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This Funfetti Cookie Cake is a tender, chewy cookie cake that’s made with actual Funfetti cake mix, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles! It’s easy to make and is full of amazing cake flavor, but in cookie form! Perfect for a celebration!
If you love cookie cakes and regular cakes as much as I do, and often have a hard time deciding between the two, this cookie cake is for you. If you love cookie cakes, but are a little bored with regular chocolate chip cookie cakes, this cookie cake is for you. If you simple love cookies, this cookie cake is for you.
This is one of my all-time favorite cookie cake recipes. I love anything Funfetti flavored. And not just vanilla with sprinkles added, but actual Funfetti cake batter flavor. While I bake mostly from-scratch these days, I grew up on cake mix and there’s just something about that cakey flavor that gets me every time. So naturally, I needed a cookie cake that included that flavor. So this cookie cake was born. Aside from loving Funfetti and cake batter, here are a few more reasons to love this cookie cake.
- Texture. This cookie cake may have the flavor of a birthday cake, but it’s all cookie. It’s wonderfully chewy and moist. It’s not fluffy like a cake, but instead is dense like a cookie. Pure perfection.
- Flavor. As mentioned above, it’s like eating cake in cookie form. With some chocolate chips and white chocolate chips added in, it’s truly the best of two worlds coming together.
- Easy to make. This cookie cake is so easy! You’re basically making a super simple cookie dough with a cake mix (kind of like cake mix cookies), pressing it into a baking pan, and baking it. You don’t even need to form it into individual cookies!
- Celebratory. Made of colorful Funfetti cake mix with colorful sprinkles mixed in, this cookie cake screams “Let’s celebrate!”. It’s the perfect dessert for your next birthday, graduation, promotion, etc. You can even change up the colors for various celebrations.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here what you’ll needed to make this cookie cake with cake mix. You’ll find precise measurements in the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter – The butter for the cookie cake should be at room temperature. If it is too cold or melted, it won’t cream properly with the sugars.
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar – The use of brown sugar instead of only using granulated sugar brings added moisture and depth of flavor.
- Egg – Be sure to use a large egg, not medium or extra large.
- Funfetti cake mix – I like the Funfetti cake mix, but feel free to switch it up. If you’d like to add your own color sprinkles for a particular celebration, use a vanilla cake mix and add whatever color sprinkles you like.
- All-purpose flour – A 1:1 gluten-free flour would also work.
- Salt – The salt helps deepen the flavors of the cookie cake.
- Sprinkles – For a little added color.
- White chocolate chips and chocolate chips – I used both but you could use all white chocolate chips or all chocolate chips.
- Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar adds volume to your buttercream. You can certainly reduce the amount, but you won’t have as much buttercream and it may not pipe as well.
- Heavy cream – Gives a creaminess to the buttercream and can be used to thin it out, if needed. Feel free to use regular milk or water, as well.
- Gel icing color – The gel icing color is optional. Use whatever color you’d like! I tend to use Americolor gels because I love the little squeeze bottles, but when it comes to purple, I prefer the color of the Wilton gel.
Do I have to use cake mix?
In this cookie cake recipe, you do need a cake mix. But if you’d prefer to avoid using cake mix, feel free to check out my sugar cookie cake! It won’t have the cake batter flavor, but it’s a delicious soft and chewy cookie cake with tasty vanilla flavor that you can easily add sprinkles to.
Ready to get baking? Here’s a quick look at how to make this Funfetti cookie cake. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
To make the cookie cake
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350Ā°F, line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. Mix the cake mix, flour, and salt into the dough is just well combined. Pull the dough together into a cohesive ball.
- Add the mix-ins. Fold in the sprinkles, white chocolate chips, and chocolate chips.
- Bake. Press the cookie dough into the cake pan. Press a few more white chocolate and chocolate chips into the top of the cake, if desired. Bake for 18-23 minutes.
- Cool. Allow the cookie cake to cool in the pan before transferring it to a serving plate.
For the vanilla buttercream
- Make the buttercream. But the butter until smooth. Mix in half of the powdered sugar followed by the vanilla and one tablespoon of cream. Mix in the remaining powdered sugar. Add more cream, if needed, to get the right consistency. Color buttercream, if desired.
- Decorate. Pipe swirls of frosting around the outer edge of the cake and add some more sprinkles.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skimp on creaming time. When creaming together the butter and sugars, do so until the mixture has significantly lightened in color and has become fluffy. This process incorporates air into the dough, helping to ensure that the cookie cake doesn’t come out too dense.
- Don’t over-mix. When adding the dry ingredients to the dough, and then again when folding in the mix-ins, do not over-mix. This can cause the glutens in the flour and cake mix to overdevelop, giving you a tough, overly dense dessert.
- Don’t over-bake. Bake just until the cookie cake isn’t shiny on top anymore. Remember that it will continue to cook a bit as it cools in the pan (see my next point) and that baking it past this point will give you a dry cookie cake.
- Cool in the pan. You want to allow the dessert to cool completely in the pan. It will continue to bake and set a bit more during this time. The dessert will fall apart if you attempt to remove it from the pan before it is completely cool.
- Get the consistency right. When making the buttercream, feel free to add a bit more heavy cream to the frosting to ensure the right texture. Check out my post on how to get the right frosting consistency for more information.
Fun Variations
There’s lots of room to experiment with this recipe to make it your own. Here are a few fun ideas for you.
- Try a different cake mix. Funfetti cake mix is so celebratory and colorful but you could really use any cake mix here. Try chocolate cake mix, red velvet, or just plain vanilla!
- Play with mix-ins. I went with sprinkles, chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips but you could go with any mix-in/s you’d like. M&Ms would be fun. So would your favorite chopped candy bar.
- Consider a different frosting. I love the vanilla buttercream here but you could totally go with a Chocolate Buttercream or even a Cream Cheese Frosting instead.
- To color or not to color. I went ahead and colored my buttercream purple but use any gel icing color you’d like (or no color at all).
Proper Storage
Seal the cookie cake in an airtight container (slice it first if necessary). You can store it at room temperature for about 24 hours, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you leave the buttercream off, you can store the dessert at room temperature for up to 5 days.
This cookie cake is best at room temperature, so let it sit on the counter for a bit before serving. If you freeze the cookie cake, allow it to thaw in the fridge first.
More Funfetti Desserts To Try
- Funfetti Cake
- Funfetti Millionaire Cake
- Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes
- No-Bake Funfetti Oreo Birthday Cake Cheesecake
- Funfetti Cheesecake with Cake Bottom
- Funfetti Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Funfetti Cookie Cake is a tender, chewy cookie cake that’s made with actual Funfetti cake mix, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles! It’s easy to make and is full of amazing cake flavor, but in cookie form! Perfect for a celebration!
Ingredients
Funfetti Cookie Cake
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (56g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 15.25 oz box Funfetti cake mix
- 2 tbsp (16g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3ā4 tbsp sprinkles
- 3/4 cup (127g) white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (84g) chocolate chips
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (230g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1ā2 tbsp heavy cream
- Gel icing color, optional
Instructions
Cookie Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350Ā°F (180Ā°C). Prepare a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper in the bottom and baking spray on the sides. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color and texture and know itās ready. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the cake mix, flour and salt and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over mix. Once itās well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
- Fold in the sprinkles, white chocolate chips and chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick.
- Press the cookie dough evenly into the cake pan. Press a few more white chocolate and chocolate chips into the top of the cake, if desired.
- Bake for 18-23 minutes, or until it isnāt really shiny on top anymore. Donāt over bake.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the cake pan, then transfer to a serving plate.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- To make the buttercream, add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and a tablespoon of cream and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Add more cream, if needed, to get the right consistency.
- Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (I used Ateco 844) and pipe swirls of frosting around the outer edge of the cake.
- Store cookie cake in an airtight container. You can store it at room temperature for about 24 hours, then store in the fridge. Without the buttercream, it can remain at room temperature. I recommend serving at room temperature, since the cookie will firm up when cold. Cookie cake is best eaten within 4-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 415
- Sugar: 42.6 g
- Sodium: 141 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.6 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 69.3 mg
I tried this today! I didnāt have funfetti, so I used a Betty Crocker yellow cake mix and just added a TON of sprinkles. I used a 8 inch cake pan so it was a little thick. Baked it for 24 minutes and it came out beautifully. Wish I could post a pic!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I decided to use a 9 inch springform pan, thinking it would be easier to take the cookie out of. It seems to be taking a lot longer to bake as the center is still soft and jiggly. Do you think it was the pan?
The pan shouldn’t be a problem. Has the cookie cooled fully? The center will seem a little soft until it’s 100% cooled to room temperature. If it doesn’t firm up properly, them it probably needed a little longer to bake.
I didnāt think it would have taken as long as it did to cook. But it still came out delicious. Everyone love it. Iām making it again this week.
Because it was in the oven so long. I ended up lightly covering it with foil while cooking the edges were getting very brown. Really good and easy recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad it turned out well and everyone enjoyed it!
Some of the reviews say to refrigerate the dough 6-8 hrs or overnight before putting in pan to cook. The above recipe does not say that. Is that something that you still recommend.? As of 5/9/24
This recipe was just recently updated. The old version mentioned refrigerating the cookie dough. I don’t refrigerate this new version, but you could if you wanted to make the cookie dough in advance.
What can I substitute the egg with?
I haven’t really worked with egg substitutes, so I’m not sure what would be best here.
Iām confused. The comments talk about the dough being refrigerated but the recipe doesnāt say to refrigerate the dough.
This recipe was just recently updated. The old version mentioned refrigerating the cookie dough.
Read the comments about difficulty with hard dough. I wrapped flattened ball to refrigerate. When I took it out of the fridge, IĀ used a rolling pin to flatten it more while it was still in the plastic wrap. I used a pretty pie plate, so it was easy to serve. So rich you only need a sliver…delicious.Ā
Do you think this could be made as regular cookies? I was thinking of making double doozies with it for my son’s class. Just don’t want to waste time making a big disaster if you don’t think they would hold up well. I have made it as a cookie cake and it was fabulous!
I’m not entirely sure. My feeling is that they might spread pretty thin. However, I have another recipe that is made specifically as cookies, if you’d like to try it. š
Made 4 of your cookie cakes last night to bring in for my birthday treat at work. I’ll comment on each, but this was the first I tried. Very sweet. I’m not a huge white chocolate chip fan so maybe that put it over the edge. I forgot I had to refrigerate overnight so I just put in the freezer for a little over an hour and it was very firm when pressing in the pan.
This is definitely the sweetest of my cookie cakes. I hope everyone enjoyed it!
I baked this for a friends birthday, everyone loved it! This was the first recipe I ever tried of your website but it definitely won’t be the last :))
Terrific! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What size pan did you bake it in?
9 inch cake pan
Has anyone tried doubling the recipe and baking it in jellyroll pan? I’d like a bigger one for a birthday party.
I don’t know of anyone that has, but I’d think it’d be ok. It might need a different baking time though, depending on how thick it is.
I’ve gotta make this. I just hope I don’t sit and eat the ENTIRE thing!
It’ll be tough not to eat it all – it’s so good!
Hi there! I have just made 2 chocolate chip cookies and they look wonderful! I have a question when making the buttercream icing, does the butter need to be softened or cold? I wasn’t sure if it would make a difference….thanks!
The butter should be softened. I hope you enjoy them – I LOVE this cookie cake!
I’d love to make this for my son’s birthday party this weekend, but the recipe seems to have gone missing from your original post. Could you please include it?
You should be able to see it now. I’m sorry about that, not sure what happened, but it’s fixed.
I know it’s been a year since you posted this but I’m looking for the recipe for this and can’t seem to find the link…?
You should be able to see it now. I’m sorry about that, not sure what happened, but it’s fixed.
Yay! Thanks so much! I am making this and sending half to my friend for her half-birthday. I’ll let you know how well it ships š
Awesome! You’ll probably want to wrap it carefully. It’s a very moist cookie cake – so it should stay good for the trip! š
Hi, I’ve got my dough sitting in the fridge right now, it smells ahhmazing! Any chance you’ve tried this in a square/rectangle pan? I’m thinking of trying either an 8×8 or 9×13 and then slicing into squares. Just wondering your thoughts and if that might affect baking time. Thanks!
Hi Allison! I think that would work fine. An 8×8 pan would probably be best. You might need more dough for a 9×13. And I don’t think it will change the baking time. Enjoy them! š