Treat Mom to something truly special this Mother’s Day with this beautiful layered cookie cake. Bursting with soft vegan cookies and filled with tangy key lime buttercream, this allergy-friendly dessert is dairy-free, egg-free, and completely customizable and sprinkled with love. Whether you’re baking with the kids or surprising Mom with a homemade treat, this Mother’s Day cookie cake is guaranteed to make her smile and create sweet family memories.
Why I Made This Recipe
As someone who has spent over two decades in the baking industry and also has food allergies, I love creating celebration desserts that everyone can enjoy. This cookie cake combines my love of decorated sugar cookies with a layered cake-style presentation, and when paired with tangy key lime buttercream, it creates the perfect balance of sweetness. It’s a flavour combination that keeps you coming back for another slice.
Why You Need This Recipe
If you love cookies, buttercream and sprinkles, this cookie cake is for you! The citrusy key lime buttercream pairs beautifully with the hint of vanilla in the cookies, making this a showstopper dessert that feels light, fresh, and celebration-worthy. It looks impressive, but it’s surprisingly easy to assemble, plus you can easily customize the flavours and colours to suit any occasion.
This Mother’s Day Cookie Cake is:
- Allergen friendly
- Easy to customize
- Fun to make (and eat!)
- Perfect for spring celebrations
Ingredients and Substitutions
I kept everything vegan for this cookie cake, but you can easily modify it by swapping out the ingredients in each recipe. In addition to being dairy-free and egg-free, this vegan cookie cake is also nut-free and soy-free, with an easy substitution for gluten-free.
Cookies: Use my no-spread, no-chill vegan sugar cookie recipe to ensure the cookies retain their shape once baked. Feel free to substitute with your preferred cookie recipe. Make sure you bake at least 2 of the same shape (suggestion: bake an extra in case of breakages). Check out my recipe for an easy gluten-free option.
Buttercream: My vegan, gluten-free key lime buttercream pairs so well with the sugar cookies. You seriously need this flavour in your life. Substitute with vanilla buttercream if you prefer.
Decorations: I made a variety of vegan royal icing flowers and added some sprinkles, mini Party Rings (store-bought UK biscuits which are also vegan) and mini vegan marshmallows. Use your preferred toppings to fully customize this dessert.
How to Make a Cookie Cake
To recreate this cookie cake, you will need to prepare your homemade items in advance – bake your cookies, make the buttercream and any piped decorations you require.
Once you have all of the elements ready for the cake, start by adding the first cookie to a serving plate. Fill a tipless piping bag with buttercream, cut the end off and add dollops of buttercream to the cookie.
Top Tip: Use a piping tip if you prefer a design in your buttercream. I recommend using an open-star tip such as Tip 21.
Carefully place the second cookie on top, taking care not to squish the buttercream underneath. You want it to just nestle on top lightly.
Pipe more buttercream on the second layer. I love how pretty this looks at this stage, like a blank canvas waiting for pops of colour to be added!
Add your decorations to the buttercream. There is no wrong way to do this, so just have fun and add as much, or as little, as you like. Don’t forget the sprinkles as well!
And don’t worry if it’s not perfect – part of the charm of this style of cookie cake is its homemade look. Let the kids help decorate for an extra special touch.
Our Mother’s Day Cookie Cake is ready to serve. I wonder if I can convince my kids to make this for me (who am I kidding?!?).
Storage and Freezing Tips
Once assembled, this layered Mother’s Day cookie cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Ideally, you want to serve it the day it is constructed so the decorations don’t absorb moisture from the buttercream. You can also refrigerate the cake if you live in a warm climate.
I do not recommend freezing the assembled cookie cake, as it will affect the decorated elements. That said, you could freeze the individual elements, such as the cookies and buttercream, and defrost them at room temperature when you are ready to construct the cake.
Flavour Variations
This cookie cake works great with different buttercream flavours. Try these combinations:
- Chocolate buttercream with crushed Oreos
- Biscoff buttercream with cookie crumbles and cookie butter drizzle
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting for a spring-inspired look
- Classic vanilla buttercream with pastel sprinkles for a classic vibe
Just keep the consistency thick enough to support layering.
Mother’s Day Cookie Cake FAQs
I used two layers in this cake, but you can add more if you prefer.
The cookies were made with a 10-inch cookie cutter. Any size cutter will work, as long as the layers match.
This cookie cake yields 4 generous slices.
Yes. You can bake the cookies and prepare the buttercream 1-2 days in advance. Assemble the cookie cake on the day of serving for the freshest texture.
Absolutely. Use smaller cutters and layer mini cookies for personal-sized Mother’s Day desserts. This size would be perfect for gifting as well!
More Mother’s Day Dessert Ideas
Feeling inspired to bake up a selection of treats for Mother’s Day? Try these allergy-friendly family favourites:
- Funfetti Drop Cookies – these dairy-free, small-batch cookies filled with sprinkles will make Mom smile.
- Red Velvet Donuts – my personal favourite for an indulgent treat.
- Chocolate Ganache Tart – perfect for chocolate lovers.
- No Bake Cheesecake Truffles – a great prep-ahead option for bite-sized treats
If you try this Mother’s Day cookie cake, I’d love to hear how you decorated yours! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations. Happy baking!
Mothers Day Cookie Cake
Equipment
Angela’s Top Tip
Weigh your dry ingredients in grams with a scale for best results!
Ingredients
- 2 Large Sugar Cookie Shapes (see notes – any shape works)
- 1 batch Key Lime Buttercream (see notes)
- Assorted royal icing flowers (see notes)
- Party Ring Biscuits
- Mini Vegan Marshmallow
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare all components in advance: bake two matching sugar cookie layers, prepare the key lime buttercream, and have decorations ready.
- Place one cookie layer on a serving plate or cake board. Add the buttercream to a piping bag (either tipless or with a tip) and pipe dollops or swirls over the surface of the cookie.
- Gently place the second cookie layer on top, pressing lightly so that it nestles on top lightly.
- Pipe additional buttercream on the top layer.
- Decorate with royal icing flowers, sprinkles, mini vegan marshmallows, biscuits or toppings of choice.
- Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Recommended Recipes:
- For the cookie layers: No Spread, No Chill Vegan Sugar Cookie
- For the buttercream: Key Lime Buttercream
- For the homemade decorations: Vegan Royal Icing
- Cookie Size: Made with a 10-inch cookie cutter. Any size works, as long as both layers match. Use smaller cutters for individual cookie cakes.
- Yield: This cake serves 4 generous slices.
- Storage: Store assembled cookie cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For the best texture, serve on the day it’s assembled. Refrigerate the cake if you live in a warm climate.
- Freezing: Do not freeze once assembled. Individual components can be freezed separately and thawed at room temperature before assembling.
- Variation Ideas: Swap the key lime buttercream for chocolate buttercream with crushed cookies, or Biscoff buttercream with cookie crumbles and cookie butter drizzle.
This is a great idea! I’ll try making it for Mother’s Day.
Thanks Adele – I hope you enjoy making this!
So sweet and fun! Definitely going into the plans for Mother’s Day.
Thanks Erik. I hope you’ll enjoy making and eating it!
I made this for my mom and she loved it! It was so beautiful and fun to make!
So happy to hear that Jamie!
Such a fun cake for mother’s day! Love this idea.
Thanks Paula. We loved making it.
This cookie cake is so stunning. The perfect mother’s day treat!
Thanks for your kind words Shelby.
What a fun festive cake! Definitely making this one for mother’s day!
I’m so excited for you to try it!