Thick Sugar Cookies (Bakery Style)
These soft, buttery sugar cookies are thick, tender, and full of nostalgic bakery flavor—thanks to a secret ingredient: cake batter flavoring. Topped with fluffy buttercream and rainbow sprinkles, they’re perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or anytime you want a cookie that tastes like a slice of frosted cake!See recipe notes for flavoring substitutions. And a heads up - stock up on eggs, because this recipe calls for two large eggs and three large egg yolks.
Equipment
- large cookie sheets
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cake batter flavoring see notes
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Buttercream
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cake batter flavoring see notes
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/3 cup mixed rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Cookies
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the egg yolks. Scrape down the bowl and mix again briefly to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk well. Add to the creamed mixture and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
- Remove the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour, or until firm enough to roll out.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll the dough between parchment paper or on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out rounds with a floured 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Transfer the cutouts about 1 inch apart on large parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake 11-13 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and the bottom edges begin to brown. The tops of the cookies should remain pale. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the butter on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the cake batter flavoring. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the mixture reaches spreading consistency. Beat again on high speed until the frosting is fluffy and lightened in color.
- Spread the frosting on the cookies and then add sprinkles, working one at a time so the sprinkles will stick. (This buttercream will crust over time.)
- Store the cookies airtight at room temperature for up to four days.
Notes
Cake Batter Flavoring: Cake batter flavoring is the key to achieving that authentic bakery-style taste in these thick sugar cookies. It adds a nostalgic, sweet flavor that’s reminiscent of yellow cake or birthday cake, giving the cookies a unique and professional finish. You can usually find it in the baking aisle of major grocery stores, at specialty baking shops, or online under names like “cake batter flavor,” “birthday cake flavor,” or “cupcake flavor.”
Cake Batter Flavoring Substitute: If you don’t have cake batter flavoring or prefer not to purchase it, you can substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon almond extract in both the cookie dough and frosting. This combination creates a delicious "white wedding cake" flavor. While it won’t be identical to the manufactured cake batter extract, it still gives these cookies a sweet, rich flavor that pairs beautifully with the buttercream and sprinkles.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!