The very best funfetti sugar cookie you’ll ever eat… and it’s the size of a cake! Top with thick vanilla-almond frosting and more sprinkles.
This cake is dangerously easy. Take my frosted sugar cookie bars recipe, add some white chocolate chips, bake it as a cake, and pipe some frosting on top. Soft-baked center, unbelievably chewy edges, sweet creamy frosting, and enough sprinkles to make my entire cookbook jealous.
I’ve told you about the importance of weighing ingredients before. I cannot stress this enough! You can easily over or under-measure a cup, but you cannot miscalculate a weight. Having the correct measurements of your ingredients is imperative to the results of your baked goods. Baking is not as forgiving as cooking; there is hardly any room for error. The reason your cupcakes are too dense? You’re likely over measuring your flour. Do not use the measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the container/bag. You could end up with 150% of the correct measurement doing it this way. Rather, using a large spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup without packing it. Then, weigh what you have.
In terms of measuring your ingredients, it pays off to be a perfectionist.
You’ll notice that the recipe calls for 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. Why? I do this with a few of my cookie recipes (like these chocolate chip cookies) because that extra yolk adds so much moisture, tenderness, and chew to the cookie. And it does the same thing to the sugar cookie cake. You’re going to love its rich, tender texture. Each bite will melt in your mouth.
You’ll also notice I add a touch of cornstarch. Trust me on this ingredient! Think about it: often used as a thickening agent, cornstarch gives your gravy, pie fillings, soups, and glazes a more bodied and full texture. The same goes for your cookie dough—cornstarch will help your dough remain soft, thick, and puffy during the baking process. Another imperative cookie ingredient in favorites like chocolate chip cookies and shortbread.
Press into a pie dish or cake pan and bake for only about 25-30 minutes. You want to slightly under-bake the cookie cake to get that incredible soft interior, as well as to avoid the edges from getting too crispy and brown.
Once the cake has cooled, go ahead and frost. I used a simple vanilla frosting here, but I added a touch of almond extract. I feel almond extract is one of the most underrated ingredients in baking. I love it in cookies and cupcakes—and its flavor is easily welcomed in this frosting. Another fun option would be this strawberry buttercream frosting. Pretty in pink!
Almond extract is potent, so you’ll only need a touch of it in today’s frosting. Don’t rush to the store to buy it though, you may leave it out.
This giant sugar cookie cake is the perfect recipe when you’re looking for something a little easier than a towering confetti cake, a little different from birthday cake (confetti sprinkle cheesecake is another unique option!), and more special than a batch of sugar cookies. Soft and thick in the center, chewy on the edges, loaded with white chocolate and sprinkles, and topped with the creamiest frosting that’ll ever touch your lips.
Be sure to try my s’mores chocolate chip cookie cake, too!
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Funfetti Sugar Cookie Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: one 9-inch cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
The very best funfetti sugar cookie you’ll ever eat… and it’s the size of a cake! Top with thick vanilla-almond frosting and more sprinkles.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2/3 cup (120g) white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (80g) rainbow sprinkles (not nonpareils)*
Vanilla Almond Frosting
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (150g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or half-and-half*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract*
- salt, to taste
- optional: extra sprinkles for decorating on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Make the cake: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Get it nice and smooth, then add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. The dough is quite thick. Once combined, gently fold in the white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup sprinkles using a rubber spatula (or by mixing on low speed).
- Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until very lightly browned on top. You want the cookie cake to be extra soft in the center, so careful not to overbake. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature before frosting. The center will slightly sink—that’s normal.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla and almond extracts with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if frosting is too thick. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. I usually add anywhere between 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Frost the cake as desired, I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to decorate the edges. Using a very sharp knife, cut into slices and serve. This cake goes wonderfully with vanilla ice cream! Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator up to 5.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Pie Dish or 9-inch Round Cake Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
- Eggs: Room temperature egg and egg yolk preferred. To bring the egg to room temperature quickly, place in a warm glass of water for about 10 minutes as you get the other ingredients ready. Or just set out when you set out the butter to soften 1 hour ahead of time.
- Sprinkles: Use regular sprinkles (aka “jimmies”) in the cookie cake base. Nonpareils (the little balls) will bleed their color and turn the sugar cookie dough green/purple/brown. Feel free to decorate the top of the cake/frosting with nonpareils, though. I also sprinkled some nonpareils on top of the pressed-in dough before baking.
- Cream: Cream or half-and-half is preferred for creamiest, fluffiest frosting. Keeping that in mind, milk would be an OK substitute if you do not have either on hand.
- Almond Extract: The almond extract is optional but highly encouraged; I love its flavor combined with the vanilla frosting and buttery sugar cookie cake!
Can you bake this with an egg substitute?
We haven’t tested it so can’t be sure of the result, but please let us know if you try it and how it turns out!
Hi! Do you think you could make this without the sprinkles and white chocolate chips? My son loves a plain sugar cookie!
Definitely!
Hi
I was just wondering if you think this recipe could be easily doubled to make more of a half baking sheet sized cookie instead.
Hi Cathrine, yes, you can double this dough easily. Enjoy!
Can this cookie cake be made ahead of time and frozen before decorating?
Hi Heather, absolutely. The baked cookie cake can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
I made the regular cookie version of this about 10 years ago and always return to it! So naturally I came to you for this cookie cake for my grandma’s 86th birthday. With so many recipes online these days I always come back to Sally’s!!!
I’m planning on making these cupcake-sized for my son’s birthday party. I made the chocolate chip cookie cake on his actual birthday and it was a huge hit. Can’t wait to try this recipe out.
Can this be made individual size? I’m thinking of baking in smaller pans (6in?) to give as teacher gifts. Half the baking time?
Hi Katie, yes, you can certainly divide the dough up in smaller pans. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Can you freeze this?
Hi Melissa, Yes! Wrap tightly and it should freeze just fine! We recommend freezing before frosting.
I bake this every year for my daughter’s birthday, she doesn’t like cake….but loves frosted sugar cookies! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hi- I’ve made this several times and it it’s to die for! Always rave reviews! How would I go about making this in a 9×13? Double recipe or 1.5? Bake time?
Hi Jasmine, you should be able to double this recipe for a 9×13 pan with no problem. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on it and remove when the edges start to brown but the center looks set, too. You can follow the bake time for these M&M Cookie Bars as a guide.
Mine cracked after deflating when it came out of the oven:( Any reason why? Followed the recipe word for word
Hi Kelly, this is common with thick cookie doughs when baking them in a baking pan (instead of as cookies). The dough rises as it bakes, and sinks back down as it cools. Nothing you did wrong. The cake will be nice and dense inside, instead of cakey and light.
My customers are loving your chocolate chip cookie cakes! On this recipe of the chocolate chips are omitted how should the recipe be adjusted?
Hi Amanda, feel free to skip the white chocolate chips with no other changes.
Okay! Thanks so much!
Is there a reason why we don’t chill this dough? It was slightly dry and crumbly. But the icing was amazing!
Hi Corinne, we usually chill the dough to prevent cookie spreading, but when we’re baking a pan of cookie bars or a cookie cake in a pan, we don’t have to worry about spreading. It shouldn’t be dry and crumbly, though. Was that before or after baking it?
Last year I ordered a very expensive cookie cake for my son’s bday and baked one of these to supplement. All the kids thought this one was better.
It has been our go to cake for years as my son doesn’t like traditional cakes. We use a spring form pan and they come out great.