Soft and Cakey Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

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

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.