Birthday Cake Cookies
Thick, soft, and loaded with white chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles, these birthday cake cookies are topped with a smooth buttercream frosting that makes them taste just like a real birthday cake. Perfect for birthdays, parties, or any occasion worth celebrating. This recipe makes 32 cookies, so there's plenty for a crowd.
Servings: 32 cookies
Calories: 204kcal
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 extra large eggs room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- Rainbow sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
To Make The Cookie Dough
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for about one minute until smooth.
- Add the granulated sugar and continue beating for another one and a half to two minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until combined.
- With the mixer still on medium-low, add the flour mixture one cup at a time, mixing just until the flour disappears.
- Add the white chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles and mix just until evenly distributed.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Baking The Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil.
- Use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing each ball two inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden. Check at the nine minute mark.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Make The Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the softened butter on medium speed for about one minute until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt and mix until combined.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar half a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Spoon or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cookies. Add sprinkles while the frosting is still wet.
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping directly from the bag packs in too much flour and will affect the texture of your cookies.
- Don't skip the dough chill time. One hour is the minimum. The colder the dough goes into the oven, the thicker and puffier your cookies will be.
- Pull them out of the oven before they're fully set. The centers will look soft and underdone when you take them out. That's exactly right. They'll continue to set on the hot baking sheet after you remove them from the oven.
- Use jimmies, not nonpareils. Classic jimmy-style sprinkles hold their shape and color during mixing and baking. The small round nonpareils tend to bleed into the dough.
- Cool completely before frosting. Even slightly warm cookies will melt the buttercream.
Nutrition
Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg