French Vanilla Cake Mix Cookies with Buttercream Sprinkles

If you're looking for a yummy cookie recipe that you can whip

up at a moment's notice for a birthday, bake sale, or shower

then look no further! I have an easy, pretty, Springtime cake

mix cookie to share with you!

Cake mix cookies are fast and convenient when you're

short on time! We've all been there!! What makes these

 cookies so pretty is the addition of pastel buttercream and 

sprinkles! Gives them a cheerful springtime look!

There are a variety of ways that you can serve these cookies

to suit your type of function. For a shower they can be served 

as mini cookies with a pretty swirl of buttercream on top; for a 

birthday party you can just serve them with sprinkles on top. For 

a bake sale, you can swirl some buttercream between two 

cookies then place in clear bags tied with a pretty ribbon.

Using a piping bag to frost the cookies makes them look 

so pretty and it really isn't difficult to learn! I used a 

Wilton 1M (open star) piping tip for the pink rose swirl 

and a Wilton 2D (closed star) piping tip for the yellow 

swirl. Both tips will make similar designs; the 2D is 

slightly more ruffly. 

To pipe the rose design, begin piping in the center of

the cookie and pipe around and around to end at the 

edge. (See a video here.)

To create a different design, start piping on the outside 

edge and swirl around and around to end in the center.

After piping the buttercream, you can top with a second cookie

and sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar if you like.

FRENCH VANILLA CAKE MIX COOKIES

adapted from here

Ingredients: 

1 box French Vanilla Cake Mix (Duncan Hines)

(If you can't find French Vanilla, use Classic White)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup sprinkles or nonpareils

Buttercream:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 

(I used salted because that's what I had)

3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

(plus 1/4 cup to top)

1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract 

(this helps maintain the bright white color)

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

food coloring of choice

2 disposable piping bags

Wilton piping tip 2D or 1M

sprinkles or nonpareils for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a rimmed

baking sheet with parchment paper or

a nonstick baking mat.

In a large bowl whisk together cake mix &

baking powder. Using an electric mixer, beat in

eggs one at a time, oil and vanilla. Mix until

thoroughly distributed into the batter.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls (I used my small 

cookie scoop), placing them 2 inches apart on 

parchment lined baking sheets. With bottom 

of a glass dipped in powdered sugar, flatten to 

1/4" thickness. Sprinkle cookies with pastel 

sprinkles if desired.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Let cookies cool on baking sheet, then 

remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Buttercream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter for 

5 minutes. With mixer on low speed slowly add 

the confectioners' sugar and beat until well blended.

Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk 

and mix until incorporated. Add an additional 1-3 

tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the 

desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is 

smooth and fluffy; about 5 more minutes. Add food 

coloring until you get desired color. I divided buttercream

in half, then colored each.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cookies and top with pastel

sprinkles if desired. Store cookies in an airtight 

container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Yields approximately 40 cookies or 20 cookie

sandwiches.

Hope this gives you some ideas the next time you need

a quick dessert!!