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.
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 (115g) 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 (spoon & 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 (115g) 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 cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Make the cake: In a large bowl using a hand-held 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
- 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!
Keywords: funfetti sugar cookie cake
I made this a couple days ago and it was super easy and successful! The dough/batter came together quite quickly and I baked it in a round cake pan since my only pie plate was being used already. I did bake the cake for the full 30 minutes, but I wish I would have taken it out a bit earlier. I know Sally said you want the cookie to be a bit under done but I got nervous and left it in the full amount. Even with 30 minutes the cookie was still soft in the middle, but I think it would have been even better if the edges had been a little less baked. I don’t have a stand mixer, just a hand mixer and the frosting whipped up nice and fluffy, and not too sweet. I would make this dish again and it’s a quick crowd pleaser.
This recipe is fabulous! My kids LOVED it so much, that this is their #1 request for their birthday dessert at school and at their birthday parties! I use ghirardhelli white chips, kerrygold butter, and a fresh scraped vanilla bean for an extra treat!
I triple the cookie recipe and double the icing recipe for a rectangular cookie cake (baked in an 11″ x 17″ jelly roll pan). I line the pan with parchment paper for an easy transfer onto a cake board. The cookie cake is very easy to ice, and every child loves it. The teachers scramble for a leftover piece from my son’s classroom, any extras disappear quickly from the teacher’s lounge. I have shared the recipe with a few every time I make it.
Thank you for the recipe, I will treasure the memories of my kids sharing it with their friends at their birthday parties!
I have to try it sheet pan style! Thanks so much for sharing, Heather. So glad this cake is always a hit!
Hi Sally I was wondering if I could bake this in a springform pan! I just wanted to make it easier for me to get the cookie out without breaking it. Is it better to bake in a pie or cake pan or springform? Thanks so much, Carly.
Carly, yes absolutely! It would be easier to remove, for sure. Use a 9-inch springform pan. Same bake time.
This looks yummy! My son is wanting me to make this for his birthday treat at school. He has 40 kids in his class! I’m wondering if I could make this in a pizza pan with sides of course? Probably use a 12 inch pan so it will turn out thinner like a cookie and less like cake. What are your thoughts on this? Trying to stretch the recipe I guess and use disposable pans as I will make 4 of these. Please let me know if you think this may or may not work?!? I will need to make these thur Feb 11. Thank you!
Monica, I’ve had readers successfully bake this on a 12-inch pizza pan without issue. I’m unsure of the bake time.
Hey Sally, I love your blog! I want to make my friend some cookies for her birthday this weekend, and I was wondering if I could make this cookie batter and just form it into dough balls instead? I saw your soft-baked funfetti sugar cookies, but I don’t really want to go through the trouble of using only one yolk so could I just do this instead? Thanks so much! You’re my fav food blogger 🙂
Hi Christina! You can use this dough to make cookies, yes. Enjoy!
Sally,
I just had to report back and tell you that each time I’ve made this recipe I get RAVE reviews, everyone loves it!!! So much that my co worker asked me to make 2 of them for a work meeting this week. So I think I will just double the recipe and bake in a 13×9 pan. Fingers crossed that it comes out the same!
Jill
Did the 9×13 work?
This was simply divine!!! Made this with my daughter and it was so simple. Only thing that was different for me was I made it in a springform pan to make it easier to get out and it only took 23 mins to cook. Will absolutely make this again and can’t wait to try some of the other cookie cakes recipes!
Hi Sally! I really want to make this cookie cake but I have no cornflour and I’m not able to go out and get any. Can I substitute this with flour or will that make the recipe really dry?
You can simply leave it out and not replace it.
Can I use this recipe in a mini muffin pan to make a bite sized version?
Definitely! I’m unsure of the bake time for the mini size.
Could I double the recipe and bake it on a pizza stone? If so, do you have a recommendation on baking time? Looking forward to making it soon! It looks yummy!
This cookie cake cannot be baked on a pizza stone. It would spread all over.
How do you think this would taste with pumpkin spice chips instead of white? Or chocolate chips?
Sounds delicious!
I’ve been searching for a sugar cookie cake recipe and, while I’ve found other recipes, this one seems to get the best reviews. The problem is two of my kids don’t like white chocolate or sprinkles. Can I just leave the white chocolate chips and sprinkles out of the recipe? Seems like that would leave me with a plain cookie, which is the goal. Should I adjust anything else to add or substitute for flavor?
You can leave both out. There is plenty of vanilla flavor in the cookie. You can try adding 1/2 teaspoon almond extract if you’d like. Unsure if your kids would like that though! It’s wonderful in sugar cookies.
Hi Sally! I made this last year for my sister’s birthday and she’s requesting it again this year! I’m thinking of doubling it into a 2 layered cake…I’m excited to try it! Thank you for the great recipes!
This was PERFECTION. My little one loved it as did I. I’ve been looking everywhere for a recipe just like this and this was exactly what I wanted. I halved it with one full egg and it came out great. Highly recommend for those with a sweet tooth like myself 😀
I made this last weekend and it was fantastic! I followed the recipe word for word and everything worked out great. I did put icing all around the cake instead of just on the edges though. The cake was so soft and the almond extract really made a difference in the icing. I will definitely be making this again and I totally recommend it to everyone else!
i just baked this and it’s fantastic! Didn’t use the frosting – it’s plenty decadent unfrosted!
I finally made this cookie this weekend for a friends birthday (been eyeing the recipe up!). It was excellent! Very sweet and soft!! Everyone loved it and there was none left at the end of the party!! I found your blog a year ago and make some of the reese’s peanut butter cookies. love reading you stuff and your pictures are fantastic!!! Thanks!!
I made this last night and it is one of the prettiest desserts that I have ever made. And my daughters said it was delicious! Thank you for another great recipe. I always look forward to trying a new recipe from you.
I love your recipes!! I want to make a cookie cake for my little sister’s 6th birthday next week with white chocolate M&Ms inside… Which cookie cake would you recommend for the M&Ms and taste wise (aka your favorite out of the two cookie cake recipes)?
Either would be delicious Alysa! The chocolate chip cookie cake would be extra delicious with white chocolate M&Ms though.
Do you know how to get the cookie softer? Do I add shortening or what? If i do how much of it for this recipe? I baked mine today for 30 minutes and they’re hard now (after 3 hours) they taste good but I think I overbaked.
Hi Samira, it does sound like the cake was over baked. It should be very soft. You can add a little extra cornstarch (up to 1 Tablespoon) – that may help with softness. I don’t suggest shortening.
Hi! I’m making this tonight for my niece’s birthday! Did you sprinkle nonpareils on top of the dough before baking?
Yes – after pressing into the pan, I did sprinkle a bit on top. And then more after baking.
I finally got around to making this — it was for my grandmother’s 90th! And everyone was impressed by not only how good the cake tasted, but how pretty it was! I piped my frosting into the cake like you did in the pictures, with a little dollop of it in the middle of the cake too. It was fantastic! My mom kept taking photos to post on Facebook but my grandmother just wanted to “eat the darn thing already!” 😉
Sally, made this today for a friend’s birthday and turned out GREAT!
Just made this doubling the recipe and using a disposable cookie sheet and it turned out beautiful! Great directions thank you!
I made this funfetti sugar cookie cake today and it was amazing! I took it to a friend’s house for a BBQ and everyone liked it. It was very easy to make and since I bake often, I already had most of the ingredients. I’ve made many recipes from this site and all have turned out really great, but this is my favorite so far. Eventually, I’ll get my hands on a copy of the cookbook and bake my way through it! Whenever I’m looking for a new recipe, this site is always my first (and usually only) stop! I’m addicted to Sally’s Baking Addiction 🙂
I made this yesterday and it was truly amazing!! I piped cream cheese icing on top and used the Springtime edition Nestle chocolate chips(i didn’t have sprinkles but these were just as colorful!). It was great! However, I partly melted the butter like you explained in your post about how to make chewy chocolate chip cookies to make it no-mixer and it turned out chewy even though I didn’t cream the butter…
Sally!! This was so birthday-liciously perfect! We share the same birthday month and I went to the in-laws for crabs last night and brought this beauty along. I’ve figured out a few things after licking my plate clean. 1) You are one heck of a baker. 2) Baking for my own birthday is my new favorite thing 3) Nothing makes me happier than dumping all those sprinkles into batter. Keep up your fabulous work. You’re 4 for 4 so far for the recipes I’ve tried.
xo
R
Made this tonight (sans icing this time as my 6 year old doesn’t like icing–can you believe that?) to celebrate finishing the first draft of my novel and as a little “thank you” to my family for putting up with my single-minded focus this past week as I locked myself away revising.
Both my daughters gobbled it up and had seconds and my husband turned to me and said, “I could honestly eat that entire thing. I mean it. Like, without breaking a sweat.” Ah, the sweet taste of success! Thanks for another great recipe!
I made it yesterday and its just as good as it looks! Thanks so much sally! P.S. I can always tell when its your recipes on pinterest, always so bright/colorful. You have WONDERFUL photography skills! All of your recipes look so AMAZING! 🙂
Hi Sally,
I love your website! Quick question, do you think this recipe would work properly if I doubled it and used a pizza pan? I want to repurpose for a birthday cake.
Thanks!
Caroline
No need to double the recipe for a pizza pan, unless yours in considerably larger than a standard 12 inch pan. And baking on a pizza pan should work – though I’ve never tried it before so I cannot say that with 100% certainty. Let me know if you try it.