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    Home » Recipes » Cookie Recipes

    Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies

    Published: Mar 7, 2022 · Modified: Dec 3, 2022 by Megan Weimer · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Cookie stack with sprinkles.
    Cookies on baking sheet.

    These birthday cake sugar cookies are the softest, chewiest, most delicious cookies you will ever make. They're loaded with birthday sprinkles and taste like Funfetti cake batter. If you love birthday cake, these cookies are for you!

    Sprinkles being dropped onto a stack of cookies.

    Looking to celebrate your birthday without making a whole birthday cake? This recipe is for you!

    These birthday cake sugar cookies taste just like birthday cake because they are made with only white cane sugar, no brown sugar. They are flavored with vanilla extract and almond extract for a sweet flavor. They bake into large, soft and chewy bakery-style cookies that can be made gluten free!

    Cookies on a baking sheet.

    If you're looking for more cookie recipes, try my molasses crinkle cookies, Cream Cheese Cutout Cookies, olive oil cookies, brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies, almond spritz cookies, and eggless double chocolate chip cookies.

    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Substitutions
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Expert Baking Tips
    • Additions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Storage and Freezing
    • More Cookie Recipes to Try
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You Will Love This

    • Large, chewy cookies- These cookies are thick, soft, and have a chewy center.
    • Easy to make- They don't require any chill time and come together within 20 minutes.
    • Perfect for birthdays- They are perfect for a birthday celebration, especially for kids!
    • Gluten free option- These cookies can easily be made gluten free with a simple substitution.

    Ingredient Notes

    Ingredients to make cookies in bowls.

    Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For the full recipe list, see the recipe card below!

    • Unsalted butter- Pull this out of the fridge 2 hours or so before baking. The butter should be at room temperature so it mixes better.
    • Cane sugar- Only pure cane sugar is used to sweeten these cookies so they have a more birthday cake taste.
    • Egg + Egg yolk- Take your eggs out of the fridge 2 hours before baking. The extra egg yolk makes these cookies extra soft and chewy and keeps them from spreading too much.
    • All purpose flour- Use regular or all purpose flour for the best structure and chewy texture.
    • Almond extract- This gives the cookies a beautiful, sweet flavor.
    • Rainbow sprinkles- Use gluten free rainbow Jimmies. Other kinds of rainbow sprinkles will bleed or melt into the batter while baking. These are my favorite, naturally dyed sprinkles.

    Substitutions

    • Coconut sugar can be substituted for the cane or table sugar. However, this will change the taste and color of the cookies.
    • You can mix up what color Jimmies you use depending on the holiday that you're celebrating: red and green for Christmas, red and pink for Valentine's Day, different shades of green for St. Patrick's Day, and more!

    Step by Step Instructions

    Here are the steps to make these birthday cake sugar cookies. This recipe requires a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. A hand mixer or electric mixer will work as well.

    STEP 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the gluten free flour into a large mixing bowl. Sifting the flour will prevent any lumps from getting into the batter. Then, mix in the baking powder and salt.

    STEP 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the room-temperature butter and sugar together on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. This will take about 2-5 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the butter gets mixed in.

    STEP 3: Add in the wet ingredients. Mix the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the beaten butter and sugar. Then, beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl.

    Creamed butter and sugar in a bowl.
    Creamed butter and sugar with wet ingredients in a bowl.

    STEP 4: Add in the dry ingredients. Mix the flour and other dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed. It will be a thick but slightly sticky dough.

    STEP 5: Add in the sprinkles. Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the cookie dough with a rubber spatula.

    STEP 6: Scoop the dough. Use a large cookie dough scoop to scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the dough balls about ½ inch apart on the baking sheet. Press down on each cookie dough ball with your fingers to spread them slightly.

    Cookie dough with sprinkles.
    Cookie dough in a cookie scoop.
    Cookie dough scooped onto a baking pan.

    STEP 7: Bake the cookies. Next, bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Top the baked cookies with extra rainbow sprinkles. Let the cookies sit on the hot pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

    Expert Baking Tips

    • Make sure the flour is spooned and leveled (properly measured). Compacted flour will result in a dry cookies that don't spread.
    • Make sure your baking powder is fresh so the cookies rise properly. Baking powder should be replaced ever 6-12 months.
    • To prevent your cookies from spreading too much, use parchment paper and properly measure your flour.
    • Use room temperature butter and eggs. This helps create a smooth, uniform batter.
    • When adding the wet ingredients, make sure to beat on high to incorporate more air into the cookie dough. This will give them a chewier texture. Because this recipe is gluten free, you don't have to worry as much about over-mixing after the flour is added.
    • Don't overcrowd the baking sheet. Leave about ½-1 inch between each cookie dough ball so they have room to spread.
    A cookie cut in half on a baking sheet.

    Additions

    • About ¼ cup of white chocolate chips can be added to the batter for extra sweetness. You could also add a white chocolate drizzle on top.
    • These cookies would be perfect served with ice cream! Even better, you can turn them into ice cream sandwiches.
    • You can add a swirl of buttercream on top for an extra festive, Crumbl inspired cookie.
    Cookies on a baking sheet with sprinkles.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why are my cookies so thin?

    You may have not added enough flour or your baking powder could be expired.

    Why didn't my cookies spread?

    You may have added too much flour to the batter! Make sure to properly spoon and level your flour to prevent this. Other reasons are that your batter was too cold or that the butter and eggs were too cold.

    Can I make these cookies vegan?

    No, you unfortunately can't make these cookies vegan. If you feel like experimenting, you could possibly try using vegan butter and 2 flax eggs, but I can't guarantee any success!

    Can I make these into smaller cookies?

    Absolutely, although the cookies won't be as chewy. You can use a smaller, 1 oz cookie dough scoop and bake the cookies for about 7-10 minutes.

    Storage and Freezing

    Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

    Freezing

    Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 30 days. Make sure they are fully cooled before putting them in the freezer. When you're ready to eat, thaw for 1 hour or heat in the microwave.

    To freeze the raw cookie dough balls, wrap in plastic wrap or store in an airtight, freezer-safe bag for up to 30 days.

    The frozen cookie dough balls can be baked straight out of the freezer. Just add a few extra minutes onto the total bake time.

    A cookie dunked in a glass of milk.

    More Cookie Recipes to Try

    • Raspberry cookie topped with chocolate chips and sea salt.
      Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • A cookie with a bite taken out of it with sea salt on top.
      Chocolate Chipless Cookies
    • A stack of apricot filled thumbprint cookies.
      Apricot Filled Thumbprint Cookies
    • Cookies on a plate on a wood surface.
      Chewy Molasses Crinkle Cookies

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    PS: if you try this recipe, please leave a star rating below! Make sure to follow along on Instagram and Pinterest to catch all the new and tasty recipes at Dollop of Dough.

    📖 Recipe

    Cookies on a baking sheet with sprinkles on them.

    Birthday Cake Sugar Cookies

    Megan Weimer
    These birthday cake sugar cookies are the softest, chewiest, most delicious cookies you will ever make. They're loaded with birthday sprinkles and taste like Funfetti cake batter. If you love birthday cake, these cookies are for you!
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 8 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 cookies
    Calories 204 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 mixer stand mixer or hand mixer
    • 1 Cookie scoop
    • 2 cookie sheets

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cup all purpose flour regular or gluten free
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
    • ½ cup cane sugar
    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 egg room temperature
    • 1 egg yolk room temperature
    • ¼ cup rainbow Jimmies sprinkles

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
    • Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Then, mix in the baking powder and salt.
      1 ½ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat the room-temperature butter and sugar on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. This will take about 2-5 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract and beat on high for 1 minute.
      ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup cane sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, 1 egg yolk, 1 egg
    • Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
    • Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the cookie dough with a rubber spatula.
      ¼ cup rainbow Jimmies sprinkles
    • Use a large cookie scoop to scoop large cookie dough balls. Place 6-8 balls on each cookie sheet and press down on each firmly.
    • Bake 1 cookie sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes each. Bake until the edges are slightly golden and the cookies seem set.
    • Top the cookies with extra sprinkles when they finish baking. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

    Notes

    Flour- make sure the flour is spooned and leveled correctly. Compacted flour can result in a dry cookie that will not spread.
    Take cold ingredients out of the refrigerator 2 hours before baking.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookieCalories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 27.6gProtein: 2.1gFat: 9.4gSaturated Fat: 5.1gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 111mgPotassium: 31mgSugar: 11.5gCalcium: 15mg
    Keyword birthday cake, sprinkles, sugar cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Cookie Recipes

    • Almond Spritz Cookies
    • A stack of olive oil cookies.
      Olive Oil Sugar Cookies
    • Pecan chocolate chip cookies on a wire rack topped with sea salt.
      Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Double chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper.
      Eggless Double Chocolate Cookies

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    About Megan Weimer

    Megan Weimer is the recipe developer, writer, and food photographer behind Dollop of Dough. Since 2021, she's been inspiring home bakers to create low-key, yet elevated desserts that range from traditional to allergy-friendly.

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    Hi there, I'm Megan!

    Welcome to Dollop of Dough! Here you will find recipes for desserts, drinks, and sweet snacks that are easy to prepare and delicious. There's gluten free, vegan, and paleo options abound!

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