Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies {Fun & Simple}
Colourful. Soft. Simple. Are you obsessed with everything “birthday cake” but can’t put your finger on what “birthday cake” flavour even is? Maybe you find yourself going to lengths to obtain that sweet and nostalgic taste from your childhood? You’re not alone and I have just the cookie recipe for you! My Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies capture all of those delicious, yet mysterious, flavours of “birthday cake”, in one delicious cookie bite.
These Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies are a funfetti vanilla sandwich cookie filled with a sweet, buttery, and nostalgic birthday cake frosting. They are simple to make and the ultimate sweet celebration cookie for kids and adults alike. Give these Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies a try today!
What is a Birthday Cake Sugar Cookie?
My Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies are inspired by store bought “birthday cake” cake mixes but made in the form of a sandwiched, sugar cookie. These sugar cookies are speckled with sprinkles and the buttercream between them is flavoured with extracts reminiscent of a birthday cake mix – imitation vanilla extract, almond extract, and butter (optional) extract.
Can I use different flavour extract in my cookies?
Absolutely! Some stores carry a “birthday cake” extract and so you can easily replace the extracts in the recipe with 1-2 tsp of a combination extract. If you purely want vanilla flavoured cookies, replace the extracts listed in the recipe with 2 tsp of vanilla extract instead.
What type of frosting is best for Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies?
I love using a thick, American buttercream for these Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies. This type of buttercream can be easily coloured with gel food colourings and has a sweetness that is complementary of sugar cookies and goes perfectly with the “birthday cake” theme.
How do I store leftover cookies?
Leftover sugar cookies (if you have any that is!) can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.
What kind of sprinkles should I use for these cookies?
I like to use nonpareils (ie. round ball sprinkles) for these sugar cookies as they are tiny, colourful, round balls that speckle the sugar cookie dough without disturbing the quality of the dough. They also look really beautiful when sprinkled over the buttercream for that extra “birthday cake” flare.
To make these cookies you will need:
- All-purpose flour (spooned and levelled to measure)
- Sugar (granulated, powdered)
- Butter (unsalted, softened)
- Extracts – Vanilla extract (preferably imitation), almond extract, butter extract (optional however recommended for the true “birthday cake” flavour)
- Sprinkles (nonpareils)
- Extra: Milk or Heavy cream
Let’s make some Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies!
Sugar Cookies
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to aerate and combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar. Mix until smooth and lightened in colour.
Add egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
While mixing on low-speed, gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture (approx. 1/2c flour mixture at a time). Once dough begins to come together, turn off electric mixer and add sprinkles. Beat one additional time to incorporate sprinkles into sugar cookie batter.
Bring dough together into a ball and separate into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap/wax paper. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Once dough has been chilled, preheat your oven to 375F (350F convection bake). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Remove 1 sugar cookie dough disk from the refrigerator and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 1/4″ dough sheet (note: sprinkle powdered sugar onto rolling pin and clean surface for rolling to prevent sticking). Once finished with first disk, remove second disk from the refrigerator and repeat cookie rolling steps.
Use a small, round, cookie cutter to cut small circle cookies and place onto lined baking sheet spaced 2″ apart (optional: also use a tiny round cookie cutter to remove the centre of half of the cookies).
Bake sugar cookies for 9-10 min or until firm to the touch and just barely golden brown at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes (until bottoms are hard and they are easy to pick up), then move cookies to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
Birthday Cake Frosting & Assembly
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream butter on medium-high speed until smooth.
Lower speed to low and gradually incorporate powdered sugar (approx. 1/2-1c at a time).
Add cream and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.
Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and butter extract (optional) to smooth buttercream and finish with a pinch of salt.
Pipe dollops of buttercream onto one surface of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie on top. Either roll the cookie sides in sprinkles or sprinkle the top where a tiny circle has been cut out.
Store cookies in an air-tight container until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Also check out:
Funfetti Cupcakes
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour spooned into measuring cup and levelled
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg large
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Nonpareils (sprinkles) tiny round balls
- Powdered Sugar for rolling the dough
Birthday Cake Buttercream
- 2.5-3 cup Powdered Sugar reserve final 1/2 cup in case you want to stiffen buttercream even more after adding extracts and cream
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter softened, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 1/2 tsp Butter Extract
- 1-2 tbsp Heavy Cream/Whipping Cream (liquid) add 1 tbsp at a time
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Decoration
- 1/4 cup Nonpareils (sprinkles)
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to aerate and combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar. Mix until smooth and lightened in colour.
- Add egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
- While mixing on low-speed, gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture (approx. 1/2c flour mixture at a time). Once dough begins to come together, turn off electric mixer and add sprinkles. Beat one additional time to incorporate sprinkles into sugar cookie batter.
- Bring dough together into a ball and separate into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap/wax paper. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Once dough has been chilled, preheat your oven to 375F (350F convection bake). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove 1 sugar cookie dough disk from the refrigerator and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 1/4" dough sheet (note: sprinkle powdered sugar onto rolling pin and clean surface for rolling to prevent sticking).
- Use a small, round, cookie cutter to cut small circle cookies and place onto lined baking sheet spaced 2" apart (optional: also use a tiny round cookie cutter to remove the centre of half of the cookies). Once finished with first disk, remove second disk from the refrigerator and repeat dough rolling steps.
- Bake sugar cookies for 9-10 min or until firm to the touch and just barely golden brown at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes (until bottoms are hard and they are easy to pick up), then move cookies to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
Birthday Cake Frosting & Assembly
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream butter on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Lower speed to low and gradually incorporate powdered sugar (approx. 1/2-1c at a time).
- Add 1 tbsp of cream and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy. If desired texture not yet achieved, add additional 1/2 cup of powdered sugar or 1 tbsp of cream, as needed.
- Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and butter extract (optional) to smooth buttercream and finish with a pinch of salt.
- Pipe dollops of buttercream onto one surface of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie on top. Either roll the cookie sides in sprinkles or sprinkle the top where a tiny circle has been cut out.
- Store cookies in an air-tight container until ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Sifting the icing sugar before adding prevents adding lumps to your buttercream and helps aerate mixture to create an even fluffier buttercream
- Why is butter extract listed as optional? While how to create “birthday cake” flavour is proprietary, the current thinking is that the closest flavour combination to achieve a similar taste is that of imitation vanilla extract, butter extract, and almond extract. Not everyone has butter extract at home and the buttercream already has butter in it so I have included it as optional only for those who want to go the extra mile!
- This frosting quickly forms a crust after being piped so if hoping to add sprinkles – try to do this right after frosting each cookie!
- Want to make these Cookies Gluten-Free? You should be able to easily replace the flour called for in this recipe with a 1:1 Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour substitute!
