We need to talk about the grocery store bakery table. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You walk past the bread, and there they are: those plastic clamshell containers holding ten pale cookies slathered in neon pink frosting. They look artificial. They smell like pure sugar. And honestly? We love them. 🧁
But here is the sad truth about the store-bought version: they kind of taste like chalky chemicals. They stick to the roof of your mouth in a weird way. Yet, we crave that texture—that soft, cake-like, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that feels more like a muffin top than a crispy cookie.
So, I set out on a mission. I wanted to recreate the Lofthouse Style Sugar Cookie at home, but I wanted it to actually taste like real food. I wanted butter, not oil blends. I wanted real vanilla, not “natural and artificial flavorings.” And guess what? I cracked the code. These homemade copycats are pillowy, tender, and dangerously addictive. Put down the plastic container. We are baking the real deal today. 👩🍳
The Secret to the “Softness”
You might ask, “Why are these so different from my grandma’s cutout cookies?” Grandma’s cookies snap when you break them. These cookies sigh.
The secret weapon here is Sour Cream.
Yes, putting sour cream in a cookie sounds weird. But in the baking world, sour cream is a miracle worker. It adds fat and acidity, which tenderizes the gluten strands in the flour. This prevents the cookie from getting tough or crispy. It creates a cake-like structure that stays soft for days.
We also use Cake Flour (or a cornstarch hack). Cake flour has less protein than All-Purpose flour. Less protein means less gluten formation. Less gluten means a softer bite. It’s science, but it tastes like magic. 🧪
The Ingredient Lineup: The Soft Batch
We keep it simple, but specific. Do not swap ingredients here, or you will end up with a hard cracker.
The Cookie Dough
- 3 cups (360g) Cake Flour.
- FYI: If you don’t have cake flour, measure 3 cups of All-Purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons, and replace them with Cornstarch. Sift it 3 times. Boom, DIY cake flour.
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder.
- ½ tsp Baking Soda.
- ½ tsp Salt.
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened.
- Note: It must be soft, not melted!
- 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar.
- 1 large Egg, room temperature.
- ½ cup Sour Cream (Full fat, please. We aren’t counting calories today).
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract.
- ½ tsp Almond Extract.
- The Secret Flavor: This is what makes them taste like a bakery. Don’t skip it!
The Famous Frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened.
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar.
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract.
- 2–3 tbsp Heavy Cream (or milk).
- Food Coloring (Pink is traditional, but follow your heart). 🎨
- Sprinkles (Non-negotiable).
Step-by-Step Instructions: Patience is Key
This recipe has one annoying step: chilling the dough. Do not skip it. If you skip it, your cookies will spread into flat pancakes, and you will be sad.
Step 1: The Creaming
Grab your stand mixer or a hand mixer. Toss in the softened butter and granulated sugar.
Beat them on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes. You want the mixture to look pale, fluffy, and almost white. We are whipping air into the butter to help the cookies rise. 🌬️
Step 2: The Wet Mix
Add the egg, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Mix on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. It might look a little curdled because of the sour cream. That’s totally fine.
Step 3: The Dry Add-In
In a separate bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Turn your mixer to LOW speed. Slowly add the dry ingredients.
Mix just until the flour disappears. Stop immediately. Overmixing leads to tough cookies. The dough will be very sticky and soft.
Step 4: The Chill (The Hard Part)
Divide the dough into two disks. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
Throw them in the fridge. Leave them there for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Why? The flour needs time to hydrate, and the butter needs to solidify. You cannot roll this dough while it’s warm. It’s a sticky mess. ❄️
Rolling and Baking: Keep Them Pale
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Step 5: Roll and Cut
Generously flour your countertop. I mean generously. This dough sticks like glue.
Take one disk out of the fridge. Roll it out to ¼ inch thickness.
- Pro Tip: Keep them thick! These are supposed to be puffy. If you roll them thin, they dry out.Use a round cookie cutter (about 2.5 to 3 inches) to cut your shapes. Place them on the baking sheet. They don’t spread much, so you can space them 1.5 inches apart.
Step 6: The Bake
Pop the tray into the oven. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
- The Crucial Check: Watch them like a hawk. You want them to look set and “matte” on top, but pale. Do not let them brown! If the edges turn golden, you overbaked them. They should remain soft and blonde.Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. They are fragile when hot! 🔥
The Frosting: Sweet and Fluffy
While the cookies cool, let’s make the sugar bomb.
- Beat the Butter: In a clean bowl, beat the ½ cup of softened butter until creamy.
- Add Sugar: Slowly add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. It will look dry and crumbly.
- Add Liquid: Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of cream. Beat on high.
- Adjust: Is it too stiff? Add more cream. Too runny? Add more sugar. You want a thick, spreadable consistency.
- Color: Add a drop of food coloring. Whip it until the color is uniform.
Decorating: Release Your Inner Artist
Once the cookies are completely cool (if they are warm, the frosting melts and slides off), grab a butter knife or an offset spatula.
Smear a generous amount of frosting onto each cookie. Don’t try to be too perfect; the “swoop” look is authentic.
IMMEDIATELY top with sprinkles. This frosting forms a crust after a few minutes, and if you wait too long, the sprinkles will bounce right off. 🎊
Nutritional Information (Per Cookie)
Let’s look at the stats. This recipe makes about 24 cookies. And let’s be honest, these aren’t diet food.
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Calories | ~180 kcal |
| Fat | 8g |
| Carbs | 26g |
| Protein | 2g |
| Sugar | 16g |
Note: They are worth every single calorie. Just maybe don’t eat the whole dozen in one sitting. 🤷♂️
Troubleshooting: Why Are They Hard?
I’ve ruined plenty of batches in my time. Here is how to avoid disaster:
- You Overbaked Them: This is the #1 error. Take them out before you think they are done. They finish cooking on the hot pan.
- You Used AP Flour: If you used regular flour without the cornstarch hack, they will be chewier and harder. Stick to cake flour.
- You Rolled Too Thin: Thin dough cooks faster and gets crispy. Keep ’em thick!
Variations: Holiday Hacks
The base recipe is a blank canvas.
- Lemon Burst: Add lemon zest to the dough and use lemon juice instead of cream in the frosting. 🍋
- Holiday Spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg and use eggnog in the frosting for Christmas cookies.
- Chocolate: Replace ½ cup of flour with cocoa powder for a soft chocolate version.
Storage: Keeping the Softness
These cookies actually taste better the next day. The frosting softens the top layer of the cookie slightly, fusing them together.
- Room Temp: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Use wax paper between layers so the frosting doesn’t stick.
- Freezer: You can freeze the baked (unfrosted) cookies for 2 months. Or, freeze the frosted ones in a single layer until hard, then stack them.
- Bread Trick: If they start to feel dry, toss a slice of white bread in the container. The cookies steal the moisture from the bread. It works every time.
Why Homemade Beats Store-Bought
We have all bought that plastic container of Lofthouse cookies in a moment of weakness. And usually, we regret it after the second cookie. The chemical aftertaste lingers.
This Soft Frosted Sugar Cookie recipe gives you the texture you crave with the flavor of real butter and vanilla. It’s clean, it’s fresh, and it creates a memory.
So, clear out your fridge to make room for the dough. Grab your sprinkles. And get ready to bake the softest, fluffiest cookies of your life.
