I was so happy to find this heart-shaped cake hack because I loathe having to store novelty cake pans and decorating tools that I only use (maybe) once a year. The vast majority of cake layers I bake are round, so I got so giddy when I realized how easy it was to turn a round cake layer into a heart shape. Simply use a serrated knife to make two clean cuts that form the bottom of the heart, then use the rounded cake trimmings for the top of the heart. They’ll glue on so easily with a little buttercream and once the cake is frosted, nobody will know you didn’t use a heart-shaped pan. 

I chose to frost the cake with a light pink frosting (AmeriColor Soft Pink) and some pretty piped floral accents using Wilton Tips 1M for the rosettes, 4B for the stars, and 32 for some swirls and smaller stars. The color palette was a happy accident but I love how it turned out! I used AmeriColor Chili Pepper + Super Red in varying intensities for all three colors. This heart-shaped cake would also look amazing with lambeth style piping, and I really hope to try that soon!   

You Will Need:

• Two 8-inch cake layers, cooled and leveled 
• Serrated knife
• 8-inch cardboard circle
• Cutting board 
• 2 batches of vanilla buttercream (or any flavor)
• Piping Bags 
• Turntable 
• Icing smoother
• Small angled spatula
• AmeriColor Soft Pink, Chili Pepper, and Super Red (optional)
• Wilton Tips 1M, 4B, and 32 (optional)
• Sprinkle Pop Vintage Rose Gold sprinkles (optional)

Step 1: Trim the Cake Layers

Place the first cake layer onto a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to make the two cuts that will end up being the pointed part of the heart. I usually just eyeball this. 

Repeat this step with any additional cake layers. You can use the first cake layer you trimmed as a template to make things super easy. 

Unless you’re planning on serving the cake on the turntable after you decorate it, trim the 8-inch cardboard cake round in the same way you trimmed the cake layers. This will end up being the foundation of the heart-shaped cake and will make it much easier to transfer the cake off the turntable after you’re done decorating. 

Step 2: Make the Heart Shape

Place the cardboard base you created in Step 1 onto the turntable. Spread a little buttercream onto it before adding the first cake layer on top. Position the two curved pieces that you cut off in Step 1 to be the top of the heart, then use some buttercream to adhere them.

Step 3: Fill and Crumb Coat

Add a layer of filling and then position the next layer of cake on top, adhering the curved pieces of the heart with buttercream like you did in the previous step. 

Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to really emphasize the shape of the heart and lock in all the crumbs. Place the crumb coated cake into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the frosting firm up. 

Step 3: Decorate 

There are so many ways to decorate this heart-shaped cake, so feel free to get creative! If you want to create the look pictured, start by frosting the cake with light pink buttercream (made with AmeriColor Soft Pink). Frosting a heart shape is similar to frosting a round cake (but maybe even easier!). Simply use an icing smoother to make the sides smooth and level

Then use a small angled spatula to swipe frosting that accumulates around the top of the sides inward to create sharp edges. Refrigerate the frosted cake for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the buttercream. 

Divide the rest of the buttercream evenly between 3 bowls. Add a few drops of AmeriColor Chili Pepper and a few drops of Super Red to the first bowl and mix it until you get a nice deep shade of red. Mix in more coloring as needed. Scoop a few Tablespoons of the dark red buttercream into the second bowl and mix it in to create a mid-toned pink. Scoop about a teaspoon of the mid-toned buttercream into the last bowl and mix it in to create a pinkish cream. 

Use Wilton Tip 1M to pipe swirls onto the cake wherever you’d like. 

Fill in some of the spaces in between by piping swirls with Wilton Tip 32 and stars with Tip 4B and 32. 

Finish the look with some pretty sprinkles. I used Sprinkle Pop Vintage Rose Gold sprinkles for this cake, which matched the buttercream color scheme perfectly. 

Isn’t this heart-shaped cake so perfect for Valentine’s Day? I am absolutely smitten with it!

I hope this tutorial saves you from buying a heart-shaped cake pan! Let me know in the comments and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me how you decorated it. I’d love to see what you create!

The post Easy Heart Shaped Cake Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

SugarBearHair is the world’s first gummy vegetarian hair multivitamin. In addition to being packed with tons of vitamins that are scientifically proven to benefit hair, they’re cruelty-free and also free of gluten, wheat, soy, dairy, and gelatin. They’re made with a synergistic blend of vitamins and minerals that work together to help your body produce biotin (aka Vitamin B), which helps with hair health and growth. Plus, one dose (two bears) contains as much Vitamin B12 as 4 organic eggs, as much Vitamin A as four cups of broccoli, and as much Vitamin C as 1 cup of cranberries! That’s a whole lot of vitamins, people.

While enjoying these SugarBearHair Vitamins with a slice of cake is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth and get your vitamins at the same time, you don’t have to combine them with anything to make them tasty. They actually taste delicious on their own (like blueberries!), which makes me look forward to eating them everyday. My husband has started taking them as well, but I think he’s more interested in them because they taste like candy as opposed to the hair benefits. We’ll see how his hair looks after some time goes by though!

SugarBear also sent me a few bottles of their Women’s Multivitamins that are 100% Vegan and I was so surprised to hear that you can actually take them in addition to their hair vitamins! I decided to add them into my daily regimen about a month ago and am really happy with the results I’m seeing. In addition to my hair feeling great, my skin feels softer and more clear, plus my nails are growing faster than ever. In the past I’ve struggled with thin, brittle nails but I can honestly say they feel really strong and the length is amazing!

Whether you’re looking for a hair vitamin that actually tastes good (and works!) or if you’re ready to change up your multivitamin supply, SugarBear makes some wonderful options. Head on over to their shop to get your hands on some! And if you do end up trying them, let me know. I’d love to hear about how you’re liking them!

Disclaimer: I was compensated by SugarBearHair for my work of creating this cake, styling, filming, photographing, and writing about their products. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Sugar & Sparrow.

The post SugarBearHair Vitamins Cake Collaboration appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Here’s a little video I whipped up to show you all of the different looks you can create in minutes. Take a look for inspiration, then I’ll show you the step-by-step.

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. Clicking and purchasing from 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:

• Baked cupcakes
• Medium consistency buttercream in any color
• Piping bags
• Wilton Tips: 1M, 4B, 104, and/or 1A
• Small icing spatula

Rosette

Using tip 1M (you could alternatively use 2D to get a similar look), pipe a swirl starting in the center of the cupcake and ending on the outer edge.

This one is so classic and totally ends up looking like a little buttercream garden rose.

Open Stars

Using tip 4B, pipe open stars over the surface of the cupcake.

This is my all-time favorite design, and I often use a few different colors with this technique. It never fails to impress.

Basic Swirl

Using tip 1M, pipe a swirl starting on the outer edge and building upon each turn until you build a little mountain of a swirl. It should end up looking like a soft serve ice cream cone.

This was the very first technique I learned and it’s still such a timeless look.

Open Star Swirl

Using tip 4B, pipe a swirl starting on the outer edge and ending in the center. It looks best when you build upon each turn to create a swirly little buttercream mountain.

This look can be further enhanced with a few pretty sprinkles on top.

Pom Pom

Holding tip 104 vertically with the skinny end pointed upward, pipe a few squiggles in a swirl in the very center on the cupcake. Continue to add ruffley piping in a circular pattern around the center swirl until you reach the edge.

This is a very similar technique to buttercream carnations, and it ends up looking like a pretty little pom pom that looks great in any color!

Ruffles

Holding tip 104 flat against the cupcake with the thinner edge pointed outward and the larger edge pointing to the center of the cupcake, pipe a row of ruffles around the outer edge by moving the tip slightly up and down. For the next set of ruffles, hold the tip at a 45 degree angle and pipe the next row so that it stands a little bit taller. For the final and innermost set of ruffles, hold the tip at more of a 75 degree angle so they stand taller than the previous set.

This look is really amazing when you use different colors for each row, especially in an ombrè color scheme.

Spatula Swirl

Using a small icing spatula, place a dollop of buttercream on top of the cupcake and work it around until you’ve got an even bulb of buttercream, then use the spatula to create a swirl in the center as you slowly rotate the cupcake.

This one doesn’t involve a piping tip, but it’s such a classic look that many renowned bakeries still use on the daily.

Rounded Spikes

Using tip 1A, pipe dots all over the surface of the cupcakes. Easy as that!

When I brought all of these cupcakes over to a friend’s house, this was the one all the kids were pining over.

Round Tip Swirl

Using tip 1A, pipe a swirl starting on the outer edge and building until you get to the center.

This one is super simple and can be always be classed up with some pretty sprinkles.  

Ruffled Swirl

Using tip 1M, pipe a swirl starting on the outer edge and working your way to the center, only move your hand back and forth to create a ruffled look as you pipe and build upon your swirl.

It’s amazing how a simple move of your hand as you pipe can create such different results than a basic swirl.

The right piping tips and techniques make all the difference when it comes to creating flawless cupcakes. These are definitely the easiest looks to create, but they’re still some of my go-to’s when it comes to cupcake decorating.

Which one is your favorite look? Let me know in the comments below!

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