The first thing you need to know about white chocolate is that it’s not a true chocolate, meaning there’s a lack of chocolate solids and therefore doesn’t behave the same as semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate. Instead, it’s made from a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk products, vanilla, and some sort of fatty substance called lecithin. Although I’ve never tried making white chocolate ganache with anything fancier than Hershey’s white chocolate chips, you can feel free to go as branded or non-branded as you want. Generic white chocolate chips or a white chocolate bar chopped into small pieces will work just fine.

With the absence of chocolate solids, the ratio of heavy whipping cream to white chocolate chips is going to be different than other ganache recipes. I’ve found a 3:1 ratio to be absolutely perfect (exact recipe below), meaning three parts chocolate to one part heavy whipping cream. Just bring the cream to an almost-boil, pour it over the white chocolate chips, whisk it together until it’s uniform, and you’re good.

Here’s a detailed video of the recipe, and you can continue reading below for all of my tips on working with white chocolate ganache:

If you have yet to check out my YouTube channel, head there to see more cake recipe videos, decorating tutorials, and my entire Cake Basics series in video format. Hit the subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video!

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White Chocolate Ganache For Drip Cakes

The perfect white chocolate ganache ratio for creating drip cakes. 

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 Cup (190g) white chocolate chips or bar, chopped into bits
• 1/3 Cup (80ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp food color gel or whitening gel (optional)

Instructions

• Chop the white chocolate chips or bar as finely as you can and place it into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal).
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer, whisking constantly. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When it reaches this stage, pour the cream over the white chocolate. 
• Whisk together until the ganache is uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. It can help to hold the bowl over the residual heat from the burner (once it's turned off) if you're having a hard time whisking everything together.
• Whiten or color the ganache (optional), then cool ganache at room temperature for anywhere from 5-20 minutes (depending on your kitchen environment), or until the ganache itself is slightly above room temperature. See the instructions for dripping a cake with white chocolate ganache + troubleshooting tips in the rest of this blog post below.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: this ganache can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.

Tip 1: Whiten Your Ganache If It’s Too Yellow

The thing about white chocolate chips is that they aren’t exactly as white in color as they seem to be. To whiten the ganache, I swear by Americolor Bright White food color gel. It works like a dream every time, and you only need about half a teaspoon per batch of white chocolate ganache to get a perfectly bright white.

Some bakers like to use white candy melts in place of white chocolate chips to make white ganache, but I don’t like the taste of candy melts. So the whitening method is my favorite option.

Tip 2: Be Patient With The Cooling Process

Once you’ve whisked the ganache together, it’s crucial to let it cool on your countertop until it’s room temperature, about 20-30 minutes depending on how cold your environment is. Trying to speed up this process by placing ganache in the refrigerator doesn’t usually end well – I’ve found that it cools unevenly, leading to thick, globby drips.

Cooling in the fridge also leads to the urge to stir it too often. Ganache (especially white chocolate!) does not like to be stirred too often, and the end result can mean that your whipping cream starts to separate from the chocolate. You’ll know that this has happened because the ganache will look grainy and dull, or even separated like oil and water. To fix situations like these, you’ll need to reheat the ganache to 92ºF to melt the fat crystals and re-whisk to bring it back together.  

Tip 3: Chill Your Buttercream

There’s a science to this tip. Since molecules move more slowly at cooler temperatures (and warp speed at higher temperatures), it makes a lot of sense that you can better control how far the white chocolate ganache drips when the buttercream is chilled. Make sure that after you do your final coat of buttercream, you chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Tip 4: Start With A Test Drip

When your buttercream is nice and chilled, do a test drip by letting the ganache run down the side of your cake. If it travels rapidly and pools at the bottom, your ganache is too warm. Continue to cool the ganache for another 5-10 minutes and try your test drip again. If it’s globby or doesn’t travel very far down the side of the cake, it’s too cold. Reheat the ganache in the microwave for about 10 seconds, stir, and try again. Repeat the reheating process as needed until you get the perfect consistency.

The good thing about a test drip is you’re able to see how the ganache will behave. That way you don’t have to commit until you like what you’re seeing.

Tip 5: Drip The Sides Before Filling In The Top

Whether you’re using a spoon to create drips (like I am!) or you’re into the squeeze bottle method, it’s best to drip the sides of the cake before filling in the top. Although it might be tempting to just dump all of the ganache on the top of the cake and let the drips fall where they may, you’ll have more control over the length of each drip by starting with the sides (after a successful test drip of course).

Try not to add too much ganache to the top when filling it in, because if you add any more to the drips you’ve created, it will make them travel farther than you’d like. Instead, try to use just a little ganache and spread it so that it just touches where your drips begin. The ganache on the top should self-level a bit, so don’t worry too much about getting it super smooth.

And there you have it – everything I know about dripping cakes with white chocolate ganache. It’s a really good skill to have in your cake decorating repertoire, especially with how versatile white chocolate ganache can be color-wise. Adding a little food color gel can turn it any vibrant color of the rainbow! And whether you keep it white or color it up, I promise it’ll taste a million times better than candy melts.

Is there anything else you’d like to know about drip cakes? I’m certainly not an expert per se, but if you have more questions, let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer!

The post White Chocolate Ganache Drip Cake Recipe + Tips [Video Included!] appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

You can customize the toppings any way you’d like, but here are some of my absolute faves to inspire you (all pictured in that loaded cup of cocoa!): candy cane bits, brownie chunks, Belgian Boy Stroopwafels, mini marshmallows, and Oh Snow Cute sprinkles by SprinklePop for some added flavor and fun. You can use any sprinkles in your hot cocoa bar setup, but I love this Wintery mix. The color scheme is so much fun and the tiny snowmen and snowflakes are perfect for celebrating the Holiday season. Plus, the larger spherical sprinkles are made of chocolate (they’re Sixlets!), so they’re great for adding a little crunch and sweetness. 

After coming up with my ideal list of toppings, I displayed them all in mason jars and added some touches of Holiday decor. I basically borrowed a few sprigs from my Christmas tree and some faux holly, berries, and pine cones. Easy as can be! 

Here’s a little video to show you how I made my ideal cup of hot cocoa, so be sure to give it a watch for inspiration before you read all about how to replicate my hot cocoa bar setup below:

You Will Need

• 6 medium sized Mason jars 
• Brownies cut into ½ inch squares
• Candy Cane bits
• Belgian Boy Stroopwafels, quartered
• 2 8oz bottles of Oh Snow Cute sprinkles
• Mini marshmallows 
• Canned Whipped Cream
• Melted white chocolate in a piping bag (optional)
• Instant hot cocoa mix 
• Boiled milk 
• Cups and mugs for your guests 

Hot Cocoa Bar Setup 

Note that the list above is all suggested. You can tailor this hot cocoa bar to any topping list you want! Once you figure out the number of toppings you’ll have, add each one to a separate mason jar or container of your choice. I went with mason jars because they’re so easy to find and I love being able to see the toppings through the clear glass. 

To create this fun display, I divided my topping-filled mason jars full into two rows and slightly elevated the back row with a couple pieces of white wood I had leftover from a house project. Then, I decorated around the jars with sprigs of holly and pine. So festive and pretty! 

Prior to your guests arriving, all that’s left to do is make sure that you have hot water or milk readily available, or pre-mix the hot cocoa and keep it in a thermos at the hot cocoa bar for an even easier experience. Set out some mugs for your guests and let them go crazy adding all the toppings they want! 

The Tastiest Hot Cocoa Recipe

To inspire you with topping and decorating ideas, here’s how I chose to create my loaded cup of cocoa:

Create a White Chocolate Peppermint Rim (Optional)

First, I melted some white chocolate and waited for it to cool to about 80 degrees before piping it onto the rim of my cup with a piping bag.

I waited about five minutes for the chocolate to set slightly and then dipped it into some candy cane bits. 

You can use any type of chocolate you want for this part and can also create the peppermint rim on all of the guest mugs ahead of time if you’re into the look! The white chocolate peppermint adds such a fun texture and flavor to the whole cocoa experience. 

Add the Hot Cocoa

Next, I added a few tablespoons of instant hot cocoa to the mug, poured boiling hot milk over the top, and stirred it all together. 

Like I mentioned before, if you have a lot of guests it might be worth pre-mixing the hot cocoa and keeping it in a thermos for easy access.

Add the Toppings

After adding the hot cocoa, the fun of getting creative with toppings can begin! I added a layer of mini marshmallows and swirled some whipped cream on top.

Then, I stuck some brownie bits into the whipped cream and added a generous amount of Oh Snow Cute Sprinkles.

Finally, top the cocoa creation with a piece of Belgian Boy Stroopwafel. Boom. Best cocoa ever! 

Your hot cocoa bar can be as customized as you want. Other suggestions for your topping list: caramel sauce, whole candy canes, bite sized cookies, flavored syrups, cinnamon, mini chocolate chips, and any SprinklePop sprinkle mix that you’re drawn to!

What would you top your hot cocoa with? Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer: I was compensated by SprinklePop for my work of creating this project, 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 My Ideal Hot Cocoa Bar Setup appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I have this friend who is a total chocolate lover. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday cake, she said, “milk chocolate, white chocolate, any kind of chocolate.” So I decided to make her the ultimate chocolate lover’s birthday cake: layers of my favorite chocolate cake recipe frosted with a flavor ombre that went from chocolate buttercream to white chocolate buttercream. It was to die for.

After sharing it on Instagram, I got so many requests for my white chocolate buttercream recipe that I just have to share it here. It’s made with melted white chocolate chips (I use Hershey’s, but feel free to use any brand) to give it a really authentic, decadent flavor. And best of all, it pipes and frosts like a dream, so whether you’re piping it onto cupcakes or looking for a smooth buttercream cake finish, this recipe has you covered.

This white chocolate buttercream recipe pairs well with so many flavors. You can make it ultra decadent by topping a chocolate cake or pair it with some fruity flavors to add a little richness. I’ve even paired it with pumpkin cake in the Fall and the flavor palette was so dreamy! It’s versatile, not too sweet, and the perfect amount of silky smooth.

Here’s a quick video that shows how easy it is to whip up this white chocolate buttercream:

PS: If you’re into recipe videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel! You’ll find more of my favorite recipes, cake decorating tutorials, and so much more. Click the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video!

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White Chocolate Buttercream

A silky smooth, decadent white chocolate buttercream that’s perfect for piping cupcakes or frosting a smooth cake finish. Makes enough to frost 15-18 cupcakes.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 2 Cups

Ingredients

• 6 oz (170g) white chocolate chips
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (180g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

• Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave or a double boiler, stirring until there are no lumps. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, add the powdered sugar, and mix until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, give the melted white chocolate a few stirs and make sure it’s not hot enough to melt the butter (if it is still too hot, wait a few minutes before adding!), then add it in. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on low for another minute, until fully combined. 

Notes

Make Ahead Tip: This buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer to bring it back to piping/frosting consistency.

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. 

Did you make this recipe? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram so I can see what you’re caking. I love to see your creations!

The post White Chocolate Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

One of my very favorite mediums for creating cake and cupcake toppers is white chocolate. Not only is it versatile and easy to work with, it actually tastes good. And with some pretty additions like this eye-catching Sea Glass sprinkle mix and a food color gel marble effect, it’s downright beautiful! PS: the thing I love about these SprinklePop sprinkles is that they actually taste good too (the larger sprinkles are actually Sixlets!), so you get pretty color and texture without sacrificing flavor – a total win win!

It all starts with a big slab of marbled white chocolate that looks too pretty to cut into, but today I’m going to show you how to shape it into mini white chocolate discs that are perfect for topping cupcakes. All it takes is a great color scheme, a few sharp cookie cutters, and about thirty minutes from start to finish.

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

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups (266g) white chocolate chips
• A heatproof bowl and microwave (double boiler works fine too!)
• A candy thermometer
• Parchment paper
• Angled spatula
• Small circular cookie cutters (2 inch diameter or less)
• SprinklePop Sprinkles
• Food color gels
• Toothpick(s)

Step 1: Temper Your White Chocolate

Although you might be tempted to just melt your white chocolate quickly, tempering it is going to give you a finish that doesn’t look dingy and will snap (like solid chocolate should) instead of bend. To temper your chocolate, place your white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and reserve ¼ of the white chocolate chips (in this case, remove ½ cup and set aside). The reserved chips are what’s called a “seed” that will help bring your melted chocolate to the right temperature once it’s been melted.

Microwave the white chocolate chips (sans seed) in 30 second increments, stirring after each interval. When the chips are uniformly melted, add your seed back in and stir until those white chocolate chips are melted and the temperature of the mixture reaches between 82 and 84ºF. You now have tempered chocolate!

Step 2: Smooth Onto Parchment

Place a sheet of parchment paper over a flat surface and pour the melted white chocolate on top, smoothing with an angled spatula until you have a nice, even surface that’s about ⅛ to ¼ of an inch deep.

Step 3: Create The Marble Effect

Squeeze a small drop of food color gel onto a toothpick and move it through the white chocolate to create a marbled effect. Keep in mind that too much food color gel could seize the white chocolate, so gently work it through a little at a time, swirling around with your toothpick. A little bit goes a long way!

I used AmeriColor color gel pastes in Navy and Teal for this marbled effect and only used two small drops of each color.

Step 4: Sprinkle Generously

Now for the fun part! Toss some pretty sprinkles into the white chocolate until you’re mesmerized with how beautiful it’s looking. When you’re done sprinkling, it’s a really good idea to gently press the sprinkles as far into the white chocolate as they’ll go. That’ll make them stick more firmly. I think the Sea Glass sprinkle mix ended up looking so pretty with the marbled white chocolate backdrop!

Let the white chocolate sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes so that it’s set (still a little soft, but easy to slice through).

Step 5: Score With Cookie Cutters

When your chocolate is set, it’s time to score it with your cookie cutters. I’ve used three different diameter sizes for these mini disks: ½ inch, 1 inch, and 2 inches. Press the cookie cutters into the set white chocolate to act as a guide for your final cuts. I always make more scores than I need just in case of breakage. It’s always good to have more! Side note: These circular cutters I’m using are part of a much larger set which comes in handy for making larger discs and other circular cake decorations! A must have for cake decorating.  

After you’ve made your scores, let the chocolate sit at room temperature for another 15-20 minutes to firm up. If you’re working in a warm environment, it’s a good idea to stick the chocolate in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to harden instead of waiting for it to set up at room temperature.

Step 6: Make The Final Cuts

Once your white chocolate has hardened, it’s time to retrace those scores with your cookie cutters and make the final cuts. Gently press the cookie cutters over the areas you’ve scored, working them around in a circular motion until you cut right through.

Step 7: Top Your Cupcakes

After you’ve frosted your cupcakes in a complementary color scheme, top them with your mini discs in any pattern you wish! Since I made three different disc sizes, I layered one of each size on the cupcakes in an offset pattern.

I used a little Teal food color gel to tint the buttercream because I was so enthralled with this Sea Glass sprinkle mix that I wanted to stick with an oceanic color scheme, but feel free to get creative. The cool thing about this white chocolate topper technique is that it looks great in all sorts of color variations. And since SprinklePop makes sprinkle mixes in just about every color scheme imaginable (even custom ones!) they’re the perfect addition.

If you end up trying the technique, let me know how you like it by tagging me on Instagram or commenting below. I love to see your creations!

The post Sprinkled White Chocolate Cupcake Toppers appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

This tutorial works with white, milk, or dark chocolate. If you’re feeling fancy, you can decorate the shapes with Edible Art Paint, sprinkles, or get crazy with your white chocolate colors. The sky is the limit with these things. Here’s a little video I whipped up to show you: 

You Will Need:

• 1 cup (183g) of white, milk, or dark chocolate chips
• A microwave
• Parchment paper
• Sharp knife and/or circular cookie cutters
• Color gels (for white chocolate, optional)
• Pretty things to decorate with like sprinkles or Edible Art Paint (optional)

Step 1: Temper Your Chocolate

Pour the chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl and reserve ¼ of the chips. These will be the “seed” that you’ll add in after the rest of the chocolate is melted to temper it. Microwave the bowl of chocolate (sans seed) in 30 second increments, stirring after each interval. Once the chocolate is melted (mine usually is after two intervals), add the reserved chocolate seed into the bowl and stir until uniform in consistency.

If you’re using food color gels with white chocolate, this would be the time to start coloring before moving on to the next step.  

Step 2: Pour The Chocolate

With parchment paper on a flat surface (I use a cookie sheet), pour the chocolate out and work it around with your spatula. You’ll want to make it about ¼ inch in depth and as smooth as possible.

If you’re using sprinkles or something sprinkle-like to decorate, this would be the time to do it. Let the chocolate rest for about 15-20 minutes, or until semi-set before moving on to step 3.

Step 3: Score The Chocolate

When the chocolate is semi-set (as in still soft, but not melty), use cookie cutters and/or a sharp knife to score the chocolate shapes. This basically gives you a good template to use and also helps you prepare the chocolate to make the final cuts easier.

When the chocolate is scored, place it inside the refrigerator to set for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Make The Final Cuts

Remove the chocolate from the refrigerator and use your knife and cutters to retrace the areas you’ve scored. It helps to do this step with clean cookie cutters/knife (if you have remaining chocolate on them from the scoring session you won’t get as clean of a cut).

If the chocolate is being stubborn during this step, it also helps to heat your utensils under hot water and dry them before doing the final cuts.

Step 5: Decorate With Edible Art Paint (optional)

If you’re decorating your chocolate with something like Edible Art Paint, go ahead and paint away at this point. In my milk chocolate video, I’ve used a metallic rose gold paint to splatter and decorate.

Just make sure your chocolate shapes are fully dry before moving on to the cake decorating process.

Step 6: Assemble

Once your chocolate shapes are to your liking, it’s time to use them on a cake or cupcakes! Simply stick them into the top of the buttercream on your cake or cupcakes and be amazed. Here are a few of my favorite looks:

These chocolate disks with rose gold finish:

And mini white chocolate disks for cupcakes (I’ve created a marble finish here by using a toothpick to swirl blue food color gel through the melted white chocolate once I poured it onto parchment, then sprinkled them before scoring).

These white chocolate triangles that I sprinkled before scoring:

The white chocolate geometric shapes I infused and splattered with Matcha Powder for the Matcha Cake recipe:

These mini white chocolate triangles that I used to top some cupcakes for a rose gold birthday (painted and splattered with Rose Gold Edible Art Paint):

You can make these chocolate shapes ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator (or a cool, dark space) for up to a week. If a white film develops on the surface, fear not! You can always add some sheen back by rubbing a little coconut oil over the shapes.

There’s still so much I want to learn about chocolate, because it seems like a pretty amazing medium for making all sorts of dessert decor. Someday I’d love to master some 3D chocolate designs, like a sphere. When I step into the third dimension of chocolate work, you will definitely be hearing about it! Until then, if you want to see more of what inspires me, follow along on Pinterest!

The post Chocolate Geometric Shapes Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

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

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

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

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

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Favorite Matcha Cake

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

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Matcha Cake Recipe

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

Raspberry Buttercream Filling

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

Vanilla-Matcha Buttercream

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

Instructions

Make The Matcha Cake

• Preheat oven to 350º and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and placing a pre-cut wax or parchment paper circle to fit the bottom.
• Whisk together sifted cake flour, Matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Cream butter on med-high for one minute. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Add sugar and beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl and paddle as needed. 
• Turn the mixer down to low and add the eggs one by one. Scrape down bowl, turn the mixer on med-high and beat for about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla, continue beating for 1 minute.
• Add all of the dry ingredients at once with the mixer on low speed until just combined, then add the milk all at once with the mixer still on low. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and mix on low until it all just comes together. You might need to hand whisk at the end to get rid of some lumps, but be careful not to overmix.
• Fill prepared cake pans ⅔ full and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Make The Raspberry Buttercream Filling

• With a food processor, grind the raspberries into a fine powder. Sift out the seeds (if a few seeds end up in the powder that is totally ok) and set the powder aside.
• Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color (5-10 minutes). Add vanilla, milk, and raspberry powder and continue to mix on medium for 3 minutes.
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add a pinch of salt (I like about an eighth of a teaspoon) and mix on low for another 30 seconds.

Make The Vanilla-Matcha Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• Add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. 
• Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated. Hold off on adding the Matcha powder until you get to the assembly instructions. 

Assembly

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

Notes

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: To make your own cake flour, spoon and level one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Repeat per the amount of cake flour you need, then sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 4 times (don’t skip that step!). After sifting, spoon and level to re-measure the amount of cake flour you need. 

Make ahead tips: These cakes can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left out at room temperature up to two days ahead of decorating. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and frosting. 

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

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

You will need:

• 1 cup (183g) white chocolate chips
• Food color gels of your choosing 
• A clean, dry paintbrush
• Parchment paper
• Baked and frosted cupcakes

Step 1: Temper Your Chocolate

Even though white chocolate isn’t a “true” chocolate (it’s made primarily of cocoa butter), it still needs to be tempered to keep it from getting flimsy and looking dull once it’s dry. To start, measure out one cup of white chocolate chips and pour them into a microwave safe bowl. Reserve ¼ of the chips (so in this case, ¼ cup) and set them aside. These reserved chips are what’s called a “seed” that will be mixed into the melted white chocolate to quickly decrease the overall temperature.

Microwave your white chocolate (minus the seed) in increments of 30 seconds, stirring after each interval, until the chips are melted. In my case, it only took 2 intervals to get the white chocolate nice and melted. Then stir in the seed until those chips are melted and you have uniform consistency.

Step 2: Give It Some Color

When you’ve got a nice smooth finish, it’s time to color – my favorite part. I separated my melted white chocolate into three bowls and started adding some Wilton Color gel until I achieved these three colors.

I’ll be honest, I usually start with an idea of what colors I want and then fly by the seat of my pants until I get there. There’s no real method to my coloring madness. For the seafoam, I used a little Sky Blue, for the peach, a little Pink, and for the purple, a combination of Sky Blue and Rose. When these colors mixed with the natural creamish yellow tone of the white chocolate, they ended up being perfect.

Step 3: Paint Your White Chocolate Brushstrokes

Now for the fun. Grab your paint brush, dip it into the white chocolate, and start brushstroking the white chocolate onto a sheet of parchment paper. A single brushstroke will usually do, as long as you’ve got enough white chocolate on the brush.

The brushstrokes dry in about 20 minutes at room temp and are ready to use! If you live in a particularly humid environment, you can pop your brushstrokes into the fridge for about 10 minutes and they’ll firm right up.

Step 4: Assemble Your Designs

After your white chocolate brushstrokes are nice and dry, all that’s left to do is add them on top of some frosted cupcakes. For these, I piped a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake using Wilton Tip 1M, then simply stuck a few brushstrokes into the swirl.

These white chocolate brushstrokes would also look incredible on top of a cake, or stuck to the side of a cake using some buttercream as adhesive. I have yet to try the brushstroke technique on a cake, but I’ve definitely been Pinning a few inspiring looks and hope to try it someday. Follow me on Pinterest to see some of the looks I’m loving!

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