Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake
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Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake combines the chewy goodness of a sugar cookie with festive frosting and holiday M&M’s, making it the perfect easy and festive dessert for the season.
Looking for the perfect holiday dessert that combines the fun of sugar cookies with the simplicity of a cake? This Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake is your answer! With a soft, chewy texture and bursts of festive holiday M&M’s, this dessert is a showstopper for any Christmas gathering. Whether you’re hosting a party, baking for a cookie exchange, or just want a fun family treat, this recipe delivers big holiday cheer with minimal effort. The colorful M&M’s, red and green swirls of frosting, and festive sprinkles make it as beautiful as it is delicious.
The best part? It’s incredibly easy to make. With just 15 minutes of prep time, the buttery cookie dough comes together quickly and bakes into a thick, golden cake in just over half an hour. Once cooled, the cake gets its festive finishing touch with silky red and green vanilla frosting piped into elegant rosettes, topped with soft peppermints and a sprinkling of Christmas M&M’s. It’s a dessert that feels special enough for the holiday season but simple enough for bakers of all skill levels.
Whether you slice it up for a holiday movie night or share it around the Christmas table, this sugar cookie cake is guaranteed to bring smiles. It yields 12 generous slices, making it perfect for sharing with loved ones. Serve it with a cup of hot cocoa or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgent treat. So grab your apron, preheat the oven, and let this Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake bring a little extra magic to your holiday baking lineup!
What You’ll Need to make Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake
Ingredients
Cookie Cake
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- cornstarch
- salt
- holiday M&M’s
Frosting
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- salt
- heavy whipping cream or milk
- red and green gel food coloring
Toppings
- Christmas sprinkles
- soft peppermints
- holiday M&M’s
How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake
Make Cookie Cake 
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9-inch springform pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray.
Add the butter and sugar into a large bowl.
Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Then add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in another bowl.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated. As the batter comes together you’ll notice that the batter is quite thick! It really should look like cookie dough.
When dough is fully mixed, fold in 1 cup of holiday M&M’s with a spoon or spatula until the M&M’s are evenly distributed through the dough.
Press the Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake batter evenly into the prepared pan with your fingers.
For a decorative touch, add a few extra M&M’s on top and press them lightly into the batter.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the center no longer looks wet, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. It’s very important to allow the cookie cake to cool completely before frosting. Frosting when the cake is still warm will melt the frosting.
Make the frosting
To prepare the frosting, in a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until a soft, smooth frosting forms.
Add the vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Beat until well combined.
If the frosting is too thick, add additional cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Divide the frosting into two bowls and then add red gel food coloring to one bowl and green to the other, mixing until the desired colors are achieved.
Now, transfer the red and green frostings to separate piping bags fitted with a 1M piping tip.
Decorate the Cookie Cake
To decorate, pipe 9 red rosettes evenly spaced around the cookie cake.
Fill the gaps between the red rosettes with green rosettes.
Now, top each green rosette with a soft peppermint candy.
Finish decorating with Christmas sprinkles…
…and additional holiday M&M’s.
Cut the Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake into 12 wedges to serve. Each slice will look so impressive and beautiful.
Store the Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake covered at room temperature. You can refrigerate if needed, just it bring to room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions about Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake
Why use stick baking spray? Baking spray contains oil and flour. The addition of the flour makes for an easier release and avoids tearing and sticking when releasing from the springform pan. It’s also a dream to use in a bundt pan or for other cakes. You can also use regular non-stick cooking spray instead but it will be the best if you spray the pan, then add flour to the pan, tapping the flour to coat all of the surface of the pan.
Is a springform pan really necessary? Springform pans are essential for this recipe to achieve the finish on the edge of the cookie cake. Additionally, it would be nearly impossible to get the cake out of a regular cake pan without breaking and splitting the cookie cake. Springform pans are also essential for cheesecakes, so if you don’t have one, you’ll want to get one and add it to your kitchen equipment!
Why use gel food coloring? Gel Food coloring creates more intense colors without as much product. Unlike liquid food coloring, which can thin out frosting, batter, or dough, gel food coloring adds minimal moisture. This ensures that your icing maintains its intended texture.
How do I use a piping bag and tips? First, cut the tip of the piping bag just enough so the piping tip fits snugly inside but doesn’t slip through. Fold down the top of the piping bag like a cuff to make it easier to fill without mess. Then, use a spatula to add frosting to the bag, filling it no more than two-thirds full to avoid overflowing. Next, twist the top of the bag tightly to keep the frosting secure and create pressure as you pipe. Hold the twisted top of the bag with your dominant hand to apply pressure and guide the tip with your non-dominant hand for precision. It’s a good idea to practice making the rosettes on some parchment paper before trying it on your Christmas Sugar Cookie Cake!
More Christmas Desserts You’ll Love
- Eggnog Cookies
- Frozen Turtle Pie
- Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
- Christmas Cutout Cookies
- Cranberry Crunch
- Sugar Cookie Cake Balls
Ingredients
Cookie Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup holiday M&M's plus extra for topping
Frosting
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2-3 tbsp heavy whipping cream or milk
- red and green gel food coloring
Topping
- 3 tbsp Christmas colored sprinkles
- 9-10 soft peppermints
- 3-4 tbsp holiday M&M's
Instructions
Make the Cookie Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Gradually add the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Mix until well incorporated.
- Fold in 1 cup of holiday M&M's with a spoon or spatula.
- Press the batter evenly into the prepared pan. For a decorative touch, add a few extra M&M's on top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the center no longer looks wet, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. Allow the cookie cake to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare the frosting
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until a soft, smooth frosting forms.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Beat until well combined. If the frosting is too thick, add additional cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Divide the frosting into two bowls. Add red gel food coloring to one bowl and green to the other, mixing until the desired colors are achieved.
- Transfer the red and green frostings to separate piping bags fitted with a 1M piping tip.
Decorate the Cookie Cake
- Pipe 9 red rosettes evenly spaced around the cookie cake. Fill the gaps between the red rosettes with green rosettes.
- Top each green rosette with a soft peppermint candy.
- Continue piping red and green rosettes around the cake until all spaces are filled.
- Finish decorating with Christmas sprinkles and additional holiday M&M's.
Storage
- Store the cookie cake covered at room temperature. For optimal taste, refrigerate if needed, and bring to room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving.
