Introduction

These Birthday Cake Cookies are a delightful treat made completely from scratch. Soft, buttery, and studded with colorful sprinkles, they bring the joy of birthday cake into a perfectly portable cookie. They’re simple to make and sure to brighten any celebration or snack time.

A stack of four soft sugar cookies with colorful round sprinkles on top and inside, showing a light beige dough with a soft texture, two cookies at the bottom whole and the top two cookies roughly broken in half, all sitting on a black cooling rack on a white marbled surface, with more cookies blurred in the background. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup confetti sprinkles, divided

Instructions

Step 1: Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and mix using a stand or hand mixer until pale yellow and fluffy. Don’t rush this step—you want to mix for 5-7 minutes to ensure the butter and sugar are properly creamed.
Step 2: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2-3 additions, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined.
Step 4: Fold in the sprinkles, reserving about 2 tablespoons for topping the dough balls.
Step 5: Use a standard cookie scoop to make rounded dough balls (about 16 from this recipe). Place the dough balls onto a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and gently press down to slightly flatten the tops. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange chilled dough balls on the sheet and press the reserved sprinkles onto the tops to let some color show after baking.
Step 7: Bake for 8-9 minutes—the cookies will look light in color and slightly underdone. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 8: If baking a second batch, make sure to chill the remaining dough between bakes and allow the baking sheet to cool completely, or use a different sheet.

Tips & Variations

For extra flavor, try adding a pinch of cinnamon or lemon zest to the dough.
Use nonpareils or other small sprinkles to avoid color bleeding in the dough.
If you prefer a stronger almond flavor, increase the almond extract to 1 ½ teaspoons.
Make sure to chill the dough; it helps control spreading and improves texture.

Storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep them fresh longer, freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen cookies briefly in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes to refresh their texture.

How to Serve

A stack of four soft, round cookies with a light beige color dotted with small, bright sprinkles in pink, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and white. The top cookie is broken in half, showing a slightly gooey and soft inside filled with the same colorful sprinkles. The cookies rest on a black cooling rack with more cookies blurred in the background and foreground, all on a white marbled surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?

Yes, but reduce or omit additional salt in the recipe to avoid over-salting the cookies.

Why do I need to chill the dough before baking?

Chilling the dough firms it up, preventing excessive spreading during baking and helping the cookies maintain a soft, thick texture.