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Lemon Birthday Cake Cookies

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Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated May 7, 2025
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If you’re a lemon lover, you are going to adore these sweet lemon-flavored cookies. Straight from our Betty Crocker Cookbook 13th edition, we morphed a few fun food trends into this one delicious cookie recipe. Developed to mimic the popular soft frosted sugar cookies you can purchase… these cheerful cookies go the extra mile. The deliciousness and joyful look of birthday cake-flavored sweets is paired with fresh lemon to give this recipe an amazing new take. You’ll want to make these lemon cookies  again and again.

These lemon cake cookies have an irresistibly sweet, slightly tart flavor both from the addition of sour cream as well as lemon zest, with a soft texture you can really sink your teeth into. The creamy, buttery, lemon frosting on top of the soft cookies makes them practically drool-worthy.

A delightful alternative to birthday cake, or a fun surprise for your family, packed in lunchboxes or for after-school snacks, these cookies are also welcomed at scout meetings, soccer games, or any occasion where a tasty treat is sure to vanish quickly.

Lemon Birthday Cake Cookies

  • Prep Time 30 min
  • Total 1 hr 15 min
  • Servings 24
  • Ingredients 16
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Ingredients

Lemon Birthday Cookies

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup multicolored candy sprinkles

Lemon Frosting

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons multicolored sprinkles

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 350°F.
  • Step 
    2
    In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, sour cream and butter with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add egg and 1 tablespoon lemon zest; continue beating until well blended. Add remaining cookie ingredients except sprinkles; mix until soft dough forms. Stir in 1/4 cup sprinkles.
  • Step 
    3

    Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (dough will be soft). Onto each of two ungreased cookie sheets, place 12 balls about 2 inches apart. Using fingers, flatten balls to 1/2-inch thickness.

  • Step 
    4
    Bake one cookie sheet 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Repeat with second cookie sheet. Cool cookies completely, about 15 minutes.
  • Step 
    5
    In medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients except sprinkles until smooth. Spread each cookie with a scant 1 tablespoon frosting. Sprinkle cookies with sprinkles. Let frosted cookies stand until the frosting is set. Store in a single layer in loosely covered containers at room temperature.

Nutrition

210 Calories
10g Total Fat
1g Protein
28g Total Carbohydrate
18g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
210
Calories from Fat
90
Total Fat
10g
15%
Saturated Fat
5g
27%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
30mg
10%
Sodium
160mg
7%
Potassium
25mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate
28g
9%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
18g
Protein
1g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
6%
6%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
4%
4%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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