An easy, thick and chewy Sugar Cookie Cake. This Sugar Cookie Cake recipe makes the best birthday cake, Valentine’s cake, party treat and more!
Happy Monday! It was a sweet week in our house last week, which means it’s Sweet Week here on the blog this week! Are you excited? I thought so. I have five new easy dessert recipes for you, just in time for Valentine’s Day, but let’s face it, any day is a great day for dessert! I’m kicking it off with my sugar cookie cake, which is a beautiful way to celebrate birthdays, Valentine’s Day and any day that ends in “y”.
The Easiest Valentine’s Day Cakes
Chris describes this Sugar Cookie Cake as cookie crack. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and bakes beautifully in tart pans, but you can also use 2 pie dishes, a 1/4 cookie sheet or a pizza pan. This sugar cookie cake is incredible on it’s own, but you know kids {and really big kids} love M&M’s, too. Either way you slice it, I know it will be one of your favorites, too.
It’s absolutely simple enough that a beginner baker can tackle it with amazing results. Don’t be afraid to give this a try- it’s very little effort for an adorable reward!
You can also decorate the cake with buttercream frosting if you wish, or slather my favorite buttercream icing for sugar cookies to coat the top.
This Valentine’s Cake Will Melt in Your Mouth
Cookie Cakes are quicker and easier to make than cookies because there’s no scooping the dough onto cookie sheets baking one after the other. That’s one of the reasons I love baking cookie cakes in cake pans instead of always making traditional cookies- the faster I can put it together, the easier it is to enjoy.
The best part is that each bite tastes like the center of a sugar cookie!
Tips to Make the Best Sugar Cookie Cake
- Adjust baking time based on what type of dish you use. You can use a pizza pan, cake pan, pie dish, tart pan or springform pan. The thicker your cake is, the longer it will need to bake.
- I baked a slightly smaller, thick sugar cookie cake, which required 20 minutes – baked to perfection. If there’s anything I can recommend in life it’s that you should never over-bake your cookies.
- If you’re newer to baking, you can certainly mix this recipe by hand. However, I love using my stand mixer fitted with a flat edge beater.
- Decorate however you’d like! Get creative! We love to frost our cookie cakes, but any type of candy toppings look cute as well. You can also simply top with a little homemade whipped cream and a sprinkling of confectioners sugar.
I slightly under-bake just about everything for that melt-in-your-mouth texture we’ve all come to love about sugar cookie cake!
What Readers are Saying About This Cookie Cake
Don’t forget to pin this to save the Sugar Cookie Cake recipe for later!
How to Make Sugar Cookie Cake
To see how easy this Sugar Cookie Cake Recipe is, watch the video in the recipe card or keep reading with step-by-step photos below.
Grease your pan and preheat oven.
- Combine butter, oil, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Blend in eggs.
- Combine dry ingredients and incorporate into wet.
- Press into your prepared pans.
Using parchment paper, press to smooth the top of your cake for the prettiest result. You can also use your offset spatula to help smooth the batter into your chosen pan.
Optional: press M and M’s on top – it makes for a very pretty heart cake! Is it just me, or is every dessert cuter when it’s heart shaped?
More Cookie Cake Recipes You’ll Love
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Sugar Cookie Cake
An easy, thick and chewy Sugar Cookie Cake. This Sugar Cookie Cake recipe makes the best birthday cake, cake for Valentine's Day, parties and more!
Ingredients
- 1 c butter softened
- 3/4 c vegetable oil
- 1 c sugar
- 1 c powdered sugar {confectioner's sugar}
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 4 1/2 c flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- optional: M&M's or icing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine butter, oil, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Blend in eggs.
Add flour, salt, cream of tarter and baking soda until blended in.
- Press dough into a greased dish.
- Bake 20 minutes watching carefully as to not over bake.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Don't over bake. Reduce baking time for thin cakes, increase for thick cakes.
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I made this last night & unfortunately, was not impressed. I followed the recipe exactly and while the texture was good & it baked up beautifully, there is hardly any flavor. I was hoping that it would taste better today since baked items tend to do that, but not so with this. Sorry.
I’m sorry to hear that, Kathy. One thing I love about sugar cookies is that the flavor isn’t too overwhelming. As you can see, many enjoyed it. If you’d like a little more flavor it’s also delicious with my buttercream icing. I’ve included the link for your convenience. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Will this recipe spread? I don’t have a cute cake pan, so i was wondering if I could shape the dough into what I want and bake it onto a cookie sheet?
This dough will spread – you can press into any cake or cookie sheet, just reduce baking time on a cookie sheet since it will be thinner. Enjoy!
Can you use packaged cookie dough for this ?
Sure, but I promise you, you’ve got this! It’s an easy recipe and it’s sooooo good!
Does this harden up a lot as it cools? I followed the recipe exactly and it’s kind of more cake like than cookie?
It’s a cookie cake ????. Yes, it firms as it cools, but has a really great chewy cookie texture. Each slice is like the center of a cookie. Enjoy!
I’m baking this as I type for my 3 kids! Thank you for the recipe!!!
Nicole
Yay! Enjoy!
Thank you 😉
Looking forward to trying this ^^
You’ll love it, Megan! Have a great weekend!
Hi,
It looks so cute, I think I will make it fir valentin’s day for my boyfriend who loves M&M’s.
But I have a question , when do you add the M&M’s ? Before baking or after ? If before , don’t they melt ?
Before baking. You can place them on top of your dough rather than in it to make them prettier (as shown). Enjoy!
Hi! Omg this looks absolutely stunning and delicious! I am obsessed with the dish you used, do you know where I could find one similar? Definitely making this for Valentine’s Day
They’re no longer available but either of these would work and be pretty! You’re going to LOVE it!
http://rstyle.me/n/ccamjrxgp6
http://rstyle.me/n/ccamqwxgp6
What size pan did you use???
It’s 12″ at the widest part, you can use any baking dish or pizza pan and adjust your baking time based on how thin or thick it is.
Can you use canola oil?
Yes, Canola and vegetable oil are interchangeable but it will alter the flavor. I haven’t tested with canola, but it won’t effect the consistency. Enjoy!
I would say it looks delicious but, truth to be told, it looks too luxurious to eat =) I mean it’s more like a DIY installation than food.
I want to make smaller cookie cakes in a metal heart shaped pan, would I be able to remove them from the pan in one piece? The pans are about 4-5 inches at the widest point.
Thank you!
Yes, of course! Use plenty of cooking spray/Crisco and reduce baking time. Enjoy!
Sugar cookies are my favorite so I can’t wait to try this! Thanks so much for sharing.
xo
Pat
You will LOVE it, Pat! Have a beautiful Sunday!
Such a cute cookie cake.
Thanks, Pamela!
May I ask where you got this heart shaped dish?
Of course! le Creuset!
What size pan is the heart pan?
I’m not exactly sure {and out of town}, but this recipe will work with any pan…if you use a smaller pan, just make the excess dough into fantastic cookies! Enjoy!
This would be such a fun Valentine’s Day treat for my family! They’d never say no to a sugar cookie in any form—and with M&M’s??? Even better!
This is so pretty! It would be a great “Gal-entines” gift for my single girlfriends.
Gorgeous, Julie. Happy Februrary, friend!!
Cute!
Thank you, Kirsten!
This is absolutely beautiful!!! All I want is a piece of this.
Thanks, Jocelyn, aka the queen of cakes!