These soft frosted sugar cookies show just how easy it is to make cookies at home. These soft, sweet, and cakey sugar cookies are topped with the most delicious pink vanilla buttercream frosting and then finished with sprinkles.
Few things evoke the charm of a home-cooked treat quite like the soft, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of a frosted sugar cookie. If you’ve ever found yourself wandering the grocery store aisles and coming to a full stop in front of the Lofthouse sugar cookies, you’re not alone.
These pillowy delights, topped with a pink buttercream frosting, are often synonymous with comfort and celebration. But what if you could recreate that indulgent experience in your own kitchen?
I’ll walk you through the steps to create sugar cookies that might just rival the store-bought favorites. Let’s turn your kitchen into a cookie wonderland, shall we?
Secret Behind the Softness
What makes these cookies so irresistibly soft? It’s all about the right blend of ingredients and the baking technique.
The iconic texture comes from using a combination of baking powder and cornstarch. These two ingredients help contribute to the tender crumb, ensuring that your cookies stay soft even days after baking.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Butter: Use unsalted butter for your cookies.
Granulated Sugar: For the best taste, use granulated sugar and not brown sugar.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is used in both the cookies and frosting.
Egg: A large (room temperature) egg is used in this recipe.
Vegetable Oil: Any mild flavored oil could be used, such as vegetable or canola oil.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is used in both the cookies and frosting.
Almond Extract: Almond extract enhances the flavor of the cookies.
All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is used along with cornstarch to give the cookies their signature texture.
Cornstarch: The cornstarch adds to the tender texture of the cookies.
Baking Powder: Not to be confused with baking soda.
Salt: The salt amount in both the cookies and frosting can be increased or decreased to suit personal tastes.
Milk: Whole milk was used in the frosting; however, any variety of milk can be used.
Pink or Red Food Coloring: Food coloring is completely optional and can be omitted if preferred.
Sprinkles: Sprinkles are used to garnish the frosted cookies and can be omitted if preferred.
How to Make Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Add the softened butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, or until pale and creamy.
3. Add the egg, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
4. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Beat on a low speed until just combined.
5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop spoonfuls of dough. Roll the dough into a ball that’s about 3″ wide and about ½ thick, then place on the lined cookie sheet and flatten down gently with the base of a drinking glass.
6. Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, or until only just beginning to color. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. To make the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer using a wire whisk attachment until pale and creamy. You can also use a hand mixer. Add the milk, vanilla extract, salt and food coloring (if using), and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
8. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat on a low speed until well combined before adding the next cup. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 1 minute, or until thick and fluffy.
9. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies with an offset spatula or butter knife, then decorate with the sprinkles, if using.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. These cookies are suitable for freezing. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp milk
- ½ tsp salt
- pink or red food coloring optional
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the softened butter, granulated sugar and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with a flat beater attachment on high speed for 3 minutes, or until pale and creamy.
- Add the egg, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and almond extract to the butter mixture. Beat on a medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt to the stand mixer. Beat on a low speed until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop spoonfuls of dough. Roll the dough into a ball that's about 3" wide and about ½ thick, then place on the lined cookie sheet and flatten down gently with the base of a drinking glass.
- Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes or until only just beginning to color. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer using a wire whisk attachment until pale and creamy. Add the milk, vanilla extract, salt and food coloring (if using), and beat on a medium speed until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat on a low speed until well combined before adding the next cup. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 1 minute or until thick and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies with an offset spatula or butter knife then decorate with the sprinkles, if using.
Notes
- A cookie scoop was used to scoop the cookie dough but is completely optional, and an ordinary spoon could be used instead. The advantage of using a cookie scoop is that your cookies will all be much the same size.
- The frosting on these cookies doesn’t have to be pink. Any color can be used, or if preferred, no color at all.
- The frosting can be spread over the cookies with a butter knife if an offset spatula isn’t available.
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