When I mentioned sprinkles in the office recently, my colleagues wistfully recalled the ice cream cones after baseball practice and their childhood birthday parties that included a heavy dose of sprinkles.
But sprinkles aren't just for kids: Last year, my sister asked me to bake her a birthday cake, and her only request was that it be covered in sprinkles. It was the biggest birthday cake I've ever made, and it made us feel ten years old again (in the best way).
Now, listen, I know that sprinkles, which are almost entirely sugar and wax, will never qualify as health food. But the cloudy, artificially colored ones also come with added preservatives and chemicals to achieve their bright color, which can affect any party.
As a result, I tend to favor natural color splashes – except most options just don't have the same vibrancy as their classic counterparts. Thankfully, King Arthur recently started to hold these natural tinted sprays from the women-owned brand Supernatural that are just as colorful and ripe as conventional offerings, but with no artificial ingredients: just fruit and vegetable colors for a full rainbow spectrum.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Recently, the King Arthur Test Kitchen has been inspired by Supernatural and based on splash. You may have seen a sprinkle-filled version of our recipe of the year: Coffee cake for birthdaya soft, almond-flavored cake featuring sprinkles in the batter, crumb topping, AND as the final garnish on the frosted cake. We have also released these Oatmeal Cream Pie Barsa recipe that fully embraces its nostalgic vibe with a garnish of colorful sprinkles on top of the marshmallow fluff cream.
And then there are these Chocolate ice cream sandwich bars, a genius recipe that relies on homemade ice cream sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies. After freezing, the edges of the ice cream are dipped in a layer of sprinkles for a little more color and crunch—in other words, pure summer vibes.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
But why stop here? Maybe you want to make an old fashioned homemade ice cream Vanilla bean ice cream, Hot Fudge Sauce, and a large shower with spray. Or go completely over the top with this one Brownie Sundae Setwhich not only comes with a jar of sprinkles, but also fudge brownie mix and a brownie bowl pan.
You can turn a breakfast plate into a splash party pancake AND waffles. Or take a hint from Cupcake season and garnish any of our recently debuted cupcake recipes—might I suggest Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes? – with a color line.
We're declaring it now: Summer is the unofficial splash season. How will you celebrate?
Get a jar of Supernatural splashes to make your baking a little more fun, and while you're at it, check them out food coloring with natural colors also.
Cover picture (Coffee cake for birthday) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
