Strawberry Cake Mix Sandwich Cookies with Almond Buttercream Recipe
These Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Silky Almond Buttercream are soft, vibrant, and bakery-style cookie sandwiches made using a clever hack with strawberry cake mix. The cookies are coated in sanding sugar for a sweet crunch and filled with a decadent almond-infused buttercream, perfect for a delightful dessert or special treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 12 sandwich cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 box (15.25 oz) Strawberry Cake Mix (Duncan Hines recommended)
- 2 large whole eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups sanding sugar (for rolling)
Almond Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 cup heavy cream
- 6 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Cookie Dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the strawberry cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. Mix until just combined to keep the texture soft; avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
- Form and Roll Dough Balls: Pour sanding sugar onto a shallow plate. Using a 1-inch scoop, portion out dough balls. Roll each dough ball thoroughly in the sanding sugar to coat evenly, creating a sweet, crunchy exterior.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart to allow room for spreading. Bake for 7-9 minutes. The cookies should look slightly soft when removed from the oven; they will firm up as they cool.
- Cool Cookies: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before assembling to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- Prepare Almond Buttercream: In a mixing bowl, whip the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and heavy cream, mixing to combine thoroughly.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar while whipping the mixture on high for 2 minutes until the buttercream is voluminous and smooth. Adjust consistency with additional heavy cream if needed.
- Assemble Cookie Sandwiches: Pipe a flat swirl of the buttercream onto the bottom side of one cookie, then gently press a second cookie on top to form a sandwich. Repeat for all cookies.
Notes
- Don’t overbake! The cookies should remain slightly soft when out of the oven as they firm up upon cooling.
- Use room temperature butter for the fluffiest and creamiest buttercream texture.
