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 (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!
Reader Comments and Reviews
If i am making this 2-3 days ahead of time for a birthday, what is the best way to store it and keep it fresh
Hi Meghan, you can store the cookie cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator up to 5.
Hi sally, do you think this would work with cake flour?
Hi Limor, cake flour will change the texture a bit (they’ll be lighter rather than a chewy cookie), but should work okay in a pinch. Let us know how it goes!
Hi, do I need to double this to make it in a pizza pan? I want to make one of those giant cookies you see at grocery stores for my daughter’s 18th bday
Hi Maria! Here’s our recipe for a cookie pizza – feel free to add sprinkles to that dough! You could also use the sugar cookie base from this fruit pizza recipe. Let us know what you try!
Loved this so much!! I made it in a 9 x 13 baking dish, just reduced the cook time a bit to about 17 min. It was perfect!! I didn’t have white chocolate morsels but chopped some white almond bark in my food processor and that worked like a charm!! I brought it to my church’s 4th of July celebration and they cleared out the pan!! Thank you Sally!! I use your recipes often.
The flavor is absolutely wonderful! The baked cookie is very gorgeous. I do have a question though. I made the cookie cake twice following all the steps (but omitting the white chocolate chips). However, both times it seemed the outside rim rose so much that it left a ring-like pocket of air around the whole cookie. Did I miss something? What could the issue be? Otherwise, this is a great recipe.
Hello, I’m making this for my nephews birthday, and I was wondering when I should remove it from the pan. 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven? Or after it cools completely?
Hi Jackie, We usually let it cool completely in the pan, but it can be removed after about 20-30 minutes of cooling.
My birthday was on a Tuesday and we decided to celebrate a bit on Saturday and a bit on Tuesday. I made this on Saturday evening and I had to make a second birthday dessert because even with just 2 of us eating it there wasn’t any cookie cake left by Tuesday evening. It was seriously that good!
I had never made a cookie cake before so I was nervous as it was baking because it rose up almost to the same level as a regular cake and I was worried I’d done something wrong. I made sure to take it out of the oven while the center was still very soft in the center and by the time it cooled the center had deflated down to a normal cookie cake size and density. I also gently smushed down the edges a little as it cooled because the edges didn’t really deflate on their own (meaning a slice of this was shaped sort of like a slice of pizza with a taller crust), I’m not sure if that actually helped much aesthetically, and the edges still tasted good anyways and were plenty moist.
My changes: I didn’t use white chocolate chips so I added some extra sprinkles, I think those extra sprinkles were a bit too much, I’ll stick with 1/2 cup next time. Pillsbury Funfetti frosting is my favorite type of frosting, so I used that instead of the frosting recipe, this cookie cake definitely did have Funfetti vibes so went well with the frosting.
Overall this is a really great recipe that made a better cookie cake than I can get from the store, I’m definitely planning to make it again!
What can I use if I don’t have access to white chocolate chips?
Hi Talya, You can definitely use semi sweet chocolate chips instead – like in our chocolate chip cookie cake.
I’m making this for my 5 year old’s birthday. If I wanted to make a bigger cookie cake for this (still round but bigger than 9”), what size pan would work and would I 1.5 or double the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Rachel! We’ve had readers 1.5x the recipe and use a 10 inch pan (you may have a little leftover dough this way, so feel free to make a few cookies with the extras). Or, you can use the birthday cookie cake version of our Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza — see recipe notes there for details!
I’m making this for Easter weekend and realizing I can’t tell if you leave it in a pie pan or remove it before frosting? If you remove it at what stage is best to do that and how? Thanks!
Hi Heather, you can do either! It looks nice left in the pie dish, otherwise you can carefully remove it once fully cooled.
Hello! So excited to try this. If I’m making it in advance, is it better to leave it in the baking dish and cover until I decorate it, or is it better to take it out and wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap until the time comes? Love all your recipes, thanks!
Hi Alexa, Either way works well! Enjoy!
Hi sally, your recipes are my go to, thank you so much. I love your chocolate chip cookie cake recipe, and was wondering what the difference in texture/flavour is between that and this one? Why not just add sprinkles and white choc chips to the original recipe? Thank you
Hi Nadia, We are happy you enjoy the chocolate chip cookie cake! This recipe is different as sugar cookies have a different flavor, but you can certainly just add sprinkles or change the add-ins to the chocolate chip cookie cake if you wish!
The recipe says rainbow sprinkles (not nonpareils), but in the image of the cake I see that it has regular rainbow sprinkles and nonpareils. Does it matter what sprinkles I use? If yes, why does it matter? Can not rate yet have not made the recipe yet.
Hi Anndrea, You want to only 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. We sprinkled some nonpareils on top of the pressed-in dough before baking (not mixed in the dough).
Planning on making this over the weekend. I love a hint of almond in the cookie too—could I substitute some of the vanilla for almond extract in the cookie, or do you think that would be almond overkill when paired with the icing? Thanks so much for your excellent recipes!
Hi Ali, absolutely! We would try 1/2 tsp almond extract and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.
Thank you! I made it this weekend with the added almond, and it was excelllent. Thanks so much!
I’ve made this recipe a million times and LOVE IT!!! For Valentine’s Day, I’m planning to make several. Im wondering if anyone has prepared the dough and frozen it. Would this work??
Hi Paige, You can freeze the dough! Form into the pan, then cover tightly (if you can get the wrapping to touch the cookie dough, even better to prevent moisture from getting in). It should freeze well for up to three months.
Hi Sally! I want to use this recipe for my child’s birthday party. I would love to
Make large sheet pan size or even 9×13. What would you suggest for recipe ingredients? Doubling? Thank you!
Hi Lauren! You should be able to double this recipe for a 9×13 pan with no problem.
Can I leave the white chocolate chips out of the recipe or does it need them for flavor? My son wants just a sugar cookie for his birthday.
Hi Crissie, absolutely– feel free to skip the white chocolate chips.
I really enjoyed these! They tasted a bit eggy to me though, next time could I omit the egg yolk? Or just use 1 egg yolk instead of the whole egg+yolk?
Hi Reghan, We are glad you enjoyed this recipe! The extra egg yolk adds moisture and chewiness to the cookie cake. You can try leaving it out but expect the texture to change.
I made this funfetti sprinkle cake and the s’mores cake. I used store bought icing though and they came out fantastic.
I do have a question though. With the holidays coming up I want to make holiday cookie cakes for a few people.
I only have dark chocolate and semi sweet chips and a boatload of holiday sprinkles. I want to use what I have. Would I be able to make this funfetti recipe with the same amount of regular chocolate chips and sprinkles?
Also I want to use the hostess disposable cake pans. Can I use those and spray them?
Hi Tracy! You can definitely use semi sweet chocolate chips instead – like in our chocolate chip cookie cake. Disposable cake pans should work just fine – hope they’re a hit!
I am so excited to make this recipe! It looks so fun and sounds so delicious. The recipe says “it will sink in the middle– this is normal.” Why does it sink in the middle? Is there a way to prevent this?
Thanks!
Hi! I just made this for my daughter’s birthday and we loved it! I’m wondering about making it as cookie cupcakes. Do you have any suggestions on adaptations to the recipe to accommodate that?
Thanks!
Hi Erin, what a fun idea! You can definitely do that. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but simply divide the dough amongst your cupcake tin and bake until the edges are set. The thicker the “cupcakes,” the longer they will take to bake.
I’m excited to make this today for my daughter to congratulate her on a new job.
You are the first person I go to when looking for a recipe. The beautiful pictures, easy instructions, helpful videos and always, always THE most amazing tasting recipes, is the reason. I just wanted to say thank you-you truly are the best out there!
Can you add white cake batter to this recipe to cause a test similar to your confetti cake batter cookies?
Hi Ashley! We would use the cookie dough from this Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe instead (you can leave out the chocolate chips if you prefer). We suggest using a 9 inch round cake pan. I’m unsure of the bake time for a cookie cake, but it should be around 30 minutes.
Can this be made into traditional sugar cookies?
Sure can! Or you might enjoy our drop sugar cookies, too.
Thank you so much, Sally, for all of the wonderful treats and sweets ideas!
I am in love with this recipe and want to try it as a Pizookie on a 12 inch pan. Would increasing everything by 1/3 give me the right amount of dough or am I delving into dangerous territory by assuming that?
Hi Val, we’ve had readers successfully bake this on a 12-inch pizza pan using the recipe as written. Or, you can use the birthday cookie cake version of our Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza — see recipe notes for details!
Hey! It is okay for the frosted cookie cake to sit out over night with cream or half and half being in the frosting? Thanks!
Hi Michael, we find that this recipe stays well for up to 2 days at room temperature, but certainly use your best judgement. Feel free to pop them in the refrigerator if you prefer and then bring back to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
Can I make this by hand if I don’t have an electric mixer?
Hi Allison, You can mix this by hand, but it does take a lot of arm muscle to cream the softened butter!
Hi Sally!
I just made your recipe and have tried multiple cookie cake recipes, but they all have come out a too cakey and don’t look like the pictures. Any ideas why this is happening? The recipe is still delicious!
Hi Aolani, You could try to slightly reduce the flour (also be sure you are measuring it correctly, spoon and level!). It also sounds like the cookie cake was overbaked. So, maybe a few less minutes in the oven next time.
Quick question can you stack this cookie cake in different layers with butter cream in between? My sister wants a certain design for her cake but wants it sugar cookie
Yes, you could! So fun!
Would this cookie cake work in a 10 inch springform pan? And how long would I bake it for? I don’t have any other round pans to bake it in.
Hi Sarah, This cookie cake would be very thin in a 10 inch pan. You can try making 1.5 times the recipe and then if you have any leftover dough you can make a few individual cookies. I’m unsure of the exact bake time needed but it will likely be a few minutes longer.
Great recipe! FYI, I made this using Cup4Cup gluten free flour and it was very good! The only thing I might leave out or reduce next time if I use Cup4Cup is the corn starch because this type of flour already has plenty of it.
Flavor is amazing but the middle completely sunk and cracked all the way around the crust. Baked for 23 minutes.