The best part about this Layered Ombrè Cake is that the design is super forgiving. You start with a smooth buttercream cake, but you don’t need to be meticulous about the finish since half of the cake will be covered up with layers of color. No need to stress about this one! 

Before we get to the written tutorial, be sure to check out this video I whipped up of the process: 

Are you into cake decorating videos like this one? If so, head to my YouTube page to see even more! From decorating tutorials to recipe videos and Cake Basics, you’ll find everything you need there to grow in your cake skills. Be sure to hit the Subscribe button so you never miss a new video. 

You Will Need:

• A cake that’s been crumb coated and chilled (this one is a 3 layer 6 inch, but any size will do)
• Cake turntable
• Icing smoother
• Angled spatula 
• 1.5 batches of vanilla buttercream
• Color gels (I used AmeriColor Fuchsia and Teal for mine)
• Bowls and spoons for color mixing
• Wilton Tip 4B (x4) – optional
• 4 piping bags – optional

Step 1: Frost a Smooth Buttercream Finish

With your chilled, crumb coated cake on the turntable, add buttercream to the top of the cake and smooth it down with your angled spatula until it’s level and reaches over the edges.

Add a layer of buttercream all around the sides of the cake, then use your icing smoother to smooth the sides. If you need tips on how to get a nice smooth finish, be sure to check out this Cake Basics post on how to frost a smooth buttercream cake. 

You’ll notice that a little crown of buttercream has formed around the top edge of the cake (a great sign!). Use your angled spatula to swipe the edges inward (toward the top center of the cake) so you create nice sharp edges. 

When you’re happy with your buttercream finish, pop it into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes while you move on to the next step. 

Step 2: Mix Your Buttercream Colors

Divide the remaining buttercream equally amongst four different bowls (or however many colors you want for the layers). Add your food color gel to each one and mix until you like what you see. 

For my color palette, I used AmeriColor Fuchsia in different increments for the light and dark pinks and AmeriColor Teal for the light and dark teal colors (also in different increments). If you want to learn more about color mixing, I created a Cake Basics guide here. 

Step 3: Add the First Layer

Starting at the middle of the cake, add your first color. It should have highs and lows and look perfectly imperfect. No need to add it all the way down the cake, just stick to the middle area. 

Once your color is on, use your icing smoother to gently (and slowly!) smooth it down.

Don’t worry about stopping and starting again in the smoothing process – it’s essential that you go slow for this part to maintain those highs and lows. 

Step 4: Add the Additional Layers

When the first color is smoothed down, add the next color slightly below it so that the color above is still very visible. Repeat the process of smoothing it down.

Continue to add and smooth your colors until you reach the bottom of the cake. 

Look at that pretty texture you can create with buttercream layers!

Step 5: Finish with Some Piping (Optional)

You can feel free to stop the design process with the previous step, but I thought this cake needed a little something extra on the top. I prepared four piping bags with Wilton Tip 4B and filled each one with a different color. Then, I added buttercream stars along the top in a crescent shape. 

And there you have it – a totally eye-catching alternative to the gradient ombrè! This Layered Ombrè look is so much fun to create and an easy look for anyone to achieve. 

If you found this tutorial helpful for your Layered Ombrè Cake, I want to see the results! Be sure to leave a comment below and tag @sugarandsparrowco in any Instagram photos of your cake. I love to see what you create!

The post Layered Ombrè Buttercream Cake Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with your s/o or Galentine’s Day with your best gals, it’s the perfect reason to whip up something sweet, pretty, and made with love. If you’re looking for a dessert that’s quick and easy (but looks like you spent lots of time and effort!), this cupcake project is for you! All it takes is your favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, pink food color gel of your choice, and this stunning Romance sprinkle mix by SprinklePop. And if you’re looking for a great cupcake recipe for underneath all that magic, I’ve got some tasty suggestions below!

First, let’s talk sprinkles. This year I am so delighted to see that SprinklePop has such an amazing lineup of Valentine’s Day sprinkles that will make any dessert look spectacular! I was really drawn to the dreamy vintage color palette of the Romance sprinkle mix, because just look at it! The blend of burgundy, mauve, pale pink, and silver is such an eye-catching alternative to the traditional Valentine’s Day color palette. So classy!

While these sprinkles will look fantastic on a solid-colored buttercream, I thought it would be so fun to create an ombrè effect with white and pink buttercream as I piped these cupcakes. Mixing the colors together into one piping bag is a great way to get a multi-toned rosette without a whole lot of effort. Plus, it really makes these Romance sprinkles shine!

You Will Need

• 12 baked cupcakes (here are some recipe ideas if you need them)
• A batch of your favorite vanilla buttercream recipe
• Pink food color gel
• Bowls and spoons for mixing colors
• A piping bag
• Wilton Tip 1M
• 4 oz. bottle of Romance Sprinkles

Step 1: Mix Up Your Buttercream Colors

For this ombrè look, I divided my batch of buttercream into three bowls. I mixed one of the bowls with Americolor soft gel paste in Fuschia to create dark pink, then mixed a spoonful of the darker pink buttercream with one bowl of white to create a lighter pink. That gives you three colors: white, light pink, and dark pink buttercream.

You can certainly use any pink food color gel to create the color palette that you feel will go best with the sprinkles you’re using on top.

Step 2: Prepare Your Piping Bag

Snip off the end of a piping bag and fit it with Wilton Tip 1M (or any favorite piping tip of yours!). Then, fill one side of the bag with white, another side with light pink, and the final side with dark pink buttercream. It’ll look a little something like this:

You should then have close to equal amounts of buttercream colors being piped at the same time.

Step 3: Pipe The Rosettes

One by one, pipe a swirl starting in the middle of the cupcake and ending on the outer edge.

I think the coolest thing about piping rosettes with multi-colored piping is that no two will look identical. Each one is beautiful in it’s own way!  

Step 4: Sprinkle Some Romance

After piping the rosettes, finish by sprinkling the Romance sprinkles wherever you’d like! I’ve chosen to add a few sprinkles on one half of each cupcake, but you can feel free to be as generous with the sprinkles as you’d like to be.

And voila! Totally romantic cupcakes for any Valentine’s Day celebration!

These cupcakes are perfect for a Valentine’s Day dessert, Galentine’s Day soiree, or really any occasion that calls for some pretty cupcakes. The design is super versatile and would look amazing in all sorts of color combinations! Whatever the occasion, let me know if you create some cupcakes inspired by this design in the comments below or by tagging me on Instagram. I love to see your creations!

The post Sprinkled Ombrè Valentine’s Day Cupcakes appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I wrote out the entire tutorial for this cactus cake over on The Cake Blog, so be sure to head over there to see how to get the look. Although it may seem like a complicated design, it’s actually a lot easier than it looks. All you need is a few piping tips, some pretty buttercream colors, and a little imagination. Here’s some photo inspiration:

So pretty right? Makes me want to spend some time in the desert! Be sure to head to The Cake Blog for the full tutorial and let us know if you make this cake by tagging @sugarandsparrowco and @thecakeblog on Instagram! We’d love to see your take on this cactus creation. 

The post A Cactus Cake With Major Desert Vibes appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

What’s more refreshing than lemonade on a warm summer day? Strawberry lemonade, of course! There’s something about blending the two flavors together that creates summertime magic, and when you incorporate them into cake, it’s just downright delicious! I think this Strawberry Lemonade cake is the perfect summertime treat, whether you’re celebrating with a shindig or just want to whip up something tasty and pretty to look at. I owe all of the inspiration behind creating this recipe to the Pink Lemonade sprinkle mix by SpinklePop, because just one look at them sparked the idea to incorporate refreshing flavor of pink (aka strawberry) lemonade into a cake. And just look at how beautiful the sprinkles make it!

Let’s talk about the strawberry cake underneath all that lemony buttercream. It’s made with real strawberries that have been pureed and then reduced to keep the addition packed with flavor, but not too watered down with juice. I’ll admit, the process of pureeing and reducing strawberries does add an extra step, but it’s so worth it. The texture is moist and fluffy, and the pastel pink color makes it so pretty to look at.

The cake is filled with strawberry buttercream to really enhance the strawberry flavor, then frosted with a lemon buttercream for a perfect tangy compliment. Made with real lemon juice and zest, the lemon buttercream has a tasty zing that can’t be matched with the artificial stuff. To top it all off, I’ve used a little yellow and pink food color gel to create an ombrè buttercream finish, making it resemble a glass of real strawberry lemonade. And it’s a real head turner with SprinklePop’s Pink Lemonade sprinkles as a garnish. Just look at how pretty these colors are!

The best part is, the cake and buttercream recipes are super easy to whip up, and everything can be made ahead of time if that’s your jam. And however you decide to decorate, using SprinklePop sprinkles will take it to the next level. They’re the perfect finishing touch!

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!

Print

Strawberry Lemonade Cake Recipe

Layers of fresh strawberry cake paired with strawberry buttercream filling and lemon buttercream topping that tastes just like summer.

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake

• 3/4 lb (12oz) fresh strawberries, pureed and reduced to 1/2 cup
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups (255g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cups (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups (350g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup (75g) sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 drops pink food coloring, optional

Strawberry Buttercream Filling

• 1/2 cup (11g) freeze dried strawberries
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Tbsp (22ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 1/4 cups (630g) powdered sugar
• 2 medium lemons, zested and juiced
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Make The Strawberry Cake

• Start by pureeing 3/4 lbs of fresh strawberries with a food processor. Afterwards, you should be left with about 1 cup of puree. Place the strawberry puree into a saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you’re done with the reduction, you should have about 1/2 cup (if you have more, keep cooking!). Place the reduced puree into an airtight container and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature. Then, whisk it together with the whole milk and set aside. 
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with wax or parchment paper circles. In a medium sized bowl, place the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.  
• In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high for one minute. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, add the granulated sugar, and beat on high for another 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next, then turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla and sour cream until incorporated. Keeping the mixer on low, add all of the dry ingredients at once until just combined, then add the strawberry milk mixture and pink food coloring (if using) until just combined, about 30 seconds. Give the batter a few stirs by hand to make sure everything is incorporated without over-mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, about 2/3 full. 
• Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for five minutes, after which you can turn them out and continue to cool them on a wire rack or sheet pan for several hours. 

Make The Strawberry Buttercream Filling

• With a food processor, grind freeze dried strawberries into a fine powder and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until light in color and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the freeze dried strawberry powder, whole milk, and vanilla, and continue to beat on medium for 1 minute. 
• Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the salt and continue to mix on low for another 30 seconds.

Make The Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar in two additions, mixing thoroughly for a minute and scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Zest the lemons right into the bowl, then add the lemon juice, whole milk and salt and mix on high for 2 minutes. 

Assembly

• Torte the strawberry cake layers to desired height. Using a piping bag with about ½ inch opening, pipe a circle with lemon buttercream on the outer edge of the first cake layer and fill the middle with strawberry buttercream. Place the next layer of strawberry cake on top of the first, then repeat the process of piping a lemon buttercream dam and filling the center with strawberry buttercream. Place the third layer of strawberry cake on top, upside down so that the bottom of the cake layer serves as the top of the cake. Crumb coat the cake with lemon buttercream and place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. 
• If you wish to replicate the design I’ve created, you’ll need to color the lemon buttercream three different shades (yellow, pink, and orange). To do this, reserve about 1 ½ cups of lemon buttercream and color it with a few drops of yellow food color gel. Color the remainder of the lemon buttercream with a few drops of pink food color gel, then use a third bowl to mix about ¼ cup of the yellow buttercream with about ¼ cup of the pink buttercream to make the orange shade. 
• For the final coat of lemon buttercream, use a spatula to apply the pink buttercream around the bottom of the cake, the orange buttercream around the middle, and the yellow buttercream onto the top third of the cake. Smooth with a bench scraper and angled spatula until you have a pretty buttercream ombrè. Using a piping bag with your favorite piping tip attached (I’ve used Wilton tip 1M), create swirls around the top edge of the cake. Sprinkle generously with SprinklePop Pink Lemonade sprinkles.

Notes

Make ahead tips: You can reduce the strawberry puree up to two days before using in the cake recipe and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the cake. Just bring it back to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter for at least an hour. 

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

Both buttercreams 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 with your stand mixer to bring them back to the right consistency.

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