These delicate, chewy birthday cake cookies are every part you like about birthday cake in cookie kind: sprinkles, swirls of buttercream frosting, and extra sprinkles.

You don’t run a baking website for as a few years as I’ve with out creating a little bit of an obsession with sprinkles.

I take advantage of them to high every part from vanilla bundt cake to bitter cream cookies to do-it-yourself truffles. And so they get combined into recipes like popcorn balls, straightforward sugar cookies, and funfetti pancakes. 

They only make every part a lot extra enjoyable and festive! I don’t care should you’re a child or an grownup, I’m satisfied you’re mendacity should you say that sprinkles don’t make you at the very least just a little bit happier.

If you wish to add just a little little bit of sprinkle-filled happiness to your day, these birthday cake cookies are the way in which to do it. In fact they’re good for celebrating anybody’s big day, however they’re additionally nice for small celebrations like the start of summer time break or just getting by way of a protracted work week.

make birthday cake cookies

These birthday cake cookies is likely to be produced from scratch, however they’re undoubtedly nonetheless a simple recipe! 

Elements you’ll want

For the sprinkle-filled cookies, you’ll need:

• 1 ⅓ cups room-temperature unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 giant eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sprinkles

Since we use the creaming technique to make these cookies, be sure that your butter has softened to room temperature earlier than starting.

If you happen to neglect to set your butter out forward of time, take a look at my suggestions for how you can soften butter rapidly. You may additionally wish to assessment how you can cream butter and sugar so you already know what to observe for when making this recipe.

And be sure you know how you can measure flour appropriately. It is a easy step that may assist your baked items come out good each time.

The buttercream frosting we’re utilizing for these cookies is only a barely smaller batch of my favourite do-it-yourself buttercream frosting. For that, you’ll need:

• 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter
• 3 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Once more, be sure that your butter has softened to room temperature. This gives you a silky-smooth frosting.

One other solution to make that frosting tremendous {smooth} is to sift your powdered sugar. For this recipe, measure out the three ¼ cups of powdered sugar first, then sift it.

You should use any vanilla extract you want on this frosting, however to maintain it vivid white, use clear vanilla as a substitute of your traditional pure vanilla extract.

Making this recipe

To make these cookies, begin by creaming the butter and sugar along with a mixer till mild and fluffy. It will take about 3 minutes, so don’t attempt to rush this step.

Add the eggs and vanilla, then combine till properly mixed.

In a separate bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, and salt. Steadily add this combination to the moist substances simply till the dough comes collectively, then combine within the sprinkles.

This dough does want to sit back earlier than scooping, so cowl and refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours.

As soon as the dough is chilled, use a medium cookie scoop to drop scoops of the dough 2 inches aside on lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, till barely flippantly golden across the edges and set within the facilities. 

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to complete cooling earlier than frosting them.

Make the frosting by beating the butter with a mixer for about 6 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing till properly mixed, then add the vanilla and milk. 

Beat on excessive pace for about 5 minutes, till the frosting is {smooth} and fluffy. Pipe or unfold the frosting onto the cooled cookies and high with extra of your sprinkles.

Storage suggestions

Unfrosted birthday cake cookies will hold in an hermetic container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

You’ll be able to retailer frosted cookies in a lined container on the counter for 2-3 days so long as the room isn’t too heat. If the room is heat, I like to recommend storing them within the fridge and letting them come to room temperature earlier than serving.

You would additionally freeze the cookie dough or the baked, undecorated cookies.

Observe my directions for how you can freeze cookie dough to freeze balls of this dough. Then you’ll be able to take pleasure in these birthday cake cookies on a whim every time a craving hits!

You may as well freeze the unfrosted cookies in a zip-top freezer bag for as much as a month. Allow them to thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours earlier than frosting.

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