Birthday Cake Cookies
These soft and chewy sugar cookies are topped with a cake batter flavored cream cheese frosting and finished with bright rainbow sprinkles. The perfect cookie for any celebration!
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This week marks Sweet Kitchen Cravings’ 2nd birthday! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with Birthday Cake Cookies. These cookies start with a thick, soft, and chewy cake batter sugar cookie that’s topped with sweet cake batter flavored cream cheese frosting, and they’re finished with bright, colorful sprinkles.
The inspiration for these cookies was a cross between the classic grocery store Lofthouse cookies and Crumbl’s birthday cake flavor cookie. I wanted my version to be chewy, and slightly cakey with a tangy cream cheese frosting, and cake batter flavor throughout. The addition of oil makes these cookies super soft and tender, and butter gives them the best flavor. The cream cheese frosting is rich and creamy, and flavored with cake batter extract. These cookies are sure to be a hit at your next celebration!
How to Make Birthday Cake Cookies
- Make the cookie dough. The dough can be made with an electric mixer and comes together pretty quickly. Butter and sugar are creamed together, and then oil is slowly streamed in while the mixer runs at medium speed. Eggs, vanilla, and cake batter extract are mixed in, followed by the dry ingredients which include all-purpose flour, cornstarch, leaveners, and salt. Lastly, sprinkles are stirred into the dough. Then the dough is ready to chill.
- Chill and portion. This dough is pretty soft so it needs some time in the fridge to chill, about 30 minutes or until the dough firms up. Once chilled, I use a cookie scoop to portion the dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I like to use a 3 Tablespoon size scoop (size 24). The cookies get pressed down to flatten the tops slightly then they’re ready to bake.
- Bake the cookies. The cookies bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes. They should start to brown lightly around the edges and should not look wet on top. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting. Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and cake batter extract are combined, followed by powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. I recommend making the frosting while the cookies are either chilling or baking. The frosting will be pretty soft right out of the mixer so I like to make the frosting and chill it in the fridge, to make it easier to spread. Check out my cream cheese frosting post for more helpful tips!
- Add frosting and sprinkles. Use a small to medium cookie scoop (depending on how much frosting you want) to place a dollop of frosting on top of each of the cooled cookies. Then use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to push the frosting to the edges, and create a swirl. Add sprinkles to the top and enjoy!
Birthday Cake Cookie FAQs
What kind of cake batter extract should I use?
I used McCormick brand cake batter extract and thought the flavor was perfect. It’s pretty inexpensive and can also be found in-store, which makes it very convenient. Another flavoring I love is Amoretti’s Birthday Cake Artisan Flavor. I’ve tried several flavors from this brand for baking and am always super impressed with them. They are a bit pricier and have to be ordered online but the quantities are larger and worth it if you bake with flavorings often.
Does the cookie dough need to chill?
Yes, the dough is very soft right after it’s mixed so it should be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before portioning and baking. This will help the cookies spread less and not get too flat while baking. Since the dough is pretty soft and a bit sticky at first, chilling also makes it easier to scoop and roll the dough.
What is the best way to store the cookies?
The frosted cookies can sit at room temperature overnight or up to 8 hours. After that, the cookies should be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They can be pulled out of the fridge a couple of hours before serving if you want to serve them at room temperature instead of chilled.
Can I make the cookies in advance?
If you want to make the cookies ahead of time, I recommend storing the baked cookies (without frosting) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freezing the cookies for up to 3 months. Keep the cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow it to sit at room temperature for at least an hour to make it easier to spread on the cookies.
Favorite Tools
Tips for the Best Birthday Cake Cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients. Allowing the butter and eggs to come to room temperature is important before mixing the cookie dough. Cold ingredients will not incorporate very well and can affect how the cookies bake. For the cream cheese frosting, allow the cream cheese and butter to come to room temperature before mixing. This will ensure that your frosting beats up nice and smooth, without any lumps.
- Chill the cookies. The cookie dough is pretty soft so chilling the dough is a must to help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. It only needs about 30 minutes in the fridge or until the dough firms up. You can chill the dough longer if needed but the cookies may not spread quite as much if the dough is very firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool. I know it’s tempting to slather the frosting on the cookies right away but if the cookies are warm at all, the frosting will start to melt. Allow the cookies to cool completely at room temperature, or cool for at least 10 minutes at room temperature then pop them in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes to cool them down faster.
- Make the cookies in advance. These cookies get even better as they sit. The finished cookies will become softer after sitting in an airtight container so I like to make these ahead of time whenever possible. I recommend making them the night before or at least a few hours before serving so the cookies are perfectly soft and tender when you’re ready to enjoy them!
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
More Treats You’ll Love
- Chocolate Sprinkle Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Oreo Funfetti Blondies
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
- Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies – try with rainbow sprinkles!
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Birthday Cake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (42g) vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large egg + 1 large yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cake batter extract*
- 2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
For the Cake Batter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8-ounce) block (227g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cake batter extract*
- 2½ cups 300g powdered sugar, sifted
- pinch of salt
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Sugar Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then with the mixer running on medium-low speed, slowly stream in the oil.
- Once combined, scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, vanilla, and cake batter extract. Mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again then add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until combined. Stir in the sprinkles.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Once the dough has chilled, use a #24 cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons) to portion the dough. Roll each scoop into a ball and place them onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2” apart. Press each dough ball down with your palm to flatten slightly.
- Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes or until the centers of the cookies no longer look wet and the edges just start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Cake Batter Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and flavorings with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add half the powdered sugar and salt. Mix until mostly incorporated then add the remaining half of powdered sugar. Scrape the bowl again then mix until the frosting is combined and smooth. Chill the frosting until the cookies have cooled completely. Slightly cold frosting will be a little easier to spread.
- Decorating: Use a cookie scoop to add a dollop of frosting to the top of each of the cooled cookies. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the frosting out to the edges and finish by making a swirl pattern in the center. Top with sprinkles and enjoy!
