loved. It was just a given that I would turn these flavors into a cake, and it’s one of the very first recipes I sought to master.

The s’mores cake I’ve created goes like this: layers of graham cracker cake filled with toasted(!) marshmallow buttercream and milk chocolate ganache, topped with vanilla buttercream, a milk chocolate drip, and toasted marshmallow meringue flourishes. Phew. Sounds like heaven right? If you love s’mores, it really is. It’s been one of my most requested flavors to date, and based on the reviews I’ve heard I wouldn’t hesitate to call it a true crowd pleaser.

There are a whole lot of yummy flavors going on in this cake, but I think the real kicker comes from the toasted marshmallow buttercream. It involves mixing in some Marshmallow Fluff and jet puffed marshmallows that have been toasted in the oven, so you get a bit of that smokey, marshmallowy taste that will remind you of a campfire. Paired with the graham cracker cake and milk chocolate ganache, I’d say it’s the closest match to a real s’mores you’re going to find in cake form.

To make sure you get the purest s’mores taste with each bite of this cake, I layer the toasted marshmallow buttercream with chocolate ganache as a double filling. That way you get a little bit of everything all at once, just like the real deal. And it makes for really pretty slices too.

I’m a big fan of highlighting the flavors of the cake by decorating with crushed graham crackers, a milk chocolate ganache drip, and toasted marshmallow meringue flourishes. I use Wilton tips 1M and 4B to pipe the meringue before toasting, and I love how this recipe holds its shape. Years ago I tried this same technique with marshmallow fluff and it did not hold its shape for more than ten seconds, then afterwards melted into a puddle of white goo. It was a heartbreaking situation, but it’s what led me to discover my absolute favorite marshmallow meringue recipe and I haven’t ever looked back. It’s super easy to make, pipes like a dream, and looks gorgeous when it’s toasted.

If you’re on the fence about getting a good culinary torch, let me tell you, it makes all the difference for toasted desserts. I’ve been using this micro butane culinary torch for the past year and it’s worked wonders, plus it’s under $20 which is a complete steal. Toasting the meringue flourishes is the perfect final touch for this recipe, and it’s absolutely my favorite part.

Update 2020: The pan size specifications in this recipe have been revised to reflect the amount of batter this recipe actually makes. Please refer to the pan sizes in the recipe as opposed to the comment section.

Print

S’mores Cake Recipe

Layers of graham cracker cake filled with toasted marshmallow buttercream and rich milk chocolate ganache, topped with vanilla buttercream and garnished with toasted marshmallow meringue flourishes. 

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Cake

• 1 1/2 cups (155g) graham crackers, ground into crumbs
• 3 3/4 cups (398g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/8 cups (254g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups (410g) granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (112g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup (360ml) whole milk, room temperature

Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream

• 8 large marshmallows
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3.5 oz (half a small jar) Marshmallow Fluff
• 1/4 tsp salt

Milk Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup (183g) milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream

Vanilla Buttercream

• 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp (59ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Marshmallow Meringue Topping

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Make The Graham Cracker Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F and prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting a parchment or wax paper circle to the bottom of each pan. 
• Grind the graham crackers into a crumbs by either using a food processor or placing them into a large ziplock back and crushing them with a rolling pin. Place the graham cracker crumbs into a medium sized bowl and add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter for one minute on high. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and add the sugar. Cream together on high for two minutes, scraping down bowl and paddle once in between. Turn mixer to low and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle as necessary. Once all eggs are added, turn the mixer to high and beat for three minutes. 
• Add vanilla and sour cream and continue mixing for one minute. Turn the mixer to low and add all of the dry ingredients at once until just combined, then add the milk all at once. Scrape down the bowl and paddle once more and mix on low for about 30 seconds. Do not overmix.

  Pour batter into prepared pans (about ⅔ full). 
• Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes for five minutes before releasing from the pan and continuing to cool on a baking sheet or wire rack.

Make The Milk Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk heavy whipping cream constantly until you start to see the beginnings of a boil. Just before it begins to form a rolling boil, remove the cream from the heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds, then whisk it all together until smooth and uniform in consistency. Cool the ganache on the counter until it reaches room temperature before using in/on the cake.  

Make The Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray the surface of the foil with cooking spray. Place your marshmallows on the foil and set in the center rack of the oven. Broil the marshmallows on high until they start to brown on top (watch them closely!), then flip them over so they can brown on the bottom as well. When both sides are toasted, take them out of the oven to cool.
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium until creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing on low for another 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle afterwards. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for 3 minutes, then add the marshmallow fluff, roasted marshmallows, and salt. Continue mixing on medium for another minute.

Make The Vanilla Buttercream

• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter on high for until it’s fluffy and almost white in color, about 7 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times during the process. Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on medium until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and paddle before each addition. Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla extract, milk, and salt. Beat on medium for another minute until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.

Make The Marshmallow Meringue

• Whisk the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together in a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with an inch or two of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water (or else it will cook your eggs!). Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. 
• Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and whisk the mixture on high for 6 full minutes, until stiff peaks form. You should be able to dip the whisk into the meringue and it forms a peak that maintains its shape when turned right side up and upside down. 

Assembly

• Torte each layer of graham cracker cake to desired height. Pipe a circle of vanilla buttercream around the edge of the first layer to act as a buttercream dam. Fill the center of the circle with half chocolate ganache (room temperature or colder), and half toasted marshmallow buttercream. Place the next layer of graham cracker cake on top and repeat the filling process before placing the third layer on top.
• Crumb coat the cake with vanilla buttercream and place it into the refrigerator for 15 minutes before topping with a final coat of vanilla buttercream. Garnish the cake with a chocolate ganache drip, graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallow meringue piping that’s been toasted with a culinary torch. Or decorate however your heart desires. 

Notes

Make ahead tips: the cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature (wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to two days before frosting. Alternatively, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months. 

The buttercreams can be made ahead of time and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use them, bring them to room temperature and re-whip with the stand mixer if needed. 

The 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 back to room temperature. You can microwave it in small (10-15 second) increments to get it back to drip consistency.

The marshmallow meringue cannot be made ahead and must be used/toasted as soon as you make it. 

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know in the comments and tag me on Instagram to show me photos!

The post Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Huzzah! It’s my birthday! Well, technically it was last week but I’m still celebrating. I’m a whopping 32 years old now, and although I usually dread birthdays because of the whole getting older thing, this year I’m feeling pretty content. I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with my very most favorite people, and I’m feeling so truly loved that I just can’t complain.

When you’re a caker it’s quite common to make your own birthday cakes, and this year was no exception. I thought about making something classic and reminiscent of my childhood (like yellow cake with chocolate frosting, the all-time favorite of my youth) but then I thought, why not use my birthday as an excuse to pair some flavors I love in a way that I’ve never done before? Even if it didn’t turn out right, it could be a good laugh. But spoiler alert: it turned out real good!

One of my all-time favorite desserts is Baked Alaska from a restaurant called Papa Haydn. The dessert is about a foot tall, and it involves layers of dulce de leche and banana ice creams, chocolate ganache, and vanilla sponge cake, all topped with toasted Italian meringue. It’s different than a traditional Baked Alaska because of the ice cream flavors – the classic Baked Alaska involves Neapolitan ice cream instead of the dulce de leche and banana combo that Papa Haydn has created. I love what they’ve done with the flavor pairings though, and I get the same thing almost every time I go.

I thought about trying to replicate the Baked Alaska in it’s true form, but since I’ve never actually made ice cream and don’t really have the right equipment yet, I decided to pull some inspiration from the flavors of my favorite Baked Alaska and then add some new ones. What I ended up with was a spiced banana cake with vanilla buttercream, drizzled with Nutella ganache and topped with toasted meringue flourishes. It ended up being real pretty and so tasty! Pair it with a little ice cream if you’re feeling fancy and you’ll have yourself a time.

To get the perfect banana flavor, you’ve got to start with bananas that are nice and spotted. That means you either have to plan ahead and buy your bananas about a week before making this cake, or store some spotted bananas in the freezer until the time is right. The more over-ripe (spotty) the bananas are, the more banana flavor will come through in the cake.

To get the full effect of this toasted masterpiece, you’ll need a culinary torch to toast the meringue. Trust me, I’ve tried with everything from matches to one of those lighter gun thingys and nothing will give you the look and taste of toasted goodness quite like a good culinary torch. You can use some piping tips to pipe unique designs with the meringue (I’ve used Wilton 4B for the open stars and 1M for the rosettes) or keep with the traditional look of swirling the meringue with an offset spatula before toasting to perfection. Whatever you decide for the final look, I can promise these flavors are sure to please.

Print

Banana Nutella Birthday Cake

A moist banana spice cake topped with vanilla buttercream, drizzled with Nutella ganache, and finished with toasted meringue flourishes.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Banana Spice Cake

• 3 cups (414g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 large)
• 3/4 cup (169.5g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (205g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (94g) packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, room temperature

Nutella Ganache

• 1 cup (300g) Nutella
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream

Vanilla Buttercream

• 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp (59ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Meringue Topping

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of Tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Banana Cake

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and placing a pre-cut wax or parchment paper circle in the bottom. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
• Mash the bananas by hand or use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to whip them until they’re nice and mashed (about 30 seconds on medium). Set them aside.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter until it’s fluffy and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle halfway through. Add the white granulated sugar and the brown sugar and cream on medium for another 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, turn the mixer to low, and add the eggs and vanilla before beating on medium for one minute.
• Add the mashed banana and beat on medium for a full minute before scraping down the bowl and paddle again. Turn the mixer to low and alternate adding the dry ingredients in three additions and buttermilk in two additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix each addition until just incorporated before alternating. As soon as the last addition of the flour mixture is incorporated, turn the mixer off and give it a few stirs by hand to make sure there’s no flour lurking at the bottom of the mixing bowl. 
• Fill the cake pans with batter no more than 2/3 full and bake for 45-55 minutes (baking times will vary). The cakes are done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for five minutes before turning out to cool on a baking sheet or wire rack for several hours. 

Make the Nutella Ganache

• Measure Nutella into a heatproof bowl and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high, heat the heavy whipping cream until small bubbles form (just before the start of a rolling boil), stirring constantly with a whisk. Once the cream begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the Nutella. Let sit for about 30 seconds before whisking together until the consistency is uniform and well blended. Let it sit at room temperature until it reaches room temperature. 

Make the Vanilla Buttercream

• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter on high for until it’s fluffy and almost white in color, about 7 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times during the process. Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on medium until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and paddle before each addition.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla extract, milk, and salt. Beat on medium for another minute until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. 

Make the Meringue Topping

• Whisk the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together in a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with an inch or two of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water (or else it will cook your eggs!). Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. 
• Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and whisk the mixture on high for 6 full minutes, until stiff peaks form. You should be able to dip the whisk into the meringue and it forms a peak that maintains its shape when turned right side up and upside down.

Assembly

• Wait until Nutella has reached room temperature. Starting with your first cake layer, spread a good amount of Vanilla Buttercream as a filling and drizzle a little Nutella Ganache before placing your second cake layer on top. Repeat the process before placing the final cake layer on top.
• Crumb coat the cake with Vanilla Buttercream and place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to firm up before frosting with a final layer of Vanilla Buttercream. In the cake pictured, I colored a little Vanilla Buttercream yellow with food color gel and created an ombrè finish. Place the cake back into the refrigerator for another 20 minutes or more to chill before dripping with Nutella ganache. 
• For the meringue topping, you can either use a piping bag with piping tips (I used Wilton 4B for the open stars and 1M for piping rosettes) or swirl the meringue onto the cake with a spatula. Feel free to get creative! Use a culinary torch to toast the meringue as a finishing touch.

Notes

The cake layers can be baked ahead of time and stored (wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to two days at room temperature, or up to three months in the freezer. 

The Nutella 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 drip consistency by microwaving in ten second spurts. 

The Vanilla 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 re-whip with your stand mixer. 

The Meringue topping must be made and torched on the spot. 

What do you other cakers do on your birthdays? Do you make your own cake or let someone else make one for you for a change? Honestly, this year was a both/and/and situation, meaning I made my own cake, and let someone make me a cake, and went to Papa Haydn and got that Baked Alaska. Because hey, I do what I want on my birthday.

The post A Year Older, A New Birthday Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I’ve got a major business crush on Tea Bar for a few reasons: their tea is organic and ethically sourced, the drinks they make with it are innovative (and delicious!), and their entire team is made up of strong, inspiring women. They’ve made a mark on the Portland tea market but I can easily see them taking over the world. After all, who doesn’t love a good cup of golden milk or a matcha latte? If you’re a Portlander and have never been, give them a try next time you want to meet up with a friend!

In addition to selling their fabulous teas online for drinking at home, Tea Bar offers Culinary Grade Matcha for baking that’s organic, hand picked, stone ground, and sourced from a tiny family farm in Uji, Japan. I was so intrigued that I had to try it in a cake recipe. I am so glad I did, because the results were mind-blowing! The cake itself is light and fluffy, and the Matcha powder makes it flavorful and aromatic without being over the top. Oh, and it’s pretty to look at. 

I chose to pair the Matcha cake with this raspberry buttercream as filling, then topped it with an eye catching vanilla-matcha buttercream ombre and white chocolate geometric shapes. These flavors ended up being very complimentary. It was a hit with the Tea Bar ladies, and I’m sure this cake will impress all of your Matcha-loving friends!

You can use any Culinary Grade Matcha in this recipe, but I can say from experience that not all Matcha powders are made (or taste) alike. If you want try using Tea Bar’s, you can purchase it on their website and they’ll ship it right to your door. It’s so worth it. PS: This is not a sponsored post, Tea Bar really is my favorite Culinary Grade Matcha! 

Print

Favorite Matcha Cake

A light and airy matcha cake filled with raspberry buttercream and topped with a vanilla-matcha buttercream ombre.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Matcha Cake Recipe

• 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour
• 2 Tbsp culinary grade Matcha powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 Cups (330g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Cups (240ml) whole milk, room temperature

Raspberry Buttercream Filling

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (5-6g) freeze dried raspberries
• 1 1/2 Tbsp (22ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt

Vanilla-Matcha Buttercream

• 1 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 cups (600g) powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp culinary grade Matcha powder

Instructions

Make The Matcha Cake

• Preheat oven to 350º and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and placing a pre-cut wax or parchment paper circle to fit the bottom.
• Whisk together sifted cake flour, Matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Cream butter on med-high for one minute. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Add sugar and beat on high for 2-3 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. Scrape down bowl, turn the mixer on med-high and beat for about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla, continue beating for 1 minute.
• 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. 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 ⅔ full and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Make The Raspberry Buttercream Filling

• 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 3 minutes.
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add a pinch of salt (I like about an eighth of a teaspoon) and mix on low for another 30 seconds.

Make The Vanilla-Matcha 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. Hold off on adding the Matcha powder until you get to the assembly instructions. 

Assembly

• Starting with your first cake layer, pipe a ring of vanilla buttercream around each layer’s edge to create a buttercream dam. Fill the middle of your vanilla buttercream ring with raspberry buttercream until it’s the same height as the vanilla ring. Level the filling with an offset spatula and place the next layer of cake on top. Repeat the vanilla ring and raspberry filling before placing the third and final cake layer on top. 
• Divide vanilla buttercream evenly into two bowls. In one bowl, add the matcha powder to the buttercream and mix until combined. Grab a third bowl and mix together a third of the matcha buttercream and a third of the vanilla buttercream until you get a nice in-between shade.
• Starting at the bottom of the cake, frost with the darkest matcha buttercream until you get a third of the way up the side of the cake. Continue frosting with the lighter colored matcha buttercream mixture until you get to two thirds up the side of the cake. Frost the vanilla buttercream on the top third of the cake, including the top. Smooth the cake until you achieve the perfect finish.
• To decorate, I’ve chosen to stick some white chocolate geometric shapes (made by melting white chocolate onto parchment, sprinkling with matcha powder, and cutting out shapes with a hot knife) into the top of the buttercream cake in any pattern you desire. I also piped a few open stars using leftover matcha buttercream. Feel free to let your creativity flow with this!

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. 

Make ahead tips: These 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. 

The buttercream recipes can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use, bring back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer. Add whole milk, 1 tsp at a time, if it needs to be thinned to the right consistency.

The post Favorite Matcha Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.