Frosting Archives - Sugar & Sparrow

EASY Dye-Free Black Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 04:17:38 +0000

Whenever I share this black velvet cake recipe I get so excited to say that the cake layers don’t have any food coloring in them. The black cocoa powder turns those layers extra black in the baking process and the result is so striking! I originally paired it with this black buttercream recipe that uses minimal food coloring but I got to wondering if there was a way to make the entire cake dye-free, frosting and all. Well, that wondering turned into a straight up obsession and I tested tons of techniques and ingredients to finally find the perfect dye-free black buttercream recipe. Turns out it’s easier and less complicated than I thought!

This gorgeous black buttercream recipe is awesome for a few reasons:

It DOESN’T turn your mouth black (or anything else )
It uses ZERO food color gel
There’s NO charcoal involved
It’s super EASY to make
It tastes like OREO COOKIE BUTTER

Since I’m such a big fan of Oreos, I enjoyed quite a few spoonfuls and kept checking my mouth to see if my tongue would turn black but guess what? It didn’t! If you’ve been looking for a natural way to make dark black buttercream, this is it.

The Secret Ingredient for Dye-Free Black Buttercream

To get the blackest black buttercream naturally, you’ll need one special ingredient: EXTRA DARK black cocoa powder. During all of my recipe testing and experiments, I realized that not all black cocoa powders will get your frosting as dark as this kind. Just look at the difference between the brands below:

All black cocoa powder is essentially raw cacao powder that’s been Dutch-processed, or treated with an alkaline solution to reduce its acidity. The result of that chemical reaction is a darker colored cocoa powder and richer chocolate flavor. It’s what Oreo cookie shells are made with, so that’s the main note you get when you bake with black cocoa powder.

The Experiments

I was thoroughly obsessed with finding the perfect recipe for this black buttercream. So much that I went lots of directions with it. After realizing that black cocoa gets darker when heated or cooked, I understood why my cake layers got so dark without food coloring. So I tried lots of experiments with heat: blooming the black cocoa powder in melted butter, making an Ermine frosting with it, and cooking it into an inky black syrup with sugar and water (like this Sugarologie method), to name just a few. These experiments either resulted in a super dark brown buttercream or just didn’t have the right consistency in the end.

I wanted to come up with a recipe that was straightforward and easy enough for anyone to make, and it wasn’t until I started researching different brands of black cocoa powder that I found this extra dark version. It is a game changer. It’s so much darker in color than any of the other brands I’ve tried, so I was able to sift it into my favorite buttercream recipe and the results were perfect. No cooking, no complicated steps, just a super straightforward method and the right product.

It’s ready to use right away but look at how much darker it gets after 24 hours:

My New Favorite Black Buttercream Recipe

After seeing that I can make black buttercream without dye, it’s all I want to do going forward. I love not worrying about it coloring the teeth and tongues of party guests or hearing stories about startling bathroom experiences afterwards (iykyk). Plus, it’s silky smooth and tastes just like Oreo cookie butter so I was legitimately eating it by the spoonful! It pairs perfectly with my black velvet cake recipe or any cake that would pair well with dark chocolate frosting. Here’s a quick video I whipped up to show you how it’s made:

If you want more videos like this one, you’ll find more on my YouTube page! Be sure to hit the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new one.

Dye-Free Black Buttercream

Silky smooth, naturally colored black buttercream made with the magic of black cocoa powder. No food color gel, charcoal, or complicated steps involved!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 Cups (300g) powdered sugar
1/2 Cup (56g) extra dark black cocoa powder*
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
pinch of salt

Instructions

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until just incorporated, then add the rest of the powdered sugar. With the mixer still in the off position, sift in the black cocoa powder and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix on low until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Place the buttercream in an airtight container and allow the color to deepen for 24 hours or more. You can keep it at room temperature for one day or store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you're ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed until the consistency is smooth.

Notes

*Black Cocoa Powder: It’s important to use the darkest black cocoa powder possible to achieve a black color. Here’s the brand I used in this recipe.

Make Ahead Tips: this buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 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 rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to 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 dye-free black buttercream? I want to know what you paired it with and what you think! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!

The post EASY Dye-Free Black Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 17:49:56 +0000

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I used to steer clear of using fresh strawberries in buttercream recipes simply because I believe using freeze dried berries yields the best consistency and most flavorful buttercream. I still think it’s much easier to use freeze dried fruit when flavoring buttercream, but after years of chatting with people making my recipes all over the world, I realize that not everyone has access to it. So, I took to the kitchen determined to find the best way to make strawberry buttercream with fresh or frozen berries. And guess what? I came up with a recipe that is flavorful and easy to work with for filling, frosting, and decorating cakes and cupcakes. Plus, just look at this naturally beautiful color!

How to Use Fresh or Frozen Strawberries for Buttercream

Fresh and frozen berries contain a lot of liquid. That’s why you can’t just blend them up and add them into your buttercream – it will ruin the consistency to the point of no return! Instead, the secret to creating the best flavor + consistency is to first purèe the strawberries and then reduce them into a jam-like consistency over the stove. This reduction process keeps all the flavor intact while getting rid of the unnecessary liquid content.

Making the reduction is super simple, but does take a little time. You’ll purèe the strawberries using a food processor, then transfer them to a small saucepan set over medium heat and bring them to a boil. Once this happens, turn the burner down to low and simmer the strawberries for 10-15 minutes, until the majority of the liquid content evaporates from the rest of the purèe. This leaves you with a jam-like consistency that you can add right into the buttercream to flavor it (once it’s room temperature, that is).

Why Reduce the Pureè?

After purèeing your strawberries, they will be extremely liquid in consistency. Adding too much liquid to your buttercream causes it to curdle and thin to the point where it’s soupy and unusable. By cooking that purèe to the point of reduction, you’ll be able to remove as much liquid from the strawberries as possible and amplify the flavor of the berries by getting rid of all that extra water. This yields a much smoother, more flavorful buttercream in the end.

Best Cake Pairings for Strawberry Buttercream

This strawberry buttercream goes perfectly with pretty much any cake flavor. Here are some of my favorite flavor pairings to date:

Whatever you end up pairing it with, I hope you love this fresh strawberry buttercream as much as I do!

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

A silky smooth strawberry buttercream made with fresh or frozen berries. Perfect for pairing with layer cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and more!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

5 Oz (1 Cup) fresh strawberries, chopped* see notes if using frozen berries
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the Reduced Strawberry Purèe

Using a food processor, purèe the chopped strawberries (you’ll end up with about ½ Cup after this). Add the strawberry purèe into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it becomes jam-like and has reduced by half. You’ll end up with about ¼ Cup of reduced purèe after this step. Let it cool completely to room temperature (either in the refrigerator or on the counter) before moving on in the recipe.

Make the Strawberry Buttercream

With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy, about 5 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time and mix on low speed, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Add the (room temperature!) reduced strawberry purèe and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, 1-2 minutes.

Notes

*Frozen Berries: if using frozen berries, thaw and dry them completely before purèeing in a food processor. Because of the extra liquid content the ice adds, you may need to cook the purèe for slightly longer than 10-15 minutes to get it to a jam-like consistency.

Make Ahead Tips: This buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix in your stand mixer on low speed to bring back to smooth buttercream 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 fresh raspberry buttercream? I want to know what you paired it with and what you think! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!

The post Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Fresh Raspberry Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 02:55:13 +0000

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If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know I LOVE using freeze dried fruit in my buttercream recipes. The process of freeze drying removes all the liquid from the fruit and maintains the integrity of the flavor and nutrients. In other words, you can add powerful flavor without ruining the consistency of the buttercream by adding too much liquid content. That said, not everyone has easy access to freeze dried fruit and I get tons of questions about how to make buttercream using fresh or frozen fruit as an alternative. All of it sparked me on a journey to figuring out how to make beautiful fruit-flavored buttercream with fresh fruit, starting with this luscious raspberry buttercream.

While I still prefer using freeze dried berries because they pack the most flavor and yield a flawlessly smooth buttercream consistency, I DID find a way to use fresh or frozen berries and end up with great raspberry buttercream. It’s flavorful, easy to work with for filling, frosting, and decorating cakes, and it’s such a naturally pretty color! Just look at this fresh raspberry buttercream:

How to Use Fresh or Frozen Raspberries for Buttercream

In my experimenting with fresh raspberries, I found that the secret to creating the best flavor + consistency is to first purèe the berries and then reduce them into a jam-like consistency over the stove. Like many berries, fresh (and especially frozen) raspberries contain a lot of extra liquid content. You’ll notice this when you purèe the berries and release all of those juices. I chose to leave the seeds in because they’re so subtle in the final buttercream, but you can also use a metal sieve or strainer set over a bowl to separate them from the rest of the purèe if you want.

After purèeing the raspberries, transfer them to a small saucepan set over medium heat and bring them to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer. Over the course of 10-15 minutes, two magical things happen: 1) the majority of the liquid content will evaporate from the rest of the purèe and 2) the raspberry flavor will intensify. This leaves you with a jam-like consistency that you can add right into the buttercream to flavor it.

Here’s a quick video that shows the process for making this fresh raspberry buttercream from start to finish:

If you want more videos like this one, you’ll find more on my YouTube page! Be sure to hit the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new one.

Why is the Reduction of the Purèe Important?

In case you’re tempted to skip the reduction step, let me explain why it’s extra important: if you add too much liquid into your buttercream, the consistency will become too runny and will split, meaning it will look curdled. Not exactly the most appetizing look, and completely impossible to work with. By reducing the purèe, you will remove as much liquid from the raspberries as possible and end up with a much smoother, more flavorful buttercream in the end.

Best Cake Pairings for Raspberry Buttercream

I initially whipped up this raspberry buttercream for a pistachio cake recipe I’m working on (coming soon!) but you can pair it with the following cakes for a stunning flavor combination:

Whatever you end up pairing it with, I hope you love this fresh raspberry buttercream as much as I do!

Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

A silky smooth raspberry buttercream made with fresh or frozen berries. Perfect for pairing with layer cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and more!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

5 Oz (1 Cup) fresh raspberries see notes for using frozen raspberries
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the Reduced Raspberry Purèe

Using a food processor, purèe the raspberries (you’ll end up with about ½ Cup after this). Add the raspberry purèe into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it becomes jam-like and has reduced by half. You’ll end up with about ¼ Cup of reduced purèe after this step. Let it cool completely to room temperature (either in the refrigerator or on the counter) before moving on in the recipe.

Make the Raspberry Buttercream

With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy, about 5 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time and mix on low speed, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Add the (room temperature!) reduced raspberry purèe and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, 1-2 minutes.

Notes

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.

The post Fresh Raspberry Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

The Best Blueberry Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 15:00:00 +0000

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My favorite way to make fruit-flavored buttercream is always with freeze dried fruit. It gives the frosting the most authentic flavor without compromising the consistency of the buttercream. So whenever I’m perusing the freeze-dried fruit selection at my local grocery store, I always check to see what kinds are available. When I saw that freeze-dried blueberries were a thing I just had to snatch them up for a buttercream recipe!

Amazing Natural Color and Flavor

This blueberry buttercream has the most authentic flavor and the natural color is just unreal. You make it by grinding freeze-dried blueberries into a powder using a food processor, then adding them to the buttercream.

One thing I’ve noticed is that different brands of blueberries can yield slightly different colors. This is because of a natural pigment found in all blueberries called anthocyanin. Different types of blueberries have slightly different pigments. For example, wild blueberries have more of a red-violet pigment (like you see here) and cultivated blueberries have more of a deep blue or indigo pigment.

To give you some visual examples of how this can affect the resulting buttercream color, I made this lemon cake with blueberry buttercream using these freeze-dried blueberries from Trader Joe’s and got more of a bluish purple color.

Then for this buttercream recipe, I used Natierra Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries and it turned out way more red-violet, but with the same amazing blueberry flavor. Pretty wild!

What are Freeze-Dried Blueberries?

The process of freeze drying removes all the liquid from the berries while keeping the color and flavor intact. The blueberries are essentially frozen, and then the ice is vaporized after that. This preserves all the nutrients of the blueberries, since the only element eliminated is the water content. The process also makes the blueberries dry enough to grind into powder for flavoring and dying foods like buttercream.

You can usually find freeze-dried berries in the snack section at your local grocery store. I’ve seen them at New Seasons, Whole Foods, Target, Costco, and Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find them locally, Amazon is also a great resource. Just make sure they’re freeze-dried and not just dried.

Can I Use Fresh or Frozen Blueberries?

Since both fresh and frozen blueberries still contain a ton of water, you can’t do a straight substitution in this recipe. Adding all that water content will make your buttercream split, plus the flavor won’t be as powerful. If you can’t find freeze dried blueberries locally or online, I’d recommend trying a reduced blueberry pureè to flavor the buttercream instead. That will mean pureèing the blueberries, then cooking them down in a saucepan to remove as much liquid as you can.

What to Pair with Blueberry Buttercream

Here are some of my favorite cakes to pair with this blueberry buttercream:

Freeze-Dried Blueberry Buttercream

This delicious blueberry buttercream is packed with amazing flavor, natural color, and is the perfect consistency for decorating cakes and cupcakes.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

3/4 Cup (18g) freeze-dried blueberries
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Instructions

With a food processor, grind the blueberries into a powder and set aside.
Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until it’s creamy and light in color (5 minutes). Add vanilla, milk, and blueberry powder and continue to mix on medium until fully combined.
Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add a pinch of salt and mix on low speed until fully combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes.

Notes

Make it Ahead: This buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day, or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your mixer on low speed to bring it back to frosting consistency.

Make it Vegan: you can easily substitute the butter in this recipe with your favorite vegan butter sticks. I like to use Earth Balance brand. Then substitute the whole milk in this recipe with your favorite non-dairy milk. Coconut and soy milk yield the best results in my opinion.

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.

What will you do with your blueberry buttercream? Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe!

The post The Best Blueberry Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Freeze Dried Raspberry Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 06:21:55 +0000

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The other day I had an epiphany while I was perusing the aisles at Trader Joe’s. I stumbled upon their selection of freeze dried fruits and when I saw the raspberries I knew I had to try them in a buttercream recipe. The results? Absolutely flawless flavor, not too sweet (like when you use raspberry jam or preserves), not watery (like when you use fresh raspberries), and so easy to work with!

What are Freeze Dried Raspberries?

The process of freeze drying simply removes the moisture from the raspberries while keeping them packed with flavor. They’re perfect for baking in your favorite scone recipe, throwing into pancake batter, or in this case, grinding into a fine powder with a food processor and tossing into a buttercream recipe. And just look at the color!

I’ve used this raspberry buttercream recipe to fill and frost cakes, decorate cupcakes, and have even gotten a bit crazy and mixed it with vanilla buttercream to make a flavor ombre as a cake finish. It pipes like a dream and is so easy to work with. A great pairing for pretty much any cake flavor you could think of!

Freeze-Dried Raspberry Buttercream

A light, balanced raspberry buttercream that’s packed with flavor. The perfect addition to any cake!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 Cup (18g) freeze-dried raspberries
3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Instructions

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-high speed until it’s creamy and light in color (5 minutes). Add vanilla, milk, and raspberry powder and continue to mix on medium until fully combined.
Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add a pinch of salt and mix on low speed until fully combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: This buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Just bring back to room temperature and re-mix with your mixer!

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.

Here’s how I’ve used this raspberry buttercream in the past:

As a filling and frosting in my raspberry chocolate cake recipe. So delicious!

As a filling for my matcha cake recipe. It would also pair perfectly with a chocolate, vanilla, or lemon cake.

What will you do with your raspberry buttercream? Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe!

The post Freeze Dried Raspberry Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Nutella Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +0000

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I’ve always loved Nutella, but it wasn’t until I was pregnant with my son that I became obsessed. In fact, this pretzel Nutella cake recipe is solely inspired by my pregnancy cravings for dipping pretzels into a big ol’ jar of Nutella. Since I wrote that cake recipe, I’ve been whipping up this Nutella buttercream for all kinds of cakes: a Ferrero Rocher inspired cake you can find in my book and a Nutella fluffernutter cake you’ll find in my bonus recipes eBook, to name just a few.

This buttercream is a chocolate hazelnut lover’s dream. It’s smooth and creamy, easy to whip up, and tastes just like Nutella yet somehow isn’t overly sweet. You can pair it with any cake flavor that you think would go well with Nutella. Here are a few of my favorite pairings:

One Bowl Chocolate Cake (or the cupcake version)
Banana Cake
Pretzel Cake
Peanut Butter Cake
Coffee Layer Cake

The secret to the perfect chocolate hazelnut flavor here is (you guessed it): Nutella. It gets added into the buttercream after mixing together the butter and powdered sugar in the recipe. You can find Nutella at most grocery stores, but if you’re having a hard time finding it locally, you can substitute any chocolate hazelnut spread or order the real deal from Amazon.

This Nutella Buttercream is super versatile. It’s perfect for filling and frosting cakes and it pipes like a dream, making it ideal for decorating cakes or cupcakes. Here’s what it looks like on cake:

If you want to go really overboard (in the best way) with this Nutella buttercream, pair it with a Nutella ganache drip! Nobody who loves chocolate hazelnut will complain. No matter what you decide to pair it with, it’s a true crowd pleaser and family favorite around here. I hope it becomes one of your favorite frostings too.

Nutella Buttercream

Silky smooth buttercream that's packed with Nutella flavor and so easy to whip up. Perfect for frosting cakes, using as filling, and piping cupcakes.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
1/2 Cup (150g) Nutella
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp whole milk, 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 in color, about 5 minutes.
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 the Nutella and beat on med-high for a full minute. Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix for another 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, until smooth and fully incorporated.

Notes

Make Ahead Tip: this Nutella 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-mix with your stand mixer on low speed 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.

I hope this Nutella buttercream is everything you wished it would be! Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post a pic! I love to see what you create.

The post Nutella Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Brown Butter Frosting Recipe

Whitney — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000

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Can you believe that it took me until I was in my mid-thirties to make brown butter frosting for the first time? Why did I wait so long? The sound of brown butter anything has always been enough to make me want it, but for some reason I thought it would be more complicated to make. Turns out it’s really simple to brown your butter and even simpler to make buttercream with it. And now I want to put it on every Fall cake I make.

If you’ve never browned butter before, let me suggest something right off the bat: an apron. Maybe you don’t need this suggestion because you’re the kind of person who would think that’s a no brainer and don an apron any time you work in the kitchen. I, however, am the kind of person who thinks they’ll be careful and wears a new sweatshirt to brown the butter (sans apron) and ends up with butter splotches all over it. If you love your clothes, wear an apron for this recipe (and all recipes).

What Does Brown Butter Frosting Taste Like?

The process of browning butter involves melting your butter in a skillet and stirring constantly until something called the Maillard reaction happens – it’s where the milk solids in the butter separate and caramelize, which is how you get the little brown bits in the butter. The resulting flavor is deep and nutty with notes of caramel. It’s absolutely delicious!

Once you brown the butter, you’ll place it into a container and let it cool to room temperature. It will still be slightly creamy at that point. You’ll combine it with regular (un-browned) room temperature unsalted butter to create the base for this buttercream.

What to Pair Brown Butter Frosting With

Brown butter frosting goes with pretty much any cake or cupcake recipe, but particularly works well with Fall inspired flavors. My best suggestions would be pumpkin cake, pumpkin chocolate marble cake (pictured below), chai cake, and apple spice cake. If you’d rather have a non-seasonal cake to pair it with, you can’t go wrong with chocolate or vanilla.

Tips for Brown Butter Success

It’s really simple to brown butter but it does require you to keep an eye on it. There may be only a minute difference between brown butter and burnt butter. Here are my best tips for making the brown butter and preparing it for this frosting recipe:

Read through the recipe first. Since you’ll be preoccupied with stirring, you’ll want to be prepared for what to look for when it comes to the stages that brown butter goes through.
Key indicators for doneness: after the butter melts and becomes frothy, you’ll start seeing the brown bits forming as the butter itself turns a caramel color and the aroma becomes nutty. This is when you’ll know it’s done. As long as you follow the timing indicated in the recipe you should see this stage right when you’re meant to.
Remove it from heat as soon as it’s done. Once the brown butter is done, it’s key to remove it from heat and pour it into a container to stop it from cooking any further.
Make the brown butter ahead. If you want to, you can make this brown butter ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature by placing it on your counter an hour or two before you plan on using it in the recipe.

Once you’ve made this brown butter frosting, you’re going to want to put it on all your bakes! And just a warning: now that you know how to brown butter you might find yourself in a rabbit hole of what else you can do with it. I’m definitely dreaming about brown butter chocolate chip cookies, brown butter rice krispie treats, brown butter ravioli, brown butter everything. I’m so into it!

Here’s a quick video to show you the process of browning the butter, turning it into buttercream, and basically everything you could want to know about this recipe:

PS: If you’re into recipe videos like this one, be sure to check o u t 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!

Brown Butter Frosting

Made with delicious brown butter, this silky smooth frosting has notes of caramel and a deep, nutty flavor. It's a Fall classic that you'll want to put on all of your cozy bakes!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

cooling time 2 hours

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

Brown the Butter: Add 1/2 Cup (1 stick) of the unsalted butter into a large frying pan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly. The melted butter will start to foam on top, then will turn light brown in color and smell deliciously nutty. Remove from heat at this point and transfer to a glass container. Allow it to re-solidify for about 2 hours at room temperature or place it into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. It should be completely room temperature and thick (about the consistency of a thick caramel) before continuing on with the buttercream recipe.
Once the brown butter is room temperature, cream the other 1/2 Cup of unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high until creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Add the cooled brown butter and vanilla and mix on medium speed until uniform. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after mixing in each addition. Add the milk and salt and continue mixing on low speed until smooth.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips:

The brown butter can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature. It should be slightly creamy before using in this recipe.
The brown butter frosting can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer on low for one minute to bring it back to 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.

This brown butter frosting recipe is so perfect for Fall and pairs perfectly with pretty much any cake flavor. I hope you love it as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post a pic! I love to see what you create.

The post Brown Butter Frosting Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Favorite Strawberry Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000

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This strawberry buttercream recipe has been my go-to for years, and it’s about time it gets its very own recipe post! Up until now you might have seen this beautiful buttercream on my strawberry cake recipe and my strawberry lemonade cake recipe, but this frosting deserves to be a star all on its own. It’s silky smooth, bursting with strawberry flavor, flecked with bits of berries, naturally pink, and so easy to whip up. If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect strawberry buttercream recipe, this is it.

Let’s talk about the amazing flavor of this strawberry buttercream. After many experiments with fresh strawberries, frozen strawberries, strawberry extract, and freeze dried strawberries, there is a clear winner when it comes to creating the perfect strawberry flavor without sacrificing the consistency of the buttercream. It’s freeze dried strawberries for me. Not only do they add powerful flavor to this frosting, they don’t add any additional liquid which keeps the buttercream consistency perfect for filling, frosting, and decorating cakes and other baked goods.

What are Freeze Dried Strawberries?

Freeze dried strawberries are strawberry slices that have been through a special drying process that removes all the liquid from the berry. This process amplifies the natural flavor in the strawberry slices while perfectly preserving them. Since they’re extra dry, they can be ground into a fine powder before adding to buttercream. The result is powerful yet organic strawberry flavor, the most beautiful all-natural color, and the ideal buttercream consistency for cake decorating.

You can usually find freeze dried strawberries at your local grocery store in the snack section. I’ve had great luck at Trader Joe’s, Fred Meyer, New Seasons, Whole Foods, and Target. If you can’t find freeze dried strawberries locally, here’s a link to get them on Amazon. Be warned though, once you realize how amazing freeze dried fruit is for flavoring buttercream, you’re going to want to try all the flavors. In my humble opinion, there’s no better way to create fruit flavored buttercream.

Strawberry Buttercream Flavor Pairings

This strawberry buttercream goes perfectly with pretty much any cake flavor. Here are some of my favorite flavor pairings to date:

This strawberry buttercream will enhance any baked good you pair it with. It’s perfect as a cake filling or frosting, pipes like a dream for cupcakes, and is just the tastiest strawberry frosting recipe ever. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Strawberry Buttercream

My favorite strawberry buttercream recipe for decorating cakes, cupcakes, and more! It's silky smooth, packed with strawberry flavor, the perfect amount of sweet, and the prettiest natural pink color ever.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

1 Cup (23g) freeze dried strawberries
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

With a food processor, grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder and set aside.
Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes. Add the strawberry powder, vanilla, and milk. Continue to mix on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the bowl and paddle afterwards.
Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the salt and continue mixing on low speed until the buttercream is fully combined and silky smooth.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: This strawberry buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer on low for one minute to bring it back to 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 strawberry buttercream? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post Favorite Strawberry Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Lavender Buttercream Frosting

Whitney — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 14:00:00 +0000

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I love everything about lavender, especially the flavor. It’s light and refreshing, earthy, aeromatic, and just downright delightful. So after buying some dried culinary lavender on a whim last week, I decided to try making the perfect lavender buttercream. I actually ended up with a lot more lavender than expected, so aside from perfecting this lavender buttercream recipe I’ve been planning to make all sorts of things with it: lavender simple syrup for my coffee and no churn lavender ice cream to name a few. But first, just look at this buttercream.

This lavender buttercream is perfectly flavored. In the past, I’ve used lavender extract to flavor buttercream and while it’s a fine way to add flavor, it’s really easy to go overboard with. I’ve also heard of grinding up the dried lavender to use as flavoring but that’s also easy to overdo. So instead, I decided to steep the lavender in simmered milk to extract the flavor. It ended up being really fun and also added the most stunning flavor to the buttercream. It’s just right!

What is Culinary Lavender?

If you want to cook or bake with lavender, you’re going to need culinary lavender. There are a few qualities that make lavender culinary:

It’s the right cultivar, or variety, for flavoring edible things
It’s harvested at just the right time
It’s been processed for culinary use. This involves drying the lavender and sifting it multiple times so that only the buds remain.

I used this culinary lavender I found on Amazon, but you can sometimes find it at natural grocery food stores. It is worth looking for that culinary stamp of approval because using the wrong type of lavender can result in a bitter or soapy taste depending on the cultivar. If you want the flavor to be spot on, use the good stuff!

After making sure you’re using the right lavender, you’ll start this recipe by bringing the whole milk to a simmer, removing it from the heat, and stirring the lavender in. Then, you’ll let it steep for 15 minutes before straining the lavender out. What’s left is about three tablespoons of light purple lavender milk and it’ll be just the right ratio for flavoring the buttercream.

This lavender buttercream is perfect for using as a filling, frosting, or piping details. I recently paired it with my favorite lemon cake recipe and it was absolutely heavenly! Other ideas for flavor pairings: chocolate cake, vanilla cake, or strawberry cake. I especially want to try pairing lavender with strawberry next!

Lavender Buttercream

Light, refreshing, and beautifully flavored with dried culinary lavender. This is the lavender buttercream you've been dreaming of!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

1/4 Cup whole milk
1 Tbsp dried culinary lavender
1 Cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2-4 drops purple food coloring* optional

Instructions

Add the whole milk into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the milk begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the dried culinary lavender. Let the lavender steep in the milk for 15 minutes, then strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve set over a small bowl. Press all the excess milk out of the lavender buds before discarding them. Allow the lavender milk to cool completely before adding it to the buttercream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (a hand mixer works fine too!) cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, 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 the lavender milk, vanilla, salt, and food coloring (if using) and continue mixing on low speed until fully combined and smooth, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.

Notes

*I used 3 drops of AmeriColor Regal Purple for the color pictured.

Make Ahead Tips:

The lavender milk (from Step 1 of the recipe) can be made 2-3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring it back to room temperature before adding it to the buttercream.
The lavender 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.

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 lavender buttercream recipe? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post Lavender Buttercream Frosting appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Funfetti Buttercream Recipe

Whitney — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 14:00:00 +0000

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It’s my birthday week! And naturally, I decided to use it as an excuse to make my own birthday cake. Don’t worry, there are plenty of other desserts in store for this week (including my favorite Pip’s Doughnuts), plus a trip to the roller skating rink because it sounds like the most fun way to celebrate my birthday ever. For my birthday cake though, I made my Funfetti Cake recipe and topped it with this sprinkle-filled Funfetti Buttercream to make it extra festive! My heart is so happy.

This Funfetti Buttercream uses my favorite Vanilla Buttercream recipe as a base and the added sprinkles make it so cute and fun! I will be honest, it can be a challenge to frost a smooth buttercream cake with it since the sprinkles will drag as you smooth. Luckily though, I’ve got a few tips to make it much less frustrating and help you get that perfectly smooth (and sprinkley!) buttercream finish. Be sure to look at the tutorial below the recipe for everything you need to know.

To top this sprinkle saturated cake, I went with a fuchsia colored shell border which I piped using Wilton Tip 4B. I’m starting to really love a shell border moment (here’s a post that will show you how to do it if you’re into it too). I also topped it with the cutest candles ever from Meri Meri because I just could not help myself.

Here’s a quick video I whipped up to show you how to make this Funfetti Buttercream and frost a cake with it:

PS: If you’re into cake decorating videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel! Click the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video.

What Type of Sprinkles are Best for Funfetti

There are few things more stressful than realizing your rainbow sprinkles are bleeding into your cake batter and buttercream. This is why it’s so important to choose the right sprinkles for the job. The best kind of rainbow sprinkles to use will be rod-shaped ones that don’t bleed color. Look for confectioner’s glaze in the ingredients list – this seems to be the secret ingredient that coats the rainbow sprinkles enough to where they shouldn’t bleed color.

The sprinkles I love to use for funfetti are the Ultimate Rainbow Jimmies by Sprinkle Pop. They never bleed their color, even when suspended in cake batter, plus I love the cool-toned rainbow hues in the mix. I always stock up so that I can have these on hand for baking and cake decorating.

Funfetti Buttercream

The tastiest vanilla buttercream with sprinkles suspended throughout. Perfect for topping cupcakes, layer cakes, or any celebratory bake!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 Cup (50g) rainbow sprinkles* see note

Instructions

With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high until creamy and light (almost white) in color, about 7 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
Add the vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated and smooth. Fold in the rainbow sprinkles with a rubber spatula.

Notes

*The best kind of rainbow sprinkles to use will be rod-shaped ones that don’t bleed color. Look for confectioner’s glaze in the ingredients list – this seems to be the common denominator for sprinkles that hold their color in the baking process. I used Sprinkle Pop Ultimate Rainbow Jimmies.

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.

Piping: If you’re using this buttercream to pipe onto cakes or cupcakes, be sure to use a piping tip with a wide enough opening for the sprinkles. If the sprinkles get lodged in the tip, simply poke a toothpick through the tip opening to dislodge the sprinkles that are stuck before continuing on.

Make Ahead Tips: For best results, reserve adding the sprinkles right before you’re ready to use the buttercream. This buttercream (sans sprinkles) 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, then fold in the sprinkles.

Tips for Frosting a Smooth Finish with Funfetti Buttercream

With sprinkles suspended in this buttercream, it can be challenging (but certainly not impossible!) to get a super smooth finish. This is because the sprinkles tend to drag along with your smoother and create trenches in the buttercream. Even so, hopefully these tips help you easily frost your cake, sprinkles and all, into a smooth finish.

Tip 1: Keep the icing smoother at a tight angle. The tighter you can hold the icing smoother, the easier it will be for the smoother to glide over the sprinkles instead of dragging them through the buttercream. It helps to hold the smoother at about a 5 to 10 degree angle. Even still, some sprinkles will definitely drag and create trenches, but not nearly as many as if you were to hold the smoother at a wider angle.

Tip 2: Fill In Trenches. When you do notice some trenches in your buttercream from the sprinkles dragging, don’t stress too much. Simply fill them in with more buttercream and keep smoothing at a tight angle instead of trying to smooth over them without adding any extra buttercream.

Tip 3: Add a Patchwork Layer. If you’re having a really hard time with those trenches, this tip should solve everything. Pop the frosted cake, imperfections and all, into the refrigerator to let the buttercream firm up for 20-30 minutes. Once it’s cold, you can fill in those trenches with buttercream and easily smooth them. You won’t even be able to see where the imperfections once were!

Did you make this Funfetti Buttercream? I want to know how it went! Leave a comment below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me your creation. I love to see what you do with my recipes and tutorials!

The post Funfetti Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.