Birthday Cake Cookies

Birthday Cake Cookies are made with cream cheese, so you know they will be soft and moist! Loaded with candy sprinkles, and infused with a cake batter extract, these delicious cookies taste just like a birthday cake, only better!

BIRTHDAY CAKE COOKIES

A few weeks back, I partnered with a local restaurant in a take-out giveaway prize pack. This restaurant does a giveaway every Wednesday night. To be eligible, customers must order the special, which is comprised of a complete family-style meal. One customer is randomly chosen to receive the prize pack with their order.

I put together a prize pack consisting of a Lord Byron’s Kitchen T-shirt, tote bag, water bottle, a grocery gift card, etc. And, because the Wednesday night special is family-oriented, I thought I would include a package of cookies for the kids, and another package of cookies for the adults.

Taking inspiration from my Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cookies, I made these Birthday Cake Cookies by changing up only one of the ingredients. Yep, just one ingredient and these cookies had a completely different taste. Instead of using vanilla extract, I used cake batter extract. That extract is so delicious! It has a sweet aroma, and has the taste of vanilla cake with a sweet, creamy frosting.

Other than that, I just changed up the sprinkles. I used colourful sprinkles rather than just the red and green Christmas sprinkles you see in the Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cookies. They looked great, they tasted great, and I think they made for a nice sweet treat after a delicious, savoury meal from Rideau Restaurant & Pizzeria.

CREAM CHEESE IN A COOKIE?

Yes! I bake with cream cheese often! In addition to adding complexity to the flavour of the baked good, there are two key things that cream cheese will do in a baking recipe.

First, it will help to elevate the Birthday Cake Cookies, giving them slight rise and puffiness, without the need for baking soda or baking powder. Secondly, it helps keep all baked goods super moist and fresh for a longer period of time.

Don’t worry if you think your cookies might taste a little sour. Even though cream cheese right out of the package has a slight sour taste to it, that sourness completely dissipates in the cookie batter. All you are left with is a butter, sweet cookie with a wonderful birthday cake flavour.

LET’S TALK SPRINKLES!

Where do you buy sprinkles?  Do you have a favourite vendor or brand?  A few Christmases back, I changed my sprinkle game.  I would always buy sprinkles from the baking supply section at Bulk Barn, but not any more – no way!  Let me tell you how this all went down.

In November 2018, I was baking a few Christmas goodies and just could not source sprinkles that looked anything like what I was imagining in my head. John.e was on a major sprinkle hunt.  He used to work in close proximity to Michael’s, HomeSense, Winners, and Marshall’s.  He purchased at least ten different sprinkle colours, shapes, and brands.  But, I wasn’t impressed with any of them as much as I was with Sweetapolita.

After Christmas, I needed Valentine sprinkles, so I tracked down the brand and found their online store.  I ordered enough sprinkles to last a lifetime!  Shopping for sprinkles online might seem a little over the top, but I’ve never once pretended to shy away from getting what I want!

I still use Sweetapolita for my sprinkle purchases. In fact, I just recently placed an order for more Canada Day and Independence Day sprinkles!

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1. Butter – One cup of butter sounds like a lot, but this recipe does yield 48 cookies.
2. Cream Cheese – Block style cream cheese is best. Don’t use whipped cream cheese. Make sure it is softened and at room temperature.
3. Confectioner’s Sugar – This adds sweetness, but also helps to soften the butter and cream cheese mixture so that dry ingredients will incorporate better.
4. Birthday Cake Extract – You may need to buy this online. If you’re in Canada, you can find this extract at the Bulk Barn too.
5. Flour – Just plain all-purpose flour here; nothing fancy
6. Sprinkles – You will need at least half a cup. Half will go into the batter, and the rest will be used to roll the cookie balls into before baking.

HOW TO MAKE BIRTHDAY CAKE COOKIES:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and beat on low speed into the butter mixture.

Next, add the birthday cake extract and flour. Beat until fully incorporated. Add half of the sprinkles and stir into the cookie dough with a spatula or wooden spoon. Portion the cookie dough into one tablespoon sizes. Roll into balls and then roll into the remaining sprinkles.

Place on prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before removing to a cooling rack to finish cooling. That’s it. Simple, right?

FREEZING, STORING, AND PACKAGING:

To freeze, be sure the cookies are completely cooled. Pile into a freezer-safe container with a tight fitting lid. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready, remove from freezer and remove lid. Set aside for one hour.

To store, place in a container with a tight fitting lid. Leave on a counter for up to five days. After five days, the cookies will not taste as fresh. To maintain freshness, store in the fridge for up to ten days.

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