Valentine’s Day Cake Recipes

Raspberry Chocolate Cake Recipe

I love everything about this Raspberry Chocolate Cake. The raspberry buttercream is ultra flavorful, not too sweet, and has the most gorgeous natural color ever. The chocolate cake layers beneath are decadent, fudgy, and so easy to whip up (it’s my one-bowl chocolate cake!). Tie it all together with a chocolate ganache drip and some fresh raspberries and you have a beautiful, dare I say sensual cake (cue the sax solo)! 

Red Velvet Cake Recipe

This Red Velvet Cake is my latest recipe and I am so proud of it! I’ve already received such rave reviews and it couldn’t make me happier. This classic cake has the perfect subtle chocolate flavor, is fluffy and moist, and is just so striking. I paired it with my favorite (pipeable!) cream cheese buttercream to make it extra addicting. 

Ruby Chocolate Cake Recipe

If you’ve never tried ruby chocolate before, I highly recommend it. Not only does it have the most beautiful natural color of all the chocolates, it tastes so unique – almost like a mix of white chocolate and raspberry. I fell so in love with ruby chocolate that I made some pretty buttercream and ganache with it, then turned it into this gorgeous Ruby Chocolate Cake recipe. 

Strawberry Cake Recipe

This Strawberry Cake Recipe is one of my all-time favorites. It features the prettiest pink buttercream and cake layers, making it perfect for the day of love (or whatever). The cake is made with strawberry purèe, giving it a bold and refreshing flavor. And to intensify that fresh strawberry taste, the buttercream features freeze dried strawberries for amplified flavor and beautiful natural color. It is out of this world delicious! 

Valentine’s Day Cake Decorating Ideas

Cascading Heart Cake Tutorial

This Cascading Heart Cake is a real looker. It’s got a classic Valentine’s Day color palette and so many amazing textures going on between the handmade fondant hearts, pretty piping, sprinkles, and icing hearts. It’s just as fun to make as it is to look at! 

Floral Wreath Cake Tutorial

This Floral Wreath Cake is much tastier than a bouquet of flowers (although both kinds of flowers would be nice)! Even if you’ve never made buttercream flowers before, this tutorial will show you everything – from making the flowers to assembling them on your cake. It may look intricate, but with the right piping tips you’ll surprise yourself!

Heart Covered Cake Tutorial

This gorgeous Heart Covered Cake design starts with a cookie cutter. Add a couple piping tips, sprinkles, and a pink buttercream color palette, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an eye-catching Valentine’s Day cake. It’ll look great in an array of colors, so feel free to use your imagination!

Sprinkled Ombrè Valentine’s Day Cupcakes 

For those of you who want to stick to cupcakes, these ones are perfect! All you need is an ombrè buttercream color palette, a rosette piping tip, and some pretty Valentine’s Day sprinkles to add intrigue. 

Painted Cake Tutorial

I originally made this Painted Cake in a Valentine’s Day color palette without even realizing it. Now whenever I see it, I think of Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for a low key design that’s impressive yet simple to create, this one is it. 

I hope you find the perfect cake ideas in this list for your Valentine’s Day (etc) bakes! Let me know if you make any of these recipes or tutorials by leaving a comment below or tagging @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Favorite Valentine’s Day Cake Ideas appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

It’s that time of year when all the coffee shops start selling lattes with festive flavors. Anytime I see a Holiday drink menu roll out I can’t help but get inspired to translate those flavors into cake form (see also: my Peppermint Latte Cake and Hot Cocoa Cake recipes). I thought it was about time for a delicious Gingerbread Latte Cake and to my complete satisfaction (and after lots of recipe testing), this one checks all the boxes! 

The recipe starts with a moist, heavenly Gingerbread Cake that will have your kitchen smelling like Holiday cheer. Between the spices, the brown sugar, and the sticky sweet molasses, this Gingerbread Cake tastes like the real deal. It’s got a decadent crumb and is packed with delightful gingerbread flavor. I love using cake flour in most of my recipes to make my cakes as light as possible, but in the recipe testing sessions for this one, I did learn that all purpose flour makes the best structure. The texture turned out perfect in the end! 

The spiced gingerbread flavor in this cake pairs so perfectly with the richness of the Coffee Buttercream and tastes so reminiscent of a gingerbread latte. I was in Holiday cake heaven eating all the scraps as I decorated. The buttercream is so easy to whip up and uses instant coffee (espresso powder works too!) mixed with milk to add flavor. It’s so silky smooth and perfect for filling, frosting, and piping. 

I’ve really been in the Christmas spirit this year, so I decided to go super festive with the cake decorating on this one. The design may look a little complex, but I promise it’s super easy with the right tools. I started by frosting the cake smooth and adding a White Chocolate Ganache Drip on half of the cake. I piped coffee buttercream rosettes with Wilton Tip 1M in a cascading pattern up the side of the cake and around the top (really similar to this technique). Then, I added some gingerbread man marshmallows that I found at my local Fred Meyer (here are similar ones), piped coffee buttercream stars with Wilton Tips 4B and 32, and finished off the look with some pretty Holiday sprinkles. 

No matter how you choose to decorate, this cake is so delicious whether you’re a gingerbread latte fan already or simply love all Holiday flavors. Here’s a quick video of the cake decorating process I used in case you’re inspired:

If you’re into cake decorating videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! You’ll find tons of decorating tutorials, recipe videos, and my Cake Basics series in video format. I’m always adding new videos there, so be sure to hit the subscribe button and be in the know when I post a new one. 

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Gingerbread Latte Cake Recipe

Inspired by the ever festive gingerbread latte at your local coffee shop, this cake features layers of fluffy spiced gingerbread cake paired perfectly with rich coffee buttercream. In other words, the perfect cozy Holiday cake!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

• 2 3/4 Cups (360g) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 Cup (150g) white granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup (170g) packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 Cup (180ml) molasses
• 1 Cup (240ml) full fat buttermilk* DIY recipe in notes

Coffee Buttercream

• 1 Tbsp instant coffee powder or espresso powder
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Decorations

• gingerbread man marshmallows link to similar ones below
• white chocolate ganache drip link to recipe below
• holiday sprinkles link below

Instructions

Make the Gingerbread Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and a parchment or wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on medium-high for two minutes. Add in the white and brown sugars and cream on medium-high for another two minutes until light and fluffy, 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 molasses, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. 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. Batter will be thick, but pourable.
• Pour the batter into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make the Coffee Buttercream

• Combine the instant coffee powder (or espresso powder) with the whole milk and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times in between.
• Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals. Then add the vanilla, the coffee/espresso milk mixture, and salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated, about one minute.

Assembly

• Once the Gingerbread Cakes have cooled completely, level and torte each layer to your desired height. Fill and crumb coat the cake layers with Coffee Buttercream. Place the crumb coated cake into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to firm up before moving on.
• To create the cake design pictured, frost a smooth layer of Coffee Buttercream around the cake and place it back into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then create drips on half of the cake with White Chocolate Ganache.
• Fit one piping bag with Wilton tip 1M, a second piping bag with Wilton tip 4B, and a third with Wilton tip 32. Divide the remaining Coffee Buttercream amongst the three bags. Pipe rosettes with Wilton tip 1M in a diagonal direction up the side of the cake, continuing halfway around the top rim. Place gingerbread men marshmallows decoratively between the rosettes. Pipe stars with Wilton tips 4B and 32 around the rosettes and marshmallows, continuing up the side of the cake and halfway around the top edge. Here is a similar technique for the piping. Finish the look with Holiday sprinkles.

Notes

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

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The Gingerbread Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The Coffee 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 in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

Did you make this Gingerbread Latte Cake recipe? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram and show me! I love to see what you create.

The post Gingerbread Latte Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

One of my very favorite pies to make for Thanksgiving is a chocolate pecan pie topped with salted caramel. The crunch of the pecans, richness of the chocolate, and sweetness of the caramel together are next level. I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to translate that flavor palette into cake form, but I’m beyond pleased with how it turned out – it’s the perfect pie alternative for your Thanksgiving feast and just an all-around amazing holiday flavor combo!

This Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake starts with my favorite ultra-decadent Chocolate Cake recipe that is super quick to throw together. It’s a one-bowl recipe and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already. Easy. But we’re just getting started. 

The homemade Pecan Pie Filling and Salted Caramel you’ll be adding between those cake layers takes everything to the next level. I’m not kidding when I say that the Pecan Pie Filling tastes exactly like (you guessed it) pecan pie. You’ll be cooking both the filling and the caramel on the stove, and the aroma of them will fill your house with instant holiday cheer. Also, don’t be intimidated by the thought of making Salted Caramel from scratch – I promise it’s the easiest caramel you’ll ever make. There are only four ingredients and you don’t even need a candy thermometer to achieve caramel perfection. 

To tie all of these delicious holiday-inspired flavors together, I frosted the cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream. It’s the perfect compliment to the flavor palette and super easy to whip up and work with. Since the fillings are semi-thin, I piped a circle of Brown Sugar Buttercream around each layer before filling in the center with the fillings – a technique I explain in this Cake Basics blog post. 

For decorating the cake, I frosted a smooth layer of Brown Sugar Buttercream and dripped the sides with Salted Caramel (details on that are in the assembly instructions below). Then, I decorated the top of the cake with pecan halves, much like you would decorate a traditional pecan pie. Around the top edge, I piped a rope border using Wilton Tip 4B. It’s basically piping a continuous series of swirls while rotating the turntable until you’ve bordered the entire top edge. 

However you decorate this Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake with Salted Caramel, it’s sure to be tasty. It’s my ideal holiday flavor combo and I hope you love it as much as I do. Enjoy!

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake with Salted Caramel

Inspired by my favorite Thanksgiving pecan pie recipe, this cake features layers of decadent chocolate cake, pecan pie filling, and homemade salted caramel, all wrapped up in tasty brown sugar buttercream. The perfect cozy holiday cake.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) white granulated sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee or hot water

Pecan Pie Filling

• 1/2 Cup (100g) white granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup (170g) packed brown sugar
• 2/3 Cup (160ml) light corn syrup
• 1/3 Cup (75g) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 Cups (195g) chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Salted Caramel

• 1 Cup (200g) white granulated sugar
• 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into six slices
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 1/4 tsp salt

Brown Sugar Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Cup (200g) packed brown sugar
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot coffee (or hot water) in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Make the Pecan Pie Filling

• Combine the sugars, corn syrup, butter, eggs, pecans, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly for 6-8 minutes until the filling is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool completely before using as filling. It will thicken and stabilize as it cools.

Make the 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, 5-6 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, 2-3 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 to room temperature before using as a filling or drip. It will thicken as it cools. 

Make the Brown Sugar Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until it’s creamy, light, and homogenous. About 4 minutes.
• With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
• Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.

Assembly

• Once the Chocolate Cakes have cooled completely, level and torte each layer to your desired height. Place the first layer on a turntable and pipe a circle of Brown Sugar Buttercream around the edge. Fill in the center with (room temperature) Pecan Pie Filling about 3/4 of the way to the top of the buttercream circle height-wise. Drizzle room temperature Salted Caramel on top of the Pecan Pie Filling. Here's a detailed tutorial on this filling method.
• Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the process of piping the buttercream circle and filling in the center with Pecan Pie Filling and Salted Caramel. Place the final layer on top, upside down so that the bottom of the cake layer is the top of the cake. Crumb coat the cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream and place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to let everything set up.
• To create the cake design pictured, frost a smooth layer of Brown Sugar Buttercream around the cake and place it back into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to create a cold foundation for the Salted Caramel drip. Meanwhile, microwave the Salted Caramel in 10 second increments until it's slightly warmer than room temperature and good drip consistency (this post shows examples of perfect drip consistency with Chocolate Ganache and those same rules apply to Salted Caramel drip consistency). When the cake is nice and chilled and the Salted Caramel is perfect drip consistency, drip the cake. Place it back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let the caramel set.
• Create a design on the top of the cake with halved pecans. Prepare a piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B and fill it with Brown Sugar Buttercream. Holding the piping bag at a 45 degree angle pointed at the top of the cake, pipe a series of continuous swirls to create a rope border around the top edge.

Notes

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

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The Chocolate Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The Pecan Pie Filling can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Bring back to room temperature before using in this recipe. 
3. The 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 10 second intervals until it reaches room temperature. 
4. The Brown Sugar 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 in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

Did you make this Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie Cake recipe? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram and show me! I love to see what you create.

The post Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake with Salted Caramel appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Here’s a little behind the scenes secret: when I was trying to create this watercolor cake tutorial, I actually started with an all-orange color palette and it did not turn out the way I wanted. The flowers didn’t go with it, so I thought I’d start over with a different color scheme. It was a happy accident though, because the cake reminded me of an Orange Creamsicle and I thought, hey, that would make an amazing cake flavor. And I considered it perfect timing because Summer is in full swing and what’s more Summer than an Orange Creamsicle anyway? 

After picking up some Orange Creamsicles from the store for inspiration, I got to work in the kitchen. I started with an Orange flavored cake and played around with the ratios of ingredients until the flavor was perfect and the texture was oh so soft and moist. The results actually made me want to revisit more of my already-soft cake recipes to make them even softer! I flavored the cake with a little vanilla, some fresh orange juice and lots of orange zest, which is where the majority of the flavor is found. It turned out so delicious, refreshing, and just a joy to eat! 

Vanilla buttercream ended up being the perfect pairing to turn this orange cake into an Orange Creamsicle cake. The flavor is spot on. It’s an American buttercream that I use for most everything I do, and I’ve tweaked the recipe to use less sugar so it’s not too sweet and just the right consistency for filling and frosting the cake, plus piping on the top. 

To decorate, I followed this watercolor cake tutorial with an orange and white color palette. Using AmeriColor Orange in different intensities, I created a light peachy-colored orange and a darker orange with my Vanilla Buttercream, then blended them all together with plain white to round out the Orange Creamsicle inspired color palette. I think the watercolor finish turned out so pretty! 

To top it all, I created a half drip with my white chocolate ganache recipe (tinted orange with more AmeriColor Orange), then piped a simple border around the top edge with Wilton tip 6B and the lighter orange colored buttercream. However you choose to decorate, one thing is for sure – this cake is downright delicious and just perfect for a Summer celebration (or just because)! If you’re looking for an easy cake recipe with an exciting flavor profile, this is the one for you. Enjoy!

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Orange Creamsicle Cake

Inspired by the classic Summertime treat, this Orange Creamsicle cake is layers of soft and moist orange-flavored cake paired with vanilla buttercream. The flavor is spot on, refreshing, and a joy to eat!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Orange Cake

• 1/4 Cup (60ml) fresh squeezed orange juice from about 1 large orange
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 2 1/2 Cups (260g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 Cup (260g) granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp orange zest from about 1/2 large orange
• 1/3 Cup (75g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 drops orange food coloring (optional)

Vanilla Buttercream

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

Instructions

Make the Orange Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and placing a wax or parchment paper circle into the bottom of each one. Mix together the orange juice and whole milk and set aside. Measure the cake flour by spooning into your measuring cup and leveling it. Place it into a medium sized bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in white granulated sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the orange zest, sour cream, vanilla, and orange food coloring (if using) and mix for one minute on medium-high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. It will look curdled at this point, but that is ok!
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the whole milk and orange juice mixture in a steady stream 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. 
• Pour batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for ten 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 creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one. 
• Add the whole milk, vanilla, and salt and mix on low for another minute or two until fully incorporated. 

Assembly

• After the cakes have cooled completely, torte each layer to the desired height, then fill and crumb coat the cake with vanilla buttercream. To create the look pictured, use this watercolor cake tutorial with orange food coloring to create a watercolor finish, then top with a white chocolate ganache half drip and pipe a simple border on top with Wilton Tip 6B.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The Orange Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The 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 mix it together on low for about 30 seconds to bring it back to frosting consistency.

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

Did you make this cake recipe? I want to know how it went! Leave me a comment below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!

The post Orange Creamsicle Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I know I’m not alone when I say my love for chocolate cake runs DEEP. I’ve just always had a soft spot in my heart for a good chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (bonus if it has sprinkles!). So when I went about making this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe, I made sure it had all the essentials: extra moist, rich chocolate flavor, just the right balance of sweet and decadent, and has that melt-in-your-mouth crumb we all want in a chocolate cake. It’s a true rival to my (full-dairy) One-Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe and I could not be more satisfied with how the vegan version turned out! 

My ultimate goal with this recipe was to make it so tasty that you couldn’t tell it’s vegan. I’m so happy to say that this cake definitely knocks it out of the park on taste, texture, and all the things! After topping it with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream, even my (non-vegan) husband agreed that you truly can’t tell a difference between this recipe and the full-dairy version. Maybe we need to do a blind taste test to compare, but I feel like this Vegan Chocolate Cake is everything I was hoping for. 

This cake recipe actually dates back to the depression era (it’s sometimes called Wacky Cake or Crazy Cake), when ingredients like eggs and butter were too expensive to have on hand. Even though it’s super simple and basically the kind of cake you can throw together with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, it makes the perfect vegan cake because it doesn’t need dairy to be amazing. It gets its moist crumb from a vegetable oil base, and while you can use any kind of oil you want, be sure that you like the taste of whatever you’re using, as it will end up flavoring the cake. I always opt for canola oil or generic vegetable oil, because they have the least amount of flavor and I want chocolate to be the star of the show in this recipe. 

Why NON Dutch Process Cocoa? 

Speaking of chocolate, it’s really important that you use non Dutch Process cocoa powder in this recipe. This is because there’s an amazing chemical reaction that happens between the cocoa powder, baking soda, and vinegar that’s responsible for giving this cake its rise. The chemical reaction doesn’t work properly with Dutch Process cocoa powder because of how it’s made – Dutch Process involves washing the cocoa beans in an alkaline solution called potassium carbonate, which neutralizes the acidity. In other words, it prevents that cool little science experiment from happening when you bake it, resulting in a deflated cake. Just be sure to use a natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. Any brand will work, but Hershey’s is what I use.

This Vegan Chocolate Cake pairs well with pretty much any frosting flavor, but it’s pictured here with my Vegan Chocolate Buttercream, which is lick-the-spoon amazing. I ate an embarrassing amount of it (zero regrets though!). This cake also pairs super well with the Vegan Oreo Buttercream from this recipe as well if you’re more of a cookies and cream kind of person. 

To decorate, I frosted the cake smooth, added some Fancy Sprinkles in the “Hey Jude” mix (also vegan!), and used Wilton tip 4B to pipe swirls around the top before adding even more sprinkles. If you want to grow in your cake decorating skills, be sure to check out my Cake Basics series – it’s a collection of videos and blog posts that will show you how to build and decorate a cake just like this one from start to finish. However you decide to decorate, this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe is sure to impress both vegans and non-vegans alike. Enjoy!

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Vegan Chocolate Cake

A simple yet decadent vegan chocolate cake that's moist, ultra-chocolatey, and basically everything you could want in a chocolate cake (but completely dairy-free!)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Cups (400g) all-purpose flour
• 2 Cups (410g) granulated white sugar
• 1/2 Cup (45g) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder NOT Dutch Process
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup (180ml) vegetable oil
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Cups (480ml) water, room temperature

Instructions

• 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 a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water and mix on low until combined.
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting with a double batch of Vegan Chocolate Buttercream (or frosting of your choice).

Notes

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

Make it extra chocolatey by filling and frosting with a double batch of Vegan Chocolate Buttercream. 

Did you make this Vegan Chocolate Cake? I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco in your Instagram photos to show me. I love to see what you create!

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

Ever since I published my favorite fluffy Vanilla Cake Recipe, I’ve gotten lots of questions about how to make it eggless or full-on vegan. The truth is, I’d been wanting to make a vegan vanilla cake for years, but everything I read about vegan baking scared me into thinking it was going to be a huge mountain of recipe testing I was going to have to climb (spoiler alert: it was). Still, I kept it on my list, mainly because I wanted an option to offer those asking for the vegan version of my vanilla cake recipe. But it wasn’t until I had my son and had to cut out dairy shortly after that it moved from the bottom of the list to the top. I rolled up my sleeves, put on my apron, and began my absolute OBSESSION with creating the perfect, fluffy, easy, flavorful, can’t-even-tell-it’s-vegan cake recipe. I can say with assurance after what seems like a hundred recipe tests that this is the one.  

During my recipe testing, I tried a few different vegan vanilla cake recipes to see what the methods, ingredients, and results were like. The problem that I kept running into was that they were so easy to overmix, resulting in a dense cake, plus they just didn’t have that perfect vanilla flavor and bakery-style fluffiness I was after. After weeks of testing and many failures, I decided to simply swap out the dairy in my Vanilla Cake Recipe with vegan ingredients – Earth Balance sticks for the butter, aquafaba for the eggs, and soy milk for the whole milk. I did have to tweak the leavening agents a bit, but once I got those figured out I just about squealed with delight when these layers came out of the oven! 

This Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe is exactly what I was after: extra soft and fluffy, perfectly moist, beautiful vanilla flavor, and just a delight to eat for vegans and non-vegans alike. It tastes like something you’d find at your favorite bakery, yet it’s so simple to whip up and pair with your favorite frosting (it’s paired with my Vegan Vanilla Buttercream here). I enlisted some of my vegan friends and their kiddos to taste test and they all agreed that this cake is an absolute hit, which makes me all the more excited to share it with you.

What is Aquafaba? 

I had never heard of aquafaba before I started on this vegan cake recipe journey, so I wanted to take the time to explain what it is and why it’s used in this recipe. Basically, aquafaba (which is Italian for “bean juice”) is the juice from a can of chickpeas that acts as an egg replacer in vegan recipes.

Once whisked until foamy, the aquafaba acts as whole eggs in this cake recipe to bind the other ingredients together and create a little volume as well. And trust me, you cannot taste it at all. Quite miraculous if you ask me! 

Details on Decorating 

I decorated this cake using my Vegan Vanilla Buttercream recipe, which is super easy to add color to. I added a little AmeriColor Sky Blue to create a buttercream ombrè before decorating the sides with Fancy Sprinkles in the Roller Disco mix (also vegan!) and piped some swirls on the top with Wilton Tip 4B.

If you want to grow in your cake decorating skills, I recommend checking out my Cake Basics series! It’s an ever-growing collection of blog posts and YouTube videos that show you the basics of decorating, like how to frost a smooth buttercream cake, and how to decorate with sprinkles. However you decide to decorate and whatever flavors you decide to pair it with, this Vegan Vanilla Cake is sure to impress. Enjoy!

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Vegan Vanilla Cake

Layers of soft, fluffy, and extra flavorful vegan vanilla cake, perfect for any vanilla cake fan (vegan or not)! The kind of cake you'd find at your favorite bakery, only homemade and super easy to whip up.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Vegan Vanilla Cake

• 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) unsweetened soy milk, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 2 3/4 Cups (290g) cake flour, sifted before measuring* DIY recipe in notes
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) aquafaba** see notes
• 1 Cup (227g) vegan butter, room temperature I use Earth Balance sticks
• 1 3/4 Cups (355g) white granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-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. 
• Stir together the white vinegar and soy milk and set aside. Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 
• Make the Aquafaba: Pour the juice from a can of chickpeas into a medium sized bowl (either discard the actual chickpeas or store them to use in another recipe). Whisk the juice vigorously for one minute, after which it will look foamy. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the vegan butter with the white granulated sugar for two minutes on medium-high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once in between. Measure out 1/2 Cup of the aquafaba (you can discard the rest) and add it along with the vanilla extract. Mix on medium for one minute. The mixture may look curdled at this point, but don't worry – it will all come together in the next step!
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then add the soy milk mixture in a steady stream and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few more stirs to combine (without over-mixing). A few lumps are ok. The batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting. 

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. 

**For the Aquafaba: the juice from one 15.5oz can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) is perfect. Note that you’ll only use 1/2 cup of it in the recipe once prepared. Please read the paragraph about aquafaba in the body of this blog post if you’re unsure of what it is or why it’s used. 

To Make Ahead: 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. 

Did you make this cake? I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco in your Instagram photos to show me. I love seeing what you create!

The post Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

The Launch of Cake Basics

Back in July, I launched something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time: Cake Basics! It’s an ongoing series of blog posts and YouTube Videos where I show you all the essential methods of cake decorating that I swear by. 

The first set of Cake Basics show you how to build a cake from start to finish, from leveling cake layers to filling and stacking, crumb coating, frosting a smooth buttercream finish, and decorating with sprinkles. Like I mentioned, this series is meant to be ongoing – I’ve got more Cake Basics up my sleeve for 2021! 

Chocolate Ganache Drip Recipe

This chocolate ganache drip recipe + tutorial has been my number one blog post for years, but this last year I decided to revamp it and make a detailed YouTube video to go with it! 

Painted Cake in Summer Colors

This was actually the very last cake project I did before my son was born, just days before I went into labor. I was a bit tired of waiting while on maternity leave so I whipped up a Summer-inspired color palette and used them with this painted buttercream cake tutorial. Just goes to show that this style looks great in a variety of color schemes! 

Peppermint Mocha Cake Recipe

I created this peppermint mocha cake recipe for the holidays, but it’s really meant to be enjoyed all Winter long! Layers of peppermint mocha cake with coffee buttercream, decorated with a chocolate peppermint drip for looks and flavor.

Y’all. This one is so, so good. Just the perfect balance of chocolate/coffee/peppermint and basically tastes exactly like a peppermint mocha in cake form. 

Watercolor Cake in Fall Colors

This beauty was created for a wedding photo shoot and I just love the color scheme so much! This is basically my watercolor ombrè buttercream tutorial with a Fall-inspired color palette of deep reds, peach, and dusty rose. 

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

The design for my pumpkin layer cake recipe is one of my most replicated of all, and I’m flattered to see your renditions every time.

This classic recipe is layers of tasty pumpkin cake with cream cheese buttercream, decorated to look like a cute little pumpkin patch! 

Salted Caramel Buttercream Recipe

Need I say more? This salted caramel buttercream recipe has been a hit from the start! It’s infused with my four-ingredient salted caramel sauce and is the perfect pair for so many cake flavors (or to eat by itself, it’s that good!). 

Spatula Painted Rainbow Cake

I created this beauty for AmeriColor (my favorite color gel brand!) and there are actually 20 different shades represented here!

I mixed them all up with buttercream and used this spatula painted cake technique to apply them in a rainbow layout with multiple shades. Lots of color mixing, but worth it! 

Lucky Charms Cake

I whipped this beauty up to showcase my milk & cereal cake recipe and its versatility. The original recipe uses Froot Loops, but you can use any cereal you’d like! For this version, I separated the marshmallows out from the cereal and used the ground cereal in the cake batter + the marshmallows to decorate. I’ve also seen this recipe paired with Cap’n Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Fruity Pebbles! 

And that’s a wrap on 2020 for Sugar & Sparrow! I’ve got so many plans for 2021 that I can’t wait to start on: more Cake Basics to help you grow your cake making skills further, more vegan recipes, more frequent emails, writing my first eBook, and creating some fun cake designs I’ve been dreaming up! I’m always adding to the list of things I want to do, so let me know if there’s something you want to see next year by commenting below. Wishing you all the happiest new year!

The post Sugar & Sparrow’s Best of 2020 appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Now that I’ve shared my Eggnog Cake Recipe and my Hot Cocoa Cake recipe, it’s only fitting that I close out my 2020 holiday cakes with another that’s based on a festive drink: this decadent Peppermint Mocha Cake! This one may be my favorite one of all and it even impressed my husband, who is not a coffee drinker or a big fan of peppermint. We could not stop tasting it and talking about how good it was, so I am confident that you’ll love it too. Oh, and just look at that candy cane drip. 

I always try to get my flavors as close to the inspiration as possible, and the flavors going on in this Peppermint Mocha Cake ended up being spot on to the real deal. I thought about topping it with peppermint buttercream (I really wanted it to look like a striped candy cane at first), but the coffee buttercream was actually the perfect choice for the taste of this one. It gives you a great hit of coffee to balance out the peppermint and chocolate in the cake, and it’s so tasty you’ll want to sneak a few spoonfuls here and there or frost some cake scraps with it for snacking (that’s what I do). 

For the cake layers, I adapted my favorite Chocolate Cake recipe to include peppermint extract and hot coffee. In the original recipe, you pour in one cup of hot (simmering) water at the end, so for this version just make sure the coffee is hot, as in just-brewed. You can totally use instant coffee for this part too – I actually ended up using these Starbucks Via packets (made according to the package instructions) and they worked great! After those tweaks to the chocolate cake recipe that’s already extra moist and decadent, this version ended up being the ideal balance of peppermint, chocolate, and coffee. In other words, the perfect base for this Peppermint Mocha Cake. 

After filling and frosting the cake with Coffee Buttercream to enhance the coffee flavor of this cake, I dripped it with my go-to Chocolate Ganache recipe. After the drips set, it was super easy to press on candy cane bits and the result was so eye-catching! I basically used the same method as was used in this Sprinkle Drip Cake tutorial. One note on the candy cane drip though: adding the candy cane bits can’t be done too far ahead of time. When I left the cake in the refrigerator overnight, the moisture of the drip ended up melting a few of the pieces. If you do want to make this cake ahead and keep that drip looking perfect, be sure to add the candy cane pieces the day you’re serving the cake. They’ll press onto the drip just fine, even after it has set. 

To finish the look, I added a little piping to the top in a crescent moon shape using Wilton Tip 1 (for the rosettes) and 4B (for the stars). Then, I sprinkled more candy cane bits over the top. However you choose to decorate, this Peppermint Mocha Cake is downright delicious. As I type this weeks later, I’m already thinking about making it all over again. I consider that the sign of a good cake. Enjoy!

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Peppermint Mocha Cake Recipe

Inspired by the classic holiday coffee treat! Layers of peppermint mocha flavored cake and coffee buttercream, dripped with candy cane speckled chocolate ganache.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Peppermint Mocha Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated white sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 whole eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee

Coffee Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 Cups (960g) powdered sugar
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp instant coffee or instant espresso powder
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate Ganache Drip

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

Additional Garnish

• 1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Instructions

Make the Peppermint Mocha Cake

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

Make the Coffee Buttercream

• Combine the instant espresso/coffee with the whole milk and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between.
• Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle between intervals. Then add the vanilla, the coffee/espresso milk mixture, and salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated, about one minute.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

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

Assembly

• After the Peppermint Mocha Cakes have cooled completely, level and torte the layers to your desired height. Then, fill and frost the cake with Coffee Buttercream. To create the look pictured, place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before dripping with chocolate ganache. Here are tips on how to create the perfect drip. Place the dripped cake back into the refrigerator for 5 minutes to let the drip set before pressing on the crushed candy cane pieces by hand.

Notes

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

Make Ahead Tips:

1. The Peppermint Mocha 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.
2. The Coffee 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 in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 
3. The Chocolate Ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.

To Make As Cupcakes: fill cupcake tins no more than 2/3 of the way full and bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Yields about 35-40 cupcakes.

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

The post Peppermint Mocha Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Of all the years, 2020 has everyone ready to kick off the Holiday season earlier than ever. It almost feels like the last chance we have at a little magic and I am here for it. So much that as soon as I felt like I made it out of the newborn haze of maternity leave (and realized I could wear Bubs around the kitchen in my Solly Wrap), I got inspired to start testing all the Holiday cake recipes I’d been dying to try since last Christmas. First on the list: this tasty and festive Eggnog Cake! 

Eggnog is a pretty crazy thing to drink when you think about it – basically cream, lots of sugar, spices, and raw eggs (and alcohol, if you’re into the spiked version). I can’t help but enjoy the heck out of it though, which is why this Eggnog Cake recipe is the first one on my list of must-writes for this Holiday season. As soon as I saw it at my local grocery store, I snatched up a carton and got right to work. It took me a few tries to nail down the right texture because Eggnog is so thick and already contains sugar and eggs, but I am so happy with the final results! There’s eggnog in the cake, buttercream, and even infused in the ganache, so you get a big hit of it with every bite. 

Let’s talk about these cake layers. While it was easy to make them taste like eggnog by adding it in as the liquid, it was not easy to get the right texture. My first few tries ended up really dense, but by using cake flour, upping the baking powder, and adding in a little sour cream, this Eggnog Cake is nice and moist, ultra-flavorful, and has a soft crumb. Between the addition of eggnog, extra nutmeg, and cinnamon, the flavor is surprisingly spot-on in the cake layers alone. To make them super moist, the sour cream is a must. You can sub in some plain greek yogurt as a straight substitute for the sour cream, but just know that if you omit it, this cake will be a little on the dry side. Trust me on this one!

To really bump up the flavor, I filled and frosted these tasty cake layers with Eggnog Buttercream, which uses eggnog as the binding liquid and is spiced with additional nutmeg and cinnamon. I decided to give the buttercream finish a bit of texture by using a decorative comb from this Wilton Icing Comb Set and I love the way it turned out! Such an easy way to add intrigue without stressing over the cake decorating process. You basically frost your cake with a semi-thick layer of frosting and then drag the cake comb over the finish before it’s set. The comb does all the work for you! 

After creating that decorative buttercream finish, I dripped the cake with Eggnog White Chocolate Ganache – basically my white chocolate ganache recipe but with eggnog as the liquid! Getting the ratio right for this ganache took a couple tries but it ended up being the perfect consistency as a 4:1 ratio and it has the perfect hint of eggnog to keep with this flavor palette. Once the ganache drip was set (here are some instructions on how to drip a cake if you need them) I added some buttercream swirls around the top edge of the cake with Wilton Tip 1M and sprinkled some additional nutmeg over everything. 

Keep in mind that if you want to create a boozier version of this Eggnog Cake, you totally can! I didn’t simply because I don’t drink, but after researching eggnog cake recipes it appears that you can spike your eggnog before using an equal amount as a substitute in this recipe. Whatever you decide, you’ll end up with a tasty Eggnog Cake that will make this Holiday season all the merrier. Enjoy!

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Festive Eggnog Layer Cake

Layers of eggnog-infused cake spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, paired with eggnog buttercream and dripped eggnog ganache for a totally festive Holiday cake!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Eggnog Layer Cake

• 2 3/4 Cups (290g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 Cups (360g) white granulated sugar
• 3 whole eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 Cup (56g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (355ml) eggnog, room temperature

Eggnog Buttercream

• 2 Cups (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 Cup eggnog, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Eggnog Ganache

• 1 Cup (180g) white chocolate chips, chopped into bits
• 1/4 Cup eggnog
• 1/2 tsp AmeriColor Bright White color gel, optional

Instructions

Make the Eggnog Layer Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 9-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, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, 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 creamy. Add in sugar and continue to mix on high for another two minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. 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 eggnog 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, but pourable. 
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 35-40 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting. 

Make the Eggnog 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.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon. With the mixer on low, add the spiced powdered sugar mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one. 
• Add vanilla, eggnog, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated. 

Make the Eggnog Ganache

• Chop the white chocolate chips into smaller bits with a knife or food processor, then add them into a metal or glass bowl and set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the eggnog until it starts to simmer, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't burn in the process. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it over the white chocolate and let sit for about five seconds. 
• Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Whiten or color the ganache with the food color gel (optional), then cool ganache at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes, or until the ganache itself is about room temperature.

Assembly

• Once they've cooled completely, fill and frost the Eggnog Cake layers with the Eggnog Buttercream before dripping the cake with Eggnog Ganache. To create the look pictured, drag a cake comb over the sides of the buttercream right after frosting them (I used this one by Wilton), then refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to chill the buttercream before dripping with Eggnog Ganache. Here are some tips for creating the perfect ganache drip cake. Finish the design by piping swirls of Eggnog Buttercream around the top edge of the cake with Wilton Tip 1M, then sprinkle with ground nutmeg.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips:

1. The Eggnog 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.
2. The Eggnog 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 in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 
3. The Eggnog 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, gently reheat it in the microwave in 5-10 second intervals until it’s ideal drip consistency. 

To Make As Cupcakes: fill cupcake tins no more than 2/3 of the way full and bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Yields about 36-40 cupcakes. 

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

The post Festive Eggnog Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I’ve tested a ton of buttercream recipes in my day, but my go-to is a super simple American buttercream recipe that I’ve tweaked to my liking. I’ve used this recipe for frosting countless cakes and cupcakes and I’m a big believer that a good vanilla buttercream is something every baker should have in their recipe box. There’s nothing fancy about the way this recipe is made, but it will certainly taste like you whipped up something special!

Making sure you use a good quality vanilla extract or paste is one of the secrets to success. You can use any kind of vanilla extract or paste, but I always use bourbon vanilla (I get mine from Trader Joe’s!) to give it a rich vanilla flavor. The other secret to success? Room temperature everything. That means taking the milk and butter out and letting them come to room temperature for about a half hour to an hour before you start any mixing. 

Here’s a quick video I whipped up to show you my method for making this buttercream recipe and all my tips for success:

I’ve got more recipe videos like this one + some fun cake decorating tutorials on my YouTube channel if you want to see some more! I’m always rolling out new videos, so click the subscribe button while you’re there to ensure you never miss a new one.

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Vanilla Buttercream

A rich, flavorful vanilla buttercream that is so easy to whip up, but tastes like you made something special. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups (420g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp whole milk or heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

• 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. 
• With the mixer on low, 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 low for another minute until fully incorporated. 

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: This 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 in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

To Make It Vegan: substitute an equal amount of vegan butter (I love Earth Balance Sticks) for the unsalted butter, use 1 Tbsp dairy-free milk instead of 2 Tbsp whole milk (my favorite is unsweetened coconut milk), and omit the salt. 

To Make It Extra White: After all ingredients have been incorporated, add 1-2 tsp of Americolor Bright White or icing whitener of your choice.  

Yield: This buttercream makes enough to:

• Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
• Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe. 

Tips for the best buttercream consistency

There are three types of consistency for buttercream that you need to know, and each one plays a different role in cake decorating.

Medium Consistency

This is the most versatile of all consistencies. It works perfectly as a filling between layers, crumb coating, frosting a cake (especially if you want a smooth buttercream finish), and even decorating cupcakes with simple piping tips. This buttercream recipe is medium consistency as-is, so it’s super easy to spread smoothly onto cakes. To test and make sure you’ve got a medium consistency going, you should be able to dip your rubber spatula into the buttercream and it will come out with soft peaks and spread easily when you move your finger over it.

Thin Consistency

This is the perfect consistency for painting with buttercream or writing a message on your cake. To achieve it, just add 1-2 additional teaspoons of room temperature milk to thin out the buttercream. 

Stiff Consistency

If you’re piping buttercream flowers, especially ones with petals that need to stand upright, you’ll need a stiff consistency. Add an extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar per batch of the above recipe to achieve this. When you dip your rubber spatula into the frosting, it should come out with stiff peaks, but when you pipe with it, make sure it’s not so thick that you have to put a ton of extra pressure on the bag or clog the piping tip. If you’re running into these problems, fear not! You can tone it down by adding room temperature whole milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it’s just right.

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