Frosted Sugar Cookie Cake

This easy sugar cookie cake starts with a cookie mix and turns into a thick, chewy dessert piled with vanilla buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles. It’s birthday-level joy with almost zero effort.

Easy Sugar Cookie Cake

This sugar cookie cake is what happens when you take a bag of Betty Crocker mix and turn it into one giant, soft cookie loaded with sprinkles. It’s pressed into a springform pan, baked until just golden, and then piled high with vanilla buttercream and more sprinkles. The kind of dessert that shows up to a birthday, a baby shower, or a weekend get-together and steals the show.

If you’re a fan of the Betty Crocker sugar cookie bars or these classic Betty Crocker sugar cookie cut-outs, this sugar cookie cake is the next easy win. Same shortcut, same soft and buttery flavor, just shaped like a cake and dressed up with piped frosting around the edges. One pan and it feeds a crowd.

Ingredient Notes

Find the full recipe with printable directions below.

• Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix: One 17.5 ounce pouch is the shortcut that does most of the work. Any store brand sugar cookie mix in the same size will work too.
• Unsalted butter: You’ll need it for both the cake and the frosting. Softened to room temperature so it blends in smoothly.
• Egg + egg yolk: That extra yolk adds so much moisture, tenderness, and chew to the cookie. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.
• Rainbow sprinkles: Use jimmies, not nonpareils. Nonpareils (the little round balls) bleed color into the dough and turn it muddy.
• Powdered sugar: Sift it if it looks clumpy. Start with 3 cups and add more for a thicker, pipeable frosting.
• Heavy cream: Adds richness to the frosting and helps you control the texture. Add one tablespoon at a time until smooth and spreadable.
• Vanilla extract: Just a half teaspoon for that classic bakery flavor. You can do 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract if preferred.
• Sprinkles or candies for decorating: I used the same jimmies as in the sugar cookie cake to keep it easy.

How to Make a Sugar Cookie Cake

Preheat the oven to 325°F and lightly spray the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. A springform is non-negotiable here, it’s the only way to get the cake out cleanly.

In a stand mixer, combine the sugar cookie mix, egg, egg yolk, and softened butter. Mix until a soft dough forms, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rainbow sprinkles by hand so the colors don’t bleed into the dough.

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Take a minute to get the thickness consistent, otherwise the edges will bake faster than the center.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, just until the top is lightly golden. Pull it out before it looks fully done, the residual heat finishes the job and keeps the cake soft and chewy just like a sugar cookie should be!

While it cools, make the frosting. Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer until smooth, then gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, along with the vanilla, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and decorate with sprinkles. Pipe extra frosting around the edges if you want that classic cookie cake look, then slice and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Let it cool completely. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before releasing the springform sides. Trying to rush this is how cookie cakes crack.
• Adjust your frosting consistency. Go thicker if you want to pipe a border, a little looser if you’re just spreading.
• Use jimmies, not nonpareils. The little round nonpareils bleed color into the dough and turn it muddy. Stick with classic jimmies for the mix-in and save the nonpareils for the top if you want them.
• Soften your butter properly. Room temperature butter (not melted, not cold) makes a smoother dough and a smoother frosting. If you’re in a rush, cut it into small cubes and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Add a teaspoon of cornstarch. Mix it into the dough for an even softer, more tender cookie. Trust me on this one!
• Use a 10-inch pan if that’s what you have. It works, just check the cake a few minutes earlier since it’ll be thinner.
• Pipe with a star tip for that bakery look. A large open star tip gives you those classic swirly borders you see on cookie cakes from the mall.