Welcome to the Taylor Swift Era’s Cake Series. This whole thing started back in 2017 when I created my first cake series inspired by the 1989 album. At the time, I was helping take care of my mom who was sick with cancer. I was blogging just for fun, and I needed a creative outlet – some sort of distraction from all the doctor’s appointments and medications and sadness. And my mom also happened to be a big Taylor Swift fan. So for me, the first cake series helped provide some relief.

Now, 6 years later, I am a full-time blogger and run a baking supply company called Sweets Indeed with my Dad and Brother (which I know my mom would find absolutely hilarious).

And with the Eras Tour underway, I decided to embark on another Taylor Swift Cake Series – this time Eras style.

10 cakes to represent her 10 albums (using some of my favorite Sweets Indeed products)

Unfortunately, my mom is not around to see this series, but I like to this she would have loved them. And I hope you do too.

Debut Album Era

Her debut album era is all about those country roots. She released this self-titled album when she was just 16 years old (basically a baby!), but she was already showing the world what a talented writer she was. With her cowboy boots and guitar, Taylor toured as an opening act for many popular country artists and started her career toward becoming the pop icon she is today.

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Sweets Indeed Blue Edible Glitter
• Sweets Indeed Teal Food Color Gel
• White Fondant
• Blue Luster Dust
• Boot Chocolate Mold
• Guitar Chocolate Mold
• Edible Wafer Butterflies
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Piping Bags
• Clear Vanilla Extract (for making luster dust into paint)
• Merkens Melting Chocolate (my favorite melting chocolate)
• Fondant Stamp Letters

Fearless Era

The Fearless Era is a remarkable one. Not only did she begin to gain more widespread recognition from critics and fans, but the girl also became one of the youngest people ever to win a Grammy for “Album of the Year”. There were so many directions I could go for this cake, but I ultimately decided that this was an era filled with so much hope, sparkle, and a touch of country. And with her first tour as a headliner, I wanted to give a shoutout to that Fearless Guitar and fringe dress.

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Platinum Drageé Sprinklefetti 
• Rose Gold Drageé Sprinklefetti 
• Sweets Indeed Gold Edible Glitter 
• Sweets Indeed Silver Edible Glitter
• Gold Edible Luster
• Gold Edible Glitter Spray 
• Sweets Indeed Lemon Yellow Food Color Gel 
• White Fondant
• Gold Fondant
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
• Clear Vanilla Extract (to make luster dust into paint)
• Merkens Melting Chocolate
• Fondant Stamp Letters

Fun Fact: This album contains my favorite Taylor Swift song of all time “Forever and Always”. It got me through a hard breakup and I still love it to this day. 

Speak Now Era

To me, this album is all about romance – the good, the bad, and the ugly. From the initial excitement of a crush, to being head over heels in love with someone, to then being completely wrecked by that person you thought was your everything. It’s all on there. So for this cake, I wanted to do something fun while also capturing the album’s idealized version of romance. The whimsical rice paper sail and the sparkling topper make this one of my favorites in the series!

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Sweets Indeed Lavender Drageé Sprinklefetti
• Gold Luster Dust
• Sweets Indeed Regal Purple Food Color Gel
• White Fondant
• Gold Fondant
• Vietnamese Rice Paper
• Clear Vanilla Extract (to make the luster dust into paint)
• Fondant Stamp Letters
• Malibu Tops Heart Topper
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
• Piping Gel

Red Era

This was the era where Taylor began to dip her toe into the world of pop. With this album, she experimented with a wide variety of genres, secured her first number-one single, and gave us the best breakup song…like, ever. Also, shoutout to my favorite performance when she ROCKED out on the piano at the Grammy’s. Like the album, this cake has a going on. But I still love it.

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Sweets Indeed Red Edible Glitter
• Gold Luster Dust
• Red Fondant
• Black Fondant
• Gold Fondant
• Sweets Indeed Black Luster Dust
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
• Chocolate Top Hat Mold
• Red “22” Candles
• Red Sugar Sprinkles
• Piping Gel
• Clear Vanilla Extract (to make luster dust into paint)
• Fondant Stamp Letters
• Merkens Melting Chocolate (my favorite melting chocolate)

1989 Era

With the release of 1989, Taylor transformed from a Nashville country darling to a New York City Pop Queen. As her first full pop album, 1989 was super fun and flirty, and it had some serious hits on it. The album imagery was heavily focused on polaroids – so I decided to lean into that for my cake design. Each one represents something different from this awesome era.

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Sweets Indeed Electric Blue Food Color Gel
• Sweets Indeed Edible Glitter Stars
• Sweets Indeed Edible Markers
• Sweets Indeed Platinum Sprinklefetti
• White Fondant
• Silver Fondant
• Wafer Paper
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Circle Cutters
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
• Royal Icing
• Piping Gel

Reputation Era

 While this era looked all dark and moody on the outside (her comeback after years of hiding away from the pubic), the truth is, the album itself is really about her finding herself and falling in love. And I am here for it so much. It also has some amazing full-volume car-dancing pop songs on there. For the cake, I obviously leaned into the dark and moody vibe and made sure to give a shoutout to the zombie Taylor and the snake (which she brilliantly owned in this era). This is definitely my favorite cake of the series!

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Sweets Indeed Silver Edible Glitter
• Sweets Indeed Black Luster Dust
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
• Black Fondant
• Snake Fondant Mold
• Flower Fondant Mold
• Clear Vanilla Extract
• Fondant Stamp Letters
• Merkens Melting Chocolate (my favorite melting chocolate)
• Black Oil Food Coloring
• Piping Gel

Lover Era

Definitely the most colorful era in Taylor’s career, this album not only focused on romantic love but self-love and inclusivity. With the vibrant visuals, music videos, and upbeat pop songs I wanted to create a cake that matched that happy “Lover” energy. And of course, I added plenty of pink and heart accents!

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Sweets Indeed Food Color Gel (Electric Pink, Baby Pink & Electric Blue)
• Pretty in Pink Sprinklefetti
• Pink Sprinklefetti
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Heart Cookie Cutters
• Sweets Indeed Pink Edible Glitter
• Pink Luster Dust
• Clear Vanilla Extract (to turn luster dust into paint)
• Fondant Stamp Letters

Folklore Era

This surprise album was a huge departure from the last few eras as she presented us with a much softer indie-folk sound. She embraced a more natural and muted aesthetic and spent a lot of time hanging out in the forest with trees.

Now Folklore and Evermore have similar vibes – but I decided that Folklore should be simple (yet naturey) with a muted color palate.

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• White Fondant
• Sweets Indeed Black Luster Dust
• Merkens Melting Chocolate
• Black Oil-Based Candy Color
• Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
• Parchment Paper
• Fondant Stamp Letters
• Clear Vanilla Extract (to turn the luster dust into paint)

Evermore Era

Evermore is the sister album to Folklore – aka a lot of time in the woods with a more mature indie folk sound. Becuase I decided to stick with a black and white color palate for the Folklore cake, I knew I wanted to create the moss-covered Piano for my Evermore cake.

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used for this cake:

• Merkens Melting Chocolate
• Gold Edible Luster
• Goldmine Sprinklefetti
• Sweets Indeed Food Coloring Gel
• Black Edible Luster
• White Fondant
• Black Fondant
• Gold Fondant
• Fondant Stamp Letters
• Parchment Paper

Edible Moss Recipe from Sugerella Sweets (I found the perfect moss color combo of 4 drops of Leaf Green Food Coloring & 1 drop of Orange Food Coloring)

Midnights Era

Taylor announced her 10th studio album as “a collection of music written in the middle of the night…exploring old memories and midnights past”. We all have stuff that keeps us up at night. It’s what makes us human. But no matter who we are or where we live or what’s going on in our lives – just outside our windows, the same moon and stars shine over us all. And I think there is something comforting about that. So for this final cake, I went for a start night sky.

See how I made it here:

Check out the products I used to make this cake:

• Navy Fondant
• Gold Fondant
• Gold Luster Dust
• Goldmine Sprinklefetti
• Sweets Indeed White Food Color
• Gold Edible Glitter Stars
• Round Biscuit Cutters
• Piping Gel
• Tops Malibu Mini Star Sparklers

The post Taylor Swift Eras Cake Series appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

These Strawberry Confetti Cake Pops are made with delicious homemade strawberry cake crumbs, and light buttercream frosting! They are then topped off with pretty pink melting chocolate and colorful rainbow jimmies! Talk about perfection. But first thing’s first…

What are Cake Pops?

Cake pops are small cake bites in lollipop form. They are made by combining cake crumbs with frosting or chocolate and rolled into a ball form. Then the ball is then dipped in chocolate.

Cake pops were first created as a way to use up leftover cake scraps. But now, they have taken on a life of their own. were first created as a way to use up leftover cake scraps. But now, they have taken on a life of their own.

How Do You Make These Strawberry Confetti Cake Pops?

Cake pops can get their flavor in a variety of ways, but the process of making them usually looks like this:

1. Make and cool your cake base
2. Crumble that cake into small crumbs
3. Add frosting to the crumbs to create your pop base
4. Roll your individual cake pops
5. Dip and decorate!

These cake pops are made of a delicious strawberry confetti cake and a nice light buttercream frosting. They are then dipped in pink melting chocolate and covered in rainbow sprinkles!

My Top Cake Pop Tips:

1. Let your naked cake pops rest in the fridge before you start dipping.
2. Dip your stick in the melted chocolate and then into the ball. Then let that rest in the fridge for another 5 minutes.
3. Use a deep bowl or jar to hold your melting chocolate so you can fully cover the pop.
4. Make sure you tap off excess chocolate before you start to cover it with sprinkles.
5. Stick the stick into a styrofoam block or a cake pop holder like this one.

Loving the cake pop vibe? Well, you might like trying these other cake pop recipes as well:

• Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Pops 
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Pops
• Confetti Oreo Cheesecake Pops

I can’t wait for you to give these a try!

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STRAWBERRY CONFETTI CAKE POPS

These homemade from-scratch strawberry cake pops are confetti-themed with sprinkles! Baked strawberry buttermilk cake is crumbled, rolled into cake balls, and then coated in perfect pink chocolate.

Servings 15 cake pops

Author Lindsay Nathanson

Ingredients

BUTTERMILK CAKE

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sprinkles
• 3/4 teaspoon Strawberry flavor
• Pink food coloring

FOR THE POPS

• About 3 tablespoons of frosting
• 1/2 cup sprinkles, divided
• Pink melting chocolate
• Lollipop sticks
• Styrofoam block

Instructions

For the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8×8" pan with parchment and non-stick spray.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar and oil on a low speed until just combined. About 1 minute.
• Add eggs and vanilla on medium/low speed. Mix until combined.
• Add cake flour and all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix on a low speed until just combined.
• Slowly stream in buttermilk. Mix until combined.
• Add strawberry flavor and a few drops of pink food coloring and 3 tablespoons of sprinkles. Mix until combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Set pans on a cooling rack to cool.

Assembly:

• Once the cake is cooled, use your hands or two forks and to crumble the cake into fine crumbs.
• Add 3 tablespoons of sprinkles and mix it into cake crumbs.
• Put remaining sprinkles in a small bowl and set aside.
• Add buttercream and mix with hands or fork until the buttercream is fully incorporated. You want the mixture to be just moist enough to roll into balls.
• Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out a small amount of mixture and roll between cupped hands until you reach the desired round shape.
• Put balls on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
• Place coating chocolates in a deep bowl so you will be able to submerge the entire ball in the chocolate. Melt chocolates.
• Dip the lollipop stick into chocolate and then into the middle of the ball. Let sit for 2 minutes.
• Dip the cake ball into the chocolate until it is completely covered. Hold it sideways over the bowl and rotate it and tap it so the excess chocolate comes off.
• Use a spoon to cover the ball with extra sprinkles. Make sure the entire ball is covered.
• Push the lollipop stick into a styrofoam block or cake pop holder to dry.

Notes

*Makes 15- 20 pops

The post Strawberry Confetti Cake Pops appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

What ingredients do I need to make these cookies?

• Unsalted Butter. Always use unsalted butter as it gives you complete control over the salt content/flavor of a recipe. And make sure it is COLD for this recipe. No room temperature butter! 
• All-Purpose Flour. This is the most common type of flour used in the US and can be found at any grocery store. Make sure you “fluff” your flour with a fork or the measuring cup before measuring it. 

• Cake Flour: This type of flour has been super finely milled. It has a lower amount of protein which ensures our baked goods are soft and tender. 
• Oats: A type of grain. They change the texture of baked goods (often making them heartier), while also adding an additional flavor. 
• Light Brown Sugar. The molasses in brown sugar gives your baked goods a more robust flavor and allows it to hold more moisture. This usually results in a chewy texture.  

• White Sugar: There to add sweetness and flavor to your baked goods!  
• Baking Soda: This is a leavening agent. Baking soda reacts with acids in your recipe (think brown sugar or lemon juice) which causes your baked goods to rise. 
• Eggs: I always suggest using “large eggs” when baking. The eggs add structure and flavor to our baked goods when also combined with other ingredients and act as a leavening agent.  
• Cornstarch: Most often used to thicken sauces and puddings. But when used in cakes or cookies, it works to counterbalance harsh proteins in flour, resulting in a more tender texture. 
• Salt: Enhances the flavors in our baked goods – especially the butter! I prefer using Kosher salt, but you can use any kind of salt you have on hand! 
• Vanilla Extract: It works to enhance all the flavors in our recipe. While skipping it will not change the structure of your baked goods, it can leave your baked goods tasting bland and boring. 
• Chocolate Chips: Dark, milk, semi-sweet. The choice is up to you! 
• M&M’s: Because they are delicious! 

Do I have to use cake flour?

YES! This is what makes these cookies so amazingly chewy and tender. 

If you want to know the difference between cake flour and regular all-purpose flour, you can check it out here. But Basically, it comes down to the difference in proteins. If you don’t have cake four on hand, you can find out how to make your own here.

Things you MUST do for these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies: 

1. Use COLD butter cut into cubes. Before you throw your stick of butter into the mixer, you need to make sure they are cut into small cubes, so they can be incorporated with the sugar easily. 
2. Use a combo of cake flour and all-purpose flour. I already told you the importance of using cake flour. So this is just a reminder not to skip this step. If you have to use the substitute – that’s ok. But do NOT just use all regular flour. 
3. Bake at a high temperature: a higher temperature means less spread. We want these cookies to stay nice and thick! 

How to avoid Flat Cookies:

Do NOT overmix your dough. This causes too much air to be added to your cookies, which causes them to rise and then fall in the oven. The result is flat pancake cookies. 

How to get extra SOFT cookies:

You definitely want these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies to be soft, so  Do NOT overbake them! Ideally, you want to take the cookies out when they are still a little bit underbaked. Then let the cookies continue to cook on your hot baking sheet. This will allow the centers to finish baking without the cookie continuing to spread in the oven. 

What if you want SUPER thick cookies?

You can absolutely do that. Instead of using the dough to make 12 cookies, use the dough to create only 8 cookies.  I know the dough will be massive, but the end result is soooo worth it. You can see exactly how I do it in the TikTok video below: 

@sprinklesforbreakfastFull recipe: sprinklesforbreakfast.com/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-mm-cookies/ ##bakingtiktok ##cookierecipes ##bakingcookies ##oatmealcookies♬ original sound – Sprinkles For Breakfast

This is how thick they come out when you do it this way:

How to freeze your cookie dough: 

If you don’t want to make the whole batch of cookies, you can always freeze your cookie dough. Here is how you do it: 

1. Divide your dough into individual balls onto parchment paper. You can put the parchment on a plate or baking sheet. 
2. Chill your dough balls in the fridge until they harden (about 45 minutes).
3. Transfer dough balls to an airtight plastic bag and freeze them. 
4. Whenever you want to bake these dough balls, just take them out of the freezer and place them on a baking sheet to thaw. Put them in the oven when they reach room temperature and place them on a baking sheet until they are just slightly cold.

Cookie dough balls last in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Ok, now it’s time to start baking! If you want to substitute the M&M’s and chocolate chips with raisins, you are more than welcome to do so!

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

Soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies packed with candy M&M’s!

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Rest Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cookies

Author Lindsay Nathanson

Ingredients

• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes 227 grams
• 1 cup brown sugar 200 grams
• 1/2 cup sugar 50g
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour 180 grams
• 1 cup cake flour 130 grams
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 120 grams
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups M&M's 10 oz
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 85 grams

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 410 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients (except the oats) and set aside.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together butter and sugars. Mix until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
• Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. 
• Add dry ingredients. Mix on slow speed until just combined.
• Stir in oats.
• Stir in M&M’s and chocolate chips.
• Divide dough into 12 equal balls.
• Place 6 balls on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes.

Notes

If you want to make these cookies super thick, you can divide the dough into 8 cookies instead of 12. Bake for 11-14 minutes. They will look underdone when you take them out. But allow them to sit at least 15 minutes on the warm cookie sheet to set up. 

The post Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

Like a cactus cake, but waayyy easier. I’m sure you have seen all those amazing cakes and cupcakes with elaborate buttercream cacti creations on them. They are gorgeous. But they are super time-consuming and difficult to make. Who has time or patience for that?! Not me. 

So I made a super easy one. This one requires no baking or expert decorating skills. Seriously, all you need is some food coloring, a knife, and some sprinkles! 

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make a Cactus Rice Krispy Cake?

Puffed Rice Cereal: Obviously, this is the base of any good rice krispy treat! 

Marshmallows: I like to use mini marshmallows because they melt faster. And I’m impatient like that. 

Melted Butter: Just like in a classic rice krispy treat recipe, the melted butter helps make your treats taste amazing and helps the marshmallows be less sticky. 

Food Coloring: Any green food coloring you can find works perfectly! 

Canned Frosting: You can use any canned frosting you like. Or, if you prefer homemade frosting, you can use my American Buttercream Recipe.

White Sprinkles: You need white Jimmy sprinkles to make the spikes in the cactus. 

What Tools Do I Need to Make a Cactus Rice Krispy Cake?

Large Pot: To make your rice krispy treat base in. 

Spatula: To get all that rice krispy base out of your pot. 

Parchment Paper: This is where you will form your cactus. Parchment paper makes sure your rice krispy treat base doesn’t stick to any surface. And it allows you to easily move it to the fridge.

Water or Cooking Spray: When I go to form my cactus rice krispy treat, I like to coat my hands in water or cooking spray. This makes it so the rice krispy treat does not stick to your hands. 

Knife or Offset Spatula: To spread the frosting out and to create those grooves in our cactus. 

How to Store Your Cactus? 

While rice krispy treats are best eaten the day of, you can make this cake last longer in the fridge. I suggest placing it in the fridge for an hour (so the frosting hardens up) – and then you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

You can keep this fresh in the fridge for 3 days. 

I have made this Cactus Rice Krispy Treat Cake so many times and it is always a big hit! If you want to dress it up, add a few fresh flowers or buttercream or fondant flowers.

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Cactus Rice Krispy Treat Cake

An easy no bake Cactus Rice Krispy Treat cake

Prep Time 10 days days

Cook Time 15 days days

Servings 14

Calories 154kcal

Author Lindsay Nathanson

Ingredients

• 6 cups puffed rice cereal
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 oz marshmallows
• Green Food Coloring
• 1 can Vanilla Frosting
• White Jimmy Sprinkles

Instructions

• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large pot, melt your butter and marshmallows on medium heat stirring every 20 seconds.
• Once the mixture is smooth, turn off the heat.
• Add a few drops of green food coloring and mix. Keep adding food coloring until you get the desired color.
• Stir in rice cereal. Mix until fully coated.
• Pour mixture onto prepared parchment paper.
• Coat hands with water or cooking spray.
• Form a cactus shape.
• Set the rice krispy cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to cool.
• While the rice krispy cake is in the fridge, use the green food coloring to dye your canned frosting.
• Take the rice krispy cake out of the fridge. Carefully remove from the parchment paper and flip it over (so the smooth side is facing up).
• Cover the rice krispy cake in frosting.
• Starting at the top of the cactus, drag your knife down the length of the cactus to make a groove. Repeat all over the cactus.
• Add your sprinkle spikes.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal

The post Cactus Rice Krispy Treat Cake appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

So you saw this amazing recipe online (maybe it was this Sour Cream Coffee Cake) – but there’s a problem. It requires a tube or bundt pan. And you don’t have one. And now you are trying to figure out – should you skip the recipe altogether or go buy one?

Good news: You can make your own DIY tube pan right at home! 

What do you need to make a DIY Tube Pan?

All you need is…

• A cake pan (9″ or 10″)
• A ramekin or glass cup (3″-4″)

That’s literally it. 

How To Make a DIY Tube Pan

For mine, I used a 3″ ramekin and a 9″ cake pan. 

1. Grease your cake pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place a ramekin or cup with the open side down in the middle of your cake pan. 
3. Pour your batter around the ramekin or cup. 

Your baking time will depend on what size cake pan you chose and the one required in the recipe you are using. But if the recipe calls for a 10″ tube pan, using your 10″ cake pan and ramekin or cup should be the same bake time! 

What can you make in it?

1. This Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
2. This Blackberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake Recipe
3. Any angel food cake recipe! 

And if you are looking for other baking tips, you should definitely check these out. 

• 5 Biggest Cookie Baking Mistakes 
• Substitute for Cake Flour
• The Right Way To Use Your Mixer Attachments 

I can’t wait for you to try this out. It’s so simple! And be sure to let me know in the comments how it works out for you. 

The post Make Your Own DIY Tube Pan   appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

The truth is, I don’t have many family recipes. My family loves to eat baked goods, but for some reason, I am really the only one who bakes them. Or so I thought. It turns out my aunt had been holding her mom’s coffee cake recipe hostage for years. But this year, she finally gave it over. 

Unlike some overly sweet or bland tasting coffee cakes you may have gotten from the store, this beauty has the perfect balance of sweet buttery goodness with a hint of tang (from the sour cream, of course). And because I love the crumb topping (we all know it’s the best part) I put an extra layer in the middle!

Ingredients You Need For The Sour Cream Coffee Cake:

• Unsalted butter. Always use unsalted butter as it gives you complete control over the flavor of a recipe.
• All-purpose flour. This is the most common type of flour used in the US and can be found at any grocery store. Make sure you “fluff” your flour with a fork or the measuring cup before measuring it. 
• Sugar: To add sweetness and flavor to your baked goods!   
• Eggs: I always suggest using “large eggs” when baking. The eggs add structure and flavor to our baked goods, and also combine with other ingredients to act as a leavening agent.  
• Baking soda: This is a leavening agent that reacts with acids in your recipe (think brown sugar or lemon juice). The reaction causes your baked goods to rise. 
• Baking powder: This is another leavening agent. It is made of baking soda + a dry acid. When added to liquid, the acid is activated, making your baked goods rise.
• Salt: Enhances the flavors in our baked goods – especially the butter! I prefer using Kosher salt, but you can use any kind of salt you have on hand! 
• Sour cream: Full Fat sour cream is going to give you the best results. It makes our baked goods super moist and rich, while also adding that amazing tangy flavor. 
• Vanilla Extract: It works to enhance all the flavors in our recipe. While skipping it will not change the structure of your baked goods, it can leave your baked goods tasting bland and boring. 
• Cinnamon: There to add some amazing flavor! 

Ingredients You Need For The Coffee Cake Topping:

• Light Brown Sugar: The molasses in brown sugar gives your baked goods a more robust flavor and allows it to hold more moisture. This usually results in a chewy texture.   
• Cinnamon: Just like in the cake, the cinnamon is there to add flavor. And it just goes so well with brown sugar! 
• Walnuts: These are optional – but I love me some crunch.

Why do we use baking soda and baking powder?

This Sour Cream Coffee Cake uses both baking soda and baking powder. While they are both leavening agents, they are used for different purposes. Baking soda is typically used in recipes that have an acid in them (light brown sugar, lemon juice, or yogurt). While baking powder is typically used in recipes that do not have an added acid (as the acid is already in the baking powder). 

But sometimes we see recipes that use both. Here are 2 reasons why: 

1. While the baking soda completely neutralizes the acid (and doesn’t force the baked goods to rise enough), we use the baking powder to give it a little extra umph (aka more rise). 
2. Too much baking soda can neutralize the flavor of the acid. And most of the time, we want our acid to provide flavor (in this case, our sour cream). So we reduce the baking soda (to ensure flavor) and add baking powder to make sure we still get that lift. 

Can I add chocolate to this Sour Cream Coffee Cake?

Of course. My aunt’s mom used to add a whole bag of chocolate chips to this recipe! I am more of a classic sour cream coffee cake kind of girl – and I also appreciate a heavy crumb topping. But if chocolate chips in coffee cake is your thing, you can definitely go for it. 

 If you want to go with my aunt’s version, you can add 1 cup of chocolate chips to this recipe. Spread ½ a cup over the middle crumb layer and the other ½ cup on top after you place the top crumb layer. 

What if I don’t have a tube pan?

I got you covered. Not everyone has a tube pan at home, and that’s ok. It shouldn’t stop you from making coffee cake. Check out this cool trick you can use to make your own tube pan at home. 

>>How Do Make A DIY Tube Pan<<

Can I make my Sour Cream Coffee Cake ahead of time?

Yep! You can make it the night before. Let it come to room temperature and then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature overnight. 

You can also wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for up to 45 days. Just make sure you let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then allow it to come to room temperature again before you serve it. 

Now you have everything you need to start making coffee cake! And like I said, if you are a classic coffee cake girl like me, go ahead and make this recipe as it is. But if you LOVE chocolate – go ahead and add the chocolate chips in the middle and top layer! 

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Sour Cream Coffee Cake

 This ultra moist sour cream coffee cake is topped with a brown sugar and walnut crumb topping. It’s easy to make and perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Resting Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Lindsay Nathanson

Equipment

• Electric Mixer
• Tube Pan

Ingredients

For The Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
• 1 cup sugar (100g)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour (225g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup sour cream (245g)

For The Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed (213g)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (176g)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray the tube pan with non-stick spray.
• In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients and set aside.
• In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar. Cream until fluffy (about 5 minutes).
• Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
• Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low/medium speed until combined.
• Add ½ of the sour cream. Mix until incorporated.
• Add the other half of the dry ingredient mixture. Mix on low/medium speed until just combined.
• Add the remaining sour cream mixture. Mix until combined.
• Pour half of the cake mixture in the tube pan.
• Spread half of the topping mixture evenly over the batter.
• Add the other half of the cake mixture to the pan.
• Spread the remaining topping mixture evenly over the batter.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow cake to cool before removing it from pan (about 45 - 60 minutes).

The post Sour Cream Coffee Cake appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

This Apricot Jumbles recipe is the recipe that started it all folks. This delightful fruit layer bar was the first recipe I decided to go rogue. In other words, I strayed from the instructions to create something of my very own. And guess what? It’s freaking fantastic. For the last 15+ years, this has always been one of my favorite go-to recipes. Going to a party? Jumbles. Need to bake something for a birthday? Jumbles. Want to impress that new boy you’re dating? Jumbles.  

But above all else, this one-bowl recipe is quick and easy and does not require any kind of mixer. So if you are looking for a new favorite recipe, here you go. 

Tips for Making Jumbles

1. Make sure you measure your flour correctly: Never measure flour straight from the bag or container. It always needs to be “fluffed” before you start measuring. You can use a fork to move things around. Or you can always use a scale to make sure you have the perfect amount.
2. Mix your dry ingredients first: Make sure all your dry ingredients are mixed and fully combined before adding the melted butter. Once the butter goes in, it is much harder to make sure all the ingredients are properly distributed.
3. Use melted butter: Not room temp. Not half melted. ALL the way melted. Melting the butter will create that delightful chewiness in your oatmeal layers.
4. Use parchment paper: I like to line my baking pan with parchment paper. This makes it easier to remove the final product and cut them into nice pieces. 

The Ingredients You Need for Apricot Jumbles: 

• Unsalted butter. Always use unsalted butter as it gives you complete control over the flavor of a recipe.
• Light Brown sugar. You can use dark brown sugar as well, but I prefer the taste of light brown sugar.  
• All-purpose flour. This is the most common type of flour used in the US and can be found at any grocery store. 
• Quick Cooking Oats: Make SURE they are quick cooking. That means they are cut into small thin pieces. Regular oats are too big and will NOT work in this recipe. 
• Baking soda. This is your leavening agent. There isn’t much – but we do want a little bit of puff in our top and bottom layers. 
• Apricot jam or preserves. Either one works here. I prefer using jam because preserves have more chunks of fruit in them. Jam spreads more smoothly. My favorite jam is from Bonne Moman. 

Can I make these different flavors?

Of course! You can put almost anything in the middle. Here are some of my favorites: 

• White chocolate chips and caramel sauce  you can get that recipe here
• Chocolate chips and caramel sauce 
• Butterscotch chips and caramel sauce 
• Raspberry jam 
• Raspberry jam and white chocolate chips

How to Serve and Store Your Apricot Jumbles:  

There are a few different ways you can serve these bad boys. 

Serve: The most common way to serve these jumbles is at room temperature after they have been cut into pieces. But my favorite way to serve them is warm with ice cream. I don’t bother with trying to cut perfect pieces—I simply use a large spoon and scoop some into a bowl and then add ice cream. It really is divine. 

Storage: Always store your jumbles in an airtight container for maximum freshness. If you keep them at room temperature they will last 2-4 days. In the fridge, they will last 1-2 weeks. In the freezer, they will last 3-4 months.  

These jumbles have a special place in my heart. They are so easy to make and I can’t wait for you to try them yourselves. And please let me know in the comments if you try one of the other flavor combinations!

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Apricot Jumbles

A simple recipe with big results. These buttery brown sugar layer bars are packed with oats and apricot preserves. It’s an easy one-bowl recipe that everyone loves!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Apricot, Bars, Fruit, Oatmeal

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Lindsay Nathanson

Equipment

• 9x13" Baking Pan
• Large Bowl

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 sticks Unsalted butter, melted (255g)
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (250g)
• 2 cups Quick Cooking Oats (160g)
• 1 1/2 cups Light Brown Sugar, packed(300g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 oz Apricot Jam (283g)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13" baking pan with parchment.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Add melted butter. Mix until combined or mixture is a crumbley texture.
• Evenly spread half of the mixture into the bottom of the baking pan. Press down on the mixture to create one even, flat layer.
• Place pan in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
• Take pan out of the oven and immedietly spread dollops of apricot jam around the entire oatmeal layer. Let dollops sit for 2 minutes.
• With a knife or offset spatula, spread dollops into one even layer.
• Spread the other half of the oatmeal mixture in an even layer over the apricot jam. Press down on the top oatmeal layer so it is packed in.
• Bake for another 25-30 minutes.
• Take bars out of the oven and let them sit to cool for 45 minuites.

The post Apricot Jumbles appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

Tuesday is a very important holiday – it’s National Macaron Day (and I happen to really really like macarons). In my 26 years of life, I have eaten a LOT of French Macarons, but before I worked at Macaron Parlour in NYC, I had never made them at home.

I was intimidated. I had always heard macarons were difficult to master. And while this is true, a lot of the common mistakes can easily be fixed. Sometimes it is as simple as lowering the temperature of your oven.

So in honor of National Macaron Day, I am giving you an in depth Macaron Troubleshooting Guide. This way, you no longer have any excuses. You should be able to make your very own epically amazing macarons at home. Now all you have to do is decide which flavor you are going to make! I suggest starting with the Classic Vanilla Macarons, the Birthday Cake Macarons, or my favorite Nutella Macarons.

TROUBLESHOOTING

1. Macaron shells are hallow: The egg whites are over beaten. Try beating them on a medium speed, and only beat them until they just reach stiff peaks.
2. Macaron shells are missing their feet: The macaron shells were not given enough time to rest before they went into the oven. The shells need to form a skin, or be dry to the touch, before they go in. This usually takes 30-40 minutes.
3. Macaron shells spread and have no feet: The matter is overmixed. To test if the batter is ready, lift a small amount of batter from the bowl and drop it back into the bowl. If it slowly melts back into the batter after 20-30 seconds, it is ready. If it stays put, use the spatula to mix it a little longer. But not TOO much!
4. Macaron shells have pointed tops: The batter was undermixed. Use the spatula to work the batter a little bit more. (See above to know when the batter is done)
5. Macaron shells are splotchy: The almond flour is too oily. Place almond flour on a baking sheet and bake at a low temperature for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before mixing with powdered sugar.
6. Macaron shells are grainy: Almond flour and powdered sugar were not mixed well. I suggest sifting them together (or running them through a food processor) before adding them into the batter.
7. Macaron shells spread out sideways: The oven is too hot! Turn the temperature down.

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HOW TO MAKE PERFECT FRENCH MACARONS

Author Lindsay Nathanson

Ingredients

BASIC MACARON SHELLS

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup + 2 tbs almond flour
• 3 eggs whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Food coloring
• Filling of your choice

Instructions

BASIC MACARON SHELLS

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Prepare a pipping bag with a round tip with about a 1/4" opening (Ateco #804 is what I use) and a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift almond flour and powdered sugar together. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks.
• Lower the mixer's speed to medium and add sugar.
• Put mixer back on the highest speed and beat until they form stiff peaks.
• With the mixer still on high speed, add food coloring a few drops at a time until you get desired color.
• Take bowl off of mixer and add almond flour/sugar mixture.
• Using a rubber spatula, aggressively fold in dry ingredients until the batter starts to loosen and becomes a little runny. To test if the batter is ready, lift a small amount of batter from the bowl and drop it back into the batter. If it does nothing, keep mixing. If it slowly melts back into the batter after 20-30 seconds, it is ready.
• Put batter (about 1/3 of the mixture) into prepared pipping bag and cover the rest of the batter with saran wrap
• Pipe 1 1/2" circles on prepared baking sheet and firmly tap the bottom of the tray so the batter flattens out. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Let them rest for 30-45 minutes until they form a skin.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they are set.
• Let cool before peeling them off parchment paper.

The post How to Make Perfect French Macarons appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

So now that you know how much I like eggs, and how essential they are when it comes to baking, I decided to give you guys some information about them.

Here are the facts.

1. One egg weighs 50 grams. One egg white weighs 30 grams. One egg yolk weighs 17 grams.
2. The egg whites contain the protein and the egg yolks contain fat.
3. When a specific egg size is not given in a recipe, use large eggs.
4. One can tell if an egg is good or not by putting it in a bowl of water + 1/8 tsp of salt. If the egg sinks, it is good, and if it floats or stands on one edge, it is bad.
5. For best baking results, beat the eggs in a separate bowl before adding them to the other ingredients.
6. Eggs separate best when cold.
7. Eggs whip best at room temperature.
8. Cold eggs can be brought to room temperature, by putting the whole egg in a bowl of warm water for 3 minutes.
9. When whipping egg whites, make sure there is no trace of egg yolk and you are using a clean stainless steel bowl with a wire whisk.
10. For the best whipping results, start the mixer on a low speed and gradually work your way up to the highest speed.

The post All About Eggs appeared first on Sprinkles For Breakfast.

Pie Crust can be a little tricky…but once you get the hang of it, you will be set for life. This Pie Crust recipe is super easy to follow, and is great for both sweet and savory fillings.

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DECORATIVE PIE CRUST TUTORIAL

Author Lindsay Nathanson

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2/3 cup + 1 tbs cold shortening
• 3 tbs cold water
• 3 tbs cold milk

Instructions

• Combine flour, salt and sugar with a light whisk.
• Add the shortening. With a dough blender or your hands, work the shortening into the dry ingredients until it is in pea-size pieces.
• Add cold water and milk 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and the dough comes together.
• Gather dough into a ball and then shape it into a flattened round on a floured surface.
• Roll pie crust into a circle 2 inches larger than the upside down pie plate.
• Fold crust into fourths and place into pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate.

Notes

Now that you have the pie crust down, it is time to get fancy. Here are three easy ways to decorate your crust and make your pie look that much more amazing.

NUMBER ONE

Pinch Method

To make a pinched edge, line pie plate with pie dough and trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Using the thumb and forefinger of one hand, pinch a small piece of dough while also pushing with the thumb of the other hand. Continue around crust.

NUMBER TWO

Cookie Cutter Method

To make a cookie cutter edge, line pie plate with pie dough and trim all overhang. Collect all overhang and roll out extra dough to 1/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to make designs and attach them with a small dab of water. Continue around crust.

NUMBER THREE

Fork Method

To make a forked edge, line pie plate with pie dough and trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Using the back of the fork, gently press lines into the edge of the dough. Continue around crust.

*Makes One 9" Pie

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