Soft Valentine’s Sugar Cookies with Pink Buttercream
Tender, slightly cakey sugar cookies cut into hearts and frosted with silky pink buttercream, perfect for any celebration.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (for the cookie dough)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
For the Pink Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (for the buttercream)
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tbsp heavy cream (more if needed)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 drop pink gel food coloring to achieve desired color
Instructions
Preparation
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until smooth and combined.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low until just combined and a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
- Turn the dough onto plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 30–45 minutes.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutters and place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just pale golden. The centers should still look slightly soft — they’ll set as they cool.
Frosting
- For the buttercream: beat the softened butter until creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add pink gel food coloring a tiny drop at a time until you reach the desired hue.
- If the frosting is too stiff, add more cream ¼ tsp at a time.
Assembly
- Pipe or spread buttercream onto cooled cookies. Let the frosting set for 15–30 minutes before stacking.
Notes
Swap almond extract for another ½ tsp vanilla if you prefer no nut flavor. For dairy-free, use vegan butter sticks in both dough and frosting and a splash of plant-based milk instead of cream. For gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and expect slightly different texture.