Desserts
Cake Batter Pinwheel Cookies
Got something to celebrate? These playful cake-batter flavored cookies with sprinkles are like a birthday cake rolled into a cookie. Just slice, bake, and let the party begin!
Ingredients
WHISK:
CREAM:
Kitchen Note: Butter Vanilla Emulsion
This water-based mixture imparts rich butter-vanilla flavor (think cake batter) like an extract does, but doesn’t cook away as alcohol-based extracts do. Look for 4 oz. bottles ranging from $4–$8 depending on online retailer. You can substitute the emulsion measure-for-measure for vanilla extract.
Instructions
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cream butter and sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg to creamed mixture; beat to combine. Add egg yolk; beat to combine. Beat in butter vanilla emulsion.
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture; beat just to combine.
Divide dough into two equal parts. Return one half to mixer, add desired amount of food color, and mix to distribute. Wrap each dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes.
Roll each dough between sheets of parchment paper into 8×10-inch rectangles.
Invert plain dough layer onto colored layer; press lightly. Tightly roll up layers from long edge, jelly roll-style.
Roll dough log in sprinkles, pressing to adhere; wrap in plastic and chill at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment.
Slice log into 1/2-inch-thick slices; transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies until edges are set, 12–14 minutes; cool on baking sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
The water-based emulsion imparts rich butter-vanilla flavor, but doesn’t cook away like extracts do.
For perfect pinwheels, a kitchen scale makes quick and easy work of dividing the dough in half.
Roll the dough from the long edge jelly roll-style, keeping the "turns" fairly tight.
For even coating, be sure to press sprinkles into the dough so they adhere, then chill before slicing.