Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
These soft frosted sugar cookies show just how easy it is to make cookies at home. The soft, sweet, and cakey sugar cookies are topped with the most delicious pink vanilla buttercream frosting and then finished with those iconic sprinkles.
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.
Did You Make This Recipe?Let me know how it was!