Birthday Cake Butter Cookies (Slice And Bake)

Name: Birthday Cake Butter Cookies
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 1 h 34 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) butter, room temperature, roughly chopped; 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla bean extract or vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; 1 egg yolk, room temperature; 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour; 30 grams (1/4 cup) icing sugar or powdered sugar; Pinch of salt; 100 grams (1/2 cup) rainbow jimmy sprinkles

Amazing Birthday Cake Butter Cookies made from scratch. These simple slice and bake cookies are filled with sprinkles and boast crisp edges and a chewy shortbread texture.

A stack of homemade Birthday Cake Butter Cookies on a pink background

Say it with me: Birthday Cake Butter Cookies.

Who knew there was such a thing?! But when you combine a simple butter cookie with a boatload of sprinkles and oodles of vanilla, you get something AMAZING.

Better yet, these cookies are slice and bake, which means delicious cookies fast.

A white bowl filled with rainbow sprinkles

Why you will love these cookies

Butter cookies are super simple to make and require only a few ingredients. The large quantity of butter makes them, well, buttery and DELICIOUS.
Just like our favourite birthday cake, these cookies are filled with vanilla and sprinkles. We also add a dash of almond extract which brings out that sweet ‘boxed cake’ kinda flavour.
You can easily make these cookies ahead of time. Store in the fridge or freezer and then slice thick rounds of cookie dough when you’re ready to bake. Bing bam boom. Cookies ready to eat in minutes!

What are slice and bake cookies?

Unlike regular cookies that are scooped into balls of dough and then baked, these cookies are chilled in a log and then cut into thick slices. It makes them easy to store and quick to bake.

You can keep a log of cookie dough in the fridge or freezer and then just slice them when you’re ready to bake. It also means you can bake just a couple of cookies at a time.

A paddle beater covered in Funfetti cookie dough

How to make butter cookies

Start with room temperature butter. You don’t want the butter to be fridge cold, but on the flip side, you don’t want it too soft and melty. You should just be able to easily make an indent when you press your thumb into the butter.
Use an electric mixer to combine butter and caster sugar for a few minutes. If you don’t have caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar instead. Mixture should be lovely and creamy.
Add vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, almond extract and egg yolk. Mix briefly just to combine. Take the chance to scrap down the sides of the bowl.
Add plain flour (or all purpose flour), icing sugar (or powdered sugar) and salt. Mix again on a low speed until a soft cookie dough forms. Then, stir through sprinkles.
Use your hands to massage cookie dough into a log and wrap in a sheet of baking paper or parchment paper. Cookie dough must chill in the fridge for AT LEAST one hour.
When you are ready to bake, slice cookies using a sharp knife. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for around 14 minutes are until golden on edges. Note that cookies will firm up as they cool.

A roll of butter cookie dough wrapped in baking paper

Commonly asked questions

Can I use vanilla essence?

You can, but I highly recommend getting hold of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if you can. Vanilla essence is typically made with artificial ingredients and won’t give your cookies that strong vanilla flavour we know and love.

What can I use instead of almond extract?

If you don’t have almond extract where you live, just leave it out. The cookies will still tasty lovely.

My cookie dough seems dry?

It’s important not to overmeasure your flour in this recipe. Use a kitchen scale to ensure you add just the right amount. Also, make sure your butter is at room temperature before you begin so it’s lovely and creamy when mixed with an electric beater.

Why did my cookies spread out in then oven?

These cookies will spread a little in the oven but not too much. If your cookies spread a lot, it simply means your butter is too soft and you may need to chill your cookie dough for a bit longer in the fridge (or even the freezer).

How do I store these?

You can keep your cookie dough wrapped in baking or parchment paper in the fridge for a few days. Alternatively, you can keep it in the freezer for much longer. You can then just leave at room temperature to thaw slightly before slicing and baking. Store the cooked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Fresh out of the oven Birthday Cake Butter Cookies on a cooling rack

Egg free cookies?

This cookie recipe uses one egg yolk, which helps give the cookies a tender and chewy texture. However, you can omit the egg yolk and add 1 tablespoon of milk instead. Or try my eggless Shortbread Cookie recipe.

Close up of a beautiful stack of Funfetti butter cookies

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