Description

Delight in these soft and flavorful Strawberry Cake Mix Sandwich Cookies, made with a simple cake mix base rolled in sparkling sanding sugar and baked to perfection. They are lovingly sandwiched together with a creamy, rich almond buttercream frosting that adds a luscious nutty finish to each bite. Perfect for parties, afternoon treats, or gifting, these sandwich cookies combine ease and elegance in one irresistible dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

1 (15.25 oz) Strawberry Cake Mix (such as Duncan Hines)
2 large whole eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sanding sugar (for rolling)

Small Batch Almond Buttercream

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) heavy cream, plus more if needed
6 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Set this aside while you prepare the dough.
Mix Cookie Dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the strawberry cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. Mix on low speed until all ingredients are just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Form and Coat Cookies: Spread the sanding sugar on a plate. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, portion dough and roll each scoop into a ball. Roll each dough ball thoroughly in the sanding sugar to coat well, then place on the prepared cookie sheet about 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake Cookies: Bake the coated dough balls in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Once baked, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before assembly.
Prepare Almond Buttercream: While the cookies bake and cool, prepare the buttercream. In a clean bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter until it becomes light and fluffy. Add a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and heavy cream, mixing well to combine.
Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture a little at a time while mixing on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud. Once fully incorporated, beat on high speed for 2 minutes until the buttercream becomes light, fluffy, and smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more heavy cream gradually to reach desired consistency.
Assemble Sandwich Cookies: Transfer the almond buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip, or simply cut off the end of a piping bag if you don’t have a tip. Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto the flat underside of one cookie, spreading it evenly almost to the edges. Sandwich with a second cookie by gently pressing the two together.
Storage: Store the sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week to maintain freshness and texture.

Notes

For best results, use room temperature butter to ensure the buttercream whips up light and fluffy.
If you don’t have sanding sugar, you can substitute with regular granulated sugar, but the texture will differ slightly.
Cookies should be completely cooled before assembling to prevent the buttercream from melting.
These cookies can be frozen unassembled; assemble after thawing for best texture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Category: Dessert, Snack
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: strawberry cake mix cookies, sandwich cookies, almond buttercream, easy dessert, soft cookies, homemade cookie recipe