If you love soft and fluffy sugar cookies, this recipe is it! Baked from scratch and decorated with vanilla buttercream frosting, these thick and cakey sugar cookies are perfect for special celebrations and easy enough to bake with kids. Plus they're incredibly versatile and can be decorated for any holiday or using and colors you like!
We're big fans of sugar cookies in my house, but we don't always agree on what a perfect sugar cookie should be. I grew up loving soft cut out sugar cookies, and I'll always have a sweet spot for sugar cookie sandwiches. Alex, on the other hand, wants his sugar cookies soft, thick, and cakey.
I really can't blame him, because these soft and tender cakey sugar cookies are absolutely delicious!
With a soft cake-like texture and vanilla buttercream frosting, each cookie is like a mini serving of vanilla cake. These cookies are quick and simple to make (they're perfect for baking with kids!), and the cookie dough is ready to bake in under 30 minutes, no dough-chilling required!
Plus these cookies are easy to decorate using any colors or for any holiday! Simply switch up your frosting colors and grab some festive sprinkles. Or get creative and decorate these cookies using spatulas or piping tips, like the easy buttercream flowers I'll show you how to create below. There are a million ways you could decorate these cookies!
The cookies' soft texture, crowd-pleasing vanilla flavor, and limitless decorating options make this classic sugar cookie recipe a celebration staple!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Unsalted Butter - Room temperature butter, creamed together with sugar, aerates the cookie dough to help to create a light and cakey cookie. As always, I opt for unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Cornstarch - Cornstarch is like a dark horse of cookie-baking! I like to add a bit of cornstarch to these cookies to keep them extra soft and tender. It's the same reason I add it to my favorite chocolate chip cookies!
Heavy Cream - Heavy cream helps to keep the cookies moist, so that they can be perfectly soft and not dry. Whole milk can be substituted.
Food Coloring - I prefer gel food coloring, since it takes just a bit of dye to achieve a rich color. Here I used Wilton gel food coloring for a more pastel color, but I also love AmeriColor gel food coloring for bold colors.
Sprinkles - Sprinkles are optional, but rainbow jimmies are so fun with these cookies!
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a whisk and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A stand mixer or electric hand mixer for creaming the butter and sugar and for mixing the frosting.
- A cookie scoop is optional but useful for scooping the dough into equally sized balls.
- A small offset spatula (or other basic decorating tools), for decorating the cookies. If you're simply spreading frosting and adding sprinkles, all you'll need is a small offset spatula. For more detailed designs you may need other spatulas or piping tips.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg and beat until well blended
Step 3: Add cream and vanilla and beat until combined.
Step 4: Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until blended.
Step 5: Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon balls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.
Step 7: Make the frosting. Beat butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat until blended. Add sugar slowly, beating until well combined. Add cream and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add food coloring (if using), and beat until thoroughly blended.
Step 8: Decorate the cookies. Spread frosting onto the cookies and top with sprinkles.
Sugar Cookie Decorating Ideas
These cookies could be decorated a million different ways - with different colors of frosting and sprinkles, by piping the frosting, and more - so get creative! Here are a few simple ideas for how to decorate these sugar cookies with buttercream frosting.
Simple Frosting & Sprinkles
This simple yet splendid decoration - a smear of pink buttercream frosting and a smattering of rainbow sprinkles - is inspired by the classic and beloved Lofthouse sugar cookies.
Step 1: Use a small spatula to spread frosting over the top of each sugar cookie.
Step 2: Sprinkle colored sprinkles on top of the frosting.
Easy Buttercream Flowers
I'm obsessed with how perfectly imperfect "painted" buttercream flowers are! To create the design, I separated the frosting into a few bowls and dyed it different colors (including yellow for the centers and green for the leaves). Then I "painted" the petals using a small flat spatula and "painted" the leaves and centers using a small tapered spatula.
If you're a visual learner like me, check out my video on Instagram to see the simple buttercream flower technique in action!
Step 1: Start by painting the leaves. Scoop a tiny dollop of green frosting onto the back of a small tapered spatula. Place the spatula near the edge of the cookie and drag it towards the center of the cookie.
Step 2: Next paint the petals. Scoop a small dollop of frosting onto the backside of a small flat spatula, placing it next to the leaf, and drag the spatula towards the center of the cookie.
Step 3: Repeat this pattern around the cookie to create an outer circle of petals.
Step 4: Repeat the pattern again, beginning a bit closer to the cookie's center and overlapping the outer petals to create an inner circle of petals. Consider using a different color frosting for the inner petals.
Step 5: Use a small, tapered spatula to smear a tiny bit of yellow frosting onto the center of the cookie to create the flower's center.
Allison's Top Tips
For the best texture, be careful not to over mix the cookie dough.
The sprinkles will stick to the frosting best if added right after the cookies are frosted, so don't wait to add the sprinkles. You may also want to gently tap them down onto the frosting to ensure they're really stuck.
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Recipe
Soft and Cakey Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 ⅔ cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (5 grams) cornstarch
- 1 ¾ teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
- 5 Tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup (132 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup (76 grams) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch (1) fine sea salt
- 1 ⅔ cups (188 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) heavy whipping cream (or whole milk)
- gel food coloring (optional)
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.
Make the cookie dough.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1 ⅔ cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons (5 grams) cornstarch, 1 ¾ teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) baking soda, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream butter and sugar by first beating butter on high speed until smooth and creamy (about 30 to 60 seconds) and then adding sugar and beating on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).5 Tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (132 grams) granulated sugar
- Add egg to the creamed butter and sugar and beat on medium-high speed until well blended.1 large egg
- Add cream and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined.⅓ cup (76 grams) heavy whipping cream, ¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until blended.
- Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop 1 ½ Tablespoons of cookie dough into balls. Place cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies.
- Bake the cookies, one tray at a time on the oven's middle rack, for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are just golden at the edges. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the buttercream frosting.
- When cookies have cooled, make the buttercream frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract, 1 pinch (1) fine sea salt
- Slowly add sugar, beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar is added the frosting will be slightly dry.1 ⅔ cups (188 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Add cream and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. If using food coloring, add one to two drops and blend thoroughly into the frosting. Add more food coloring, a tiny bit at a time, until the desired color is reached.2 Tablespoons (28 grams) heavy whipping cream
Decorate the cookies.
- Decorate the cookies by spreading the frosting onto the cookie and immediately topping them with sprinkles. Or get creative any decorate them any way you like!
Sandra says
Excellent recipe! I ate way too many of these delicious cookies! Simple ingredients, easy and clear instructions. Next time, I’ll at least 1/2 or a little more so I don’t keep eating them!
Ryann says
I am writing this review before I even clean up because you all need to know, these cookies are AMAZING! They are a cross between a cookie and cake, with an icing that is so delicious!
I am not an avid baker, this recipe is easy to follow, with ingredients that you already have!
Trust me, if you want to impress your friends, make these! And check out how Allison decorates them with her reel on instagram! I didn't have the flat spatulas, but a butter knife and dip spreader worked perfectly!
I cannot wait to make these again!
Allison Ferraro says
Thank you SO much for this glowing review, Ryann! I love your suggestion to use a butter knife or dip spreader if you don't have icing spatulas for decorating the cookies!
- Allison