Funfetti Sugar Cookie Cake
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This giant sugar cookie cake recipe yields a soft and buttery center and crunchy edges. Top it with a creamy and buttery almond vanilla buttercream and sprinkles and you’re ready for a celebration!
If you’re looking for the best way to throw a party, you’ve come to the right place… If you couldn’t tell by the giant sugar cookie cake staring you in the face with all its colorful sprinkles and gorgeous waves of frosting.
Yeah. That’s the stuff.
This cake has been on my blog since 2015, when I turned 30. If you’ve been around here for some time, you know that for my 29th birthday, I shared a chocolate chip cookie cake, and started the trend of sharing a recipe for a cookie cake on or around my birthday every year (see all my recipes for cookie cake).
Since then, this frosted sugar cookie cake has graced many party tables and has been used to showcase all kinds of color schemes for various other celebrations (it gets popular around the Super Bowl and typically dons super-team-spirited sprinkles).
This sugar cookie cookie cake is truly fit for any celebration, really. There are a ridiculous amount of sprinkles to go around, and if you’re feeling a tad bit jazzy, a blank canvas awaits whatever sort of celebratory message you’d like to convey to the receiver/celebrator in icing.
Or… More sprinkles. Because that’s never frowned upon!
If you’re a regular around here, you know that the key to any funfetti recipe is a healthy dose of almond extract.
In fact, there’s even a little in the buttercream that I used to decorate this sugar cookie cake and let me tell you what– that vanilla almond buttercream is worthy of licking ALL of the beaters and spatulas involved in making it.
Believe me.
HOW TO MAKE A COOKIE CAKE
The cookie cake itself is easy peasy and no fuss. You don’t even need a mixer and there’s no chilling of any dough. In fact, if you’re really looking to simplify things, you can leave the cookie cake naked and completely forego the buttercream.
But really, I beg of you to add it. It just completes the package. Think of it as the big, enticing bow on the birthday present of sugar.
The vanilla almond buttercream itself is also quite easy, and if you’ve made my vanilla buttercream before, you’ll recognize the simple recipe.
I like to bake my cookie cakes in a springform pan. This way, I can remove the cake and place it on a platter for a pretty presentation.
This is totally optional though! It will work just fine in a pie plate or round cake pan, which also makes for easy transport.
This funfetti sugar cookie cake has been taste tested by many people over my years of bringing it to gatherings, and the consensus is always the same: the slightly crisp edges and super soft and buttery center create the perfect cookie cake experience.
Sturdy enough to eat with your hands but soft enough that you can cut it with a fork and eat it like cake. Plus, this recipe is so simple that little bakers could definitely help out!
And what kid doesn’t love sprinkles? I know mine are a little sprinkle obsessed!
If you’re looking for something quick and easy to celebrate a special occasion, this is definitely the soft sugar cookie cake recipe you want to keep on hand.
Change up the sprinkles for different holidays or throw in your favorite sports team’s colors and whip up a cake for the next Sunday afternoon football game!
Whatever the reason to celebrate, definitely include this sprinkley funfetti birthday cookie cake.
Thanks for helping me celebrate my blog’s birthday this week, dear reader. Here’s to many more exciting adventures in and out of the kitchen and, hopefully, all of the sprinkles!
More funfetti favs: funfetti white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, funfetti brownies, funfetti cheesecake, and funfetti donuts.
Funfetti Sugar Cookie Cake
Ingredients
COOKIE CAKE
- 2 and ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 2 teaspoons (5g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 and ¼ cup (250g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup (67g) sprinkles not nonpareils
VANILLA ALMOND BUTTERCREAM
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ Tablespoon (8mL) milk or cream
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
SUGAR COOKIE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9" springform pan1 with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until smooth. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and extracts until completely combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until no flour clumps remain. Fold in the white chocolate chips and sprinkles. Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake the cookie cake for 26-32 minutes until edges begin to brown. You may cover the cake with foil to prevent browning, if preferred. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack completely before decorating with frosting.
VANILLA ALMOND BUTTERCREAM
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, both extracts, and milk or cream. Turn the mixer onto low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until completely combined, scraping down sides as needed. Add salt to taste. Tint2 frosting, if desired.
- For more buttercream troubleshooting tips, see my book, The Home Baker's Guide to Basic Buttercream.
- Remove cooled cookie cake from springform pan and place on serving platter. Fill a piping bag with the frosting and decorate the cookie cake. I like to use a Wilton 1M tip. Cookie cake remains fresh covered tightly at room temperature for up to 4 days. Undecorated cookie cake may be frozen, up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and allow to come to room temperature before decorating.
Notes
- Springform pan: alternatively, you may use a 9″ pie plate or a 8″ or 9″ round or square baking pan.
- Tint frosting: I prefer to use gel color. AmeriColor is my favorite. I used “turquoise” for this frosting.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LYNN!!!!! What a crazy amazing year 30 was for you – hope 31 can live up to it 🙂 LOVING this sugar cookie cake as a way to celebrate, too. I’m 100% a cookie-over-traditional cake gal and this looks like birthday perfection!!
Thanks so much, Leah! 🙂 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS LADY!!!!
This funfetti sugar cookie cake is the perfect way to celebrate 31! This year is going to be just as amazing as the last, and you get to share it all with Joey 🙂
I knew we were meant to be friends, I’m definitely more on the cookie train than the cake train, but you already knew that 😉
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Thanks so much, Amy! I knew you would approve of my birthday celebration treat!!
Happy, happy birthday! I am alllll about cookie cakes. Order of cake deliciousness: ice cream cake > cookie cake > regular cake. Ugh, except this post makes me kind of sad that I can no longer bake anything funfetti flavored to bring to work, because our new lab manager is deathly allergic to all nuts. Sob.
Thanks, Julie! I must say I definitely agree with your cake hierarchy. And what a bummer about the funfetti!! That is super sad!!
Happy Belated Birthday, Lynn!! This cake is the perfect way to celebrate – so beautiful 🙂 & I agree time is whipping by too quickly!
Thanks so much, Megan!
Was searching for s fun thing to celebrate my Sunday school students birthday. I found it here. Read your story and rejoiced with you on the birth of your son. Thanks for the recipe, praying much happiness ahead for you!
Thank you so much for your sweet words, Susan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I love this cake – thank you! It’s been a big hit for my daughter’s birthday- she doesn’t care that much for traditional cakes. Only question- for the frosting, is it really only 1 tbsp of butter? Doesn’t seem like enough? (Maybe 1 stick?)
Hey, Tami! The measurement is correct. I only make enough for just piping a simple border on the cake. If you want more for something like spreading on top of the whole thing, feel free to make more!!
I need to make a 14 inch cookie cake. How should I alter the recipe to make that large of a cake?
Hey, Kathleen! I would suggest doubling the recipe, and then adding about 5-7 minutes to the bake time before checking for doneness. Sounds like an epic cake!!
Can you make this recipe as just cookies?
I would not make this recipe into cookies. I would either make sugar cookie bars or mini drop sugar cookies with sprinkles.
great recipe did on a 7 inch round cake pan 3/4 cup of dough for 25 minutes
Thanks so much, Adela!
What sort of baking time would you suggest if I was making this in a slice sectioned silicon pan that would make 8 individual cookie slices? X
Hey, Connie– maybe 10-12 minutes? This is totally a guess. Let me know if you try it!
Hi, this recipe looks amazing! I’m hoping to make it for my little brother’s birthday. Question, though: how did you get the edge of the cake to “rise” like that and be thicker than the center? Was it the pan that you used?
Hey, Audrey– I use a 9″ springform pan for all of my cookie cakes, and that’s always how they turn out!
Turned out amazing! Very yummy!
Thank you, Chloe!
I used a tiny bit of store bought frosting; cookie was very sweet. May decrease almond extract by half next time. Overall quick and tasty!
Glad you liked it, Michelle!
Looks like a party cake! I cut it into small pieces, kids loved it and so did adults!
Thanks, Kathryn!
This came out so good!
Thanks so much, Allison!
I made this in my 10” springform and it was so good! We all fought over the last piece. 😂
Haha! Sounds about right– thanks for sharing, Tiffany!
Sorry about that before. This looks great. Can I skip the white chocolate chips ?
Oh! Yes, of course! I wondered if this was what you meant to comment on, haha. That would work totally fine. Enjoy!
Is this something that would be ok to bake the day before or is it better day of? Thanks! Looks so delish
Hey, Lauren– ahead of time is perfect! Enjoy!
Hi could use a 9.5 spring from pan or a 8.5 spring form pan I don’t have a 9inch one
Yep! That would be totally fine. Enjoy!