This easy Biscoff cake with cookie butter buttercream and is the answer to all your Biscoff cravings. Perfect for a special occasion or when friends pop over!
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Ah Biscoff, they are little biscuits of spiced caramelized deliciousness. Commonly known as speculoos, these Belgium cookies have become hugely popular around the world and has developed somewhat of a cult following. These tasty little morsels are commonly available as a spread, making it perfect for flavoring cheesecake, ice cream and in this case, cakes and buttercream.
This Biscoff spread cake is the stuff Biscoff dreams are made of. A simple, moist, velvety cake with Biscoff spread and buttermilk to balance the sweetness. Serve it with lashings of my Biscoff buttercream for a show-stopping dessert that will impress every time!
Biscoff® is a registered trademark of Lotus Bakeries NV. This recipe is not sponsored or endorsed by Lotus Bakeries NV in any way, however, I'm a huge fan of Biscoff and using the spread and cookies in my recipes. If you are too, you should check out more of my delicious desserts made with Biscoff such as my Biscoff cheesecake, Biscoff ice cream, Biscoff rocky road or Biscoff cinnamon rolls or even mini Biscoff cheesecakes. Delicious!
Tips and frequently asked questions
How does Biscoff Cake taste?
Biscoff cake unsurprisingly tastes like Biscoff! A sort of spiced, cinnamon caramel flavor just like the cookies. It's best to use smooth Biscoff spread when baking cakes for a lovely fine crumb. You can use crunchy Biscoff spread if that's all you have but your cake crumb will be coarser.
What is Biscoff Cake made of?
Biscoff cake is usually made of cake ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, butter and of course Biscoff! Biscoff speed makes it easy to flavor the cake while keeping a lovely fine velvety crumb. Excellent with a little buttermilk to balance the sweetness of the Biscoff.
Ingredients
For the Biscoff Cake
Biscoff spread: available from some supermarkets, specialty stores and online. This cake works with either smooth or crunchy spread, but you will get a lighter, finer crumb with smooth. If you can't get Lotus Biscoff spread you can try another brand of cookie butter spread.
Brown sugar: also called light brown sugar, helps to give these brownies some extra caramel notes. You could use dark brown sugar for some extra caramel notes, or white sugar or demerara sugar. If using cups to measure the brown sugar make sure its packed down firmly (and ideally use a kitchen scale).
Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget.
Plain flour: is best in this recipe. You can also use all-purpose flour. It's important to use flour that does not have any rising agents as we will be adding our own in the right amounts to help this cake rise.
Corn flour: also known as corn starch and can be labeled as wheaten cornflour or corn (maize). The cornflour makes the cake crumb softer and makes for a lighter, velvety cake.
Baking powder: is a common ingredient in cakes and baking, used to help the cake rise. For the best results use fresh baking powder and not one that's been sitting around the cupboard for a while.
Baking soda: also known as bicarbonate soda or bicarb. This is NOT the same as baking powder and you can not substitute this.
Milk: full cream milk is best for this recipe. I rarely have buttermilk in the house but it's so easy to make your own with milk and a little lemon juice. You could use buttermilk instead if you prefer.
Lemons: a dash of lemon juice is used to make the homemade buttermilk. Fresh is best, I don't recommend bottled lemon juice.
Butter: unsalted butter is best or your risk your cake being too salty. It's important your butter is a room temperature before you start baking so your batter comes together and your cake rises.
Vegetable oil: adds some much-needed fats to this cake and helps keep the crumb nice a fine. You can try substituting with similar oils such as peanut or canola.
Eggs: I use large eggs in this recipe, approx. 55 gms each with shells before cracking.
For the Biscoff Buttercream
Biscoff Spread and vanilla extract: as for the cake
Powdered sugar: also known as icing sugar, it's a key ingredient in this cookie butter buttercream.
Unsalted butter: it's not buttercream without butter! The butter helps bind and set the buttercream. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before starting.
Lemons: a dash of lemon juice helps balance the sweetness of the buttercream. Fresh is best, I don't recommend bottled lemon juice. For sweeter buttercream replace some of the lemon juice with milk.
Milk: a little milk helps loosen up the buttercream and make it workable. For less sweet buttercream replace some of the milk with lemon juice.
Salt: a little salt helps balance the sweetness of this buttercream.
How to make Biscoff cake
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make the cake:
Hot tip: If you are making the brown butter to go with the buttercream make this now so it can cool while your cakes bake.
Preheat your oven to 365°F (185°C/165°C fan-forced). Grease and line 2 x 8inch round cake tins baking paper. To make the buttermilk measure out the milk and add the lemon juice. Allow to stand at room temperature until you need it.
Cream the room temperature butter and brown sugar together in a stand mixer on medium until fluffy. Add the Biscoff spread and mix well. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix well.
Sift in the flour, cornflour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the buttermilk. Fold in gently together until just combined and there are no unmixed lumps of flour.
Divide between two lined cake tins and bake for 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake is no longer 'talking'.
Allow to cool before removing from the cake tins. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting or your frosting will melt!
To make the buttercream and decorate the cake:
Cub the butter for the buttercream and add to a light-colored pan. Heat on medium-high until melted and foaming. Continue to stir until butter starts to brown and develops a wonderful nutty aroma.
Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof container immediately, taking care to scrape out the brown bits at the bottom (that's where all the flavor is). Chill in the fridge until solidified. Then remove and return to room temperature. You need the butter at room temperature to make the cookie butter frosting.
Add the brown butter to a stand mixer or bowl, making sure you include all the brown bits at the bottom.
Add the Biscoff spread and cream the brown butter and Biscoff spread together in the stand mixer or with electric handheld beaters. Sift in the icing sugar and salt. Add the lemon juice and milk. Beat on medium until fluffy and well combined.
Put your first cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Cover the top of the cake with frosting. If you want, flip the top cake over so the 'base' becomes the nice flat top of the cake. This saves trimming your cake to get a perfectly flat top. You will end up with a small gap at the edges in the middle of the cake, but this will not be visible as we are frosting the cake.
Frost the top can sides of the cake, filling in any gap in the middle and then smoothing down with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with some extra crushed-up Biscoff biscuits and you're done!
For something truly spectacular you could add a Biscoff drip like the one on my Biscoff cheesecake. Microwave about ⅓ of a cup of Biscoff Very briefly in the microwave, add to a piping bag or zip lock bag with the corner cut off.
Carefully pipe around the edge of the cake, squeezing out extra drips, then moving a little bit along and making the next drip. It's important the Biscoff spread isn't too hot or it will slide all the way down the cake. (I was totally going to do this before I photographed the cake, but I think it got distracted by my kids! I may yet remake it and update the photos :D)
How to serve
To serve this Biscoff spread cake pop onto a plate, slice and enjoy! Fabulous with a cup of tea or coffee for morning or afternoon tea. Delicious!
How to store
This cake will store in a covered container on the bench for up to three days. It does not need to be refrigerated. The buttercream will last on its own for up to one month in the fridge.
Can you freeze Biscoff cake?
Yes you can freeze this cake, either frosted or unfrosted. To freeze unfrosted wait until the cakes are completely cool, then wrap individually in cling film and foil and freeze in an airtight container.
You can freeze the cake once decorated. Again carefully wrap in cling film and store in an airtight container. If you are going to do this make sure you remove the cling film Before defrosting or you risk damaging the decoration. Defrost in the fridge overnight before serving. This will take up a lot of space in the freezer.
The buttercream itself also stores well in the fridge for up to one month or up to three months in the freezer in an airtight container. You may need to add a little milk to loosen up the buttercream before frosting the cake.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
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📋 Recipe
Biscoff Cake
Equipment
- 2 x 8 inch round cake tins
Ingredients
I highly recommend measuring by weight and mls instead of cups. You will get better, more consistent results!
Cake
- 2 cups (300gms) plain flour
- ¼ cup (40gms) corn flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick (½ cup/115gms) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (220gms) tightly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (150gms) Biscoff spread
- ¼ cup (65mls) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 & ⅓ cups (335mls) whole milk
- 2 & ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Buttercream
- 1 & ½ (¾ cup/170gms) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (225gms) Biscoff spread
- 2 cups (320gms) icing sugar or powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 & ½ tablespoons milk
- 4 or 5 Biscoff biscuits/cookies, to decorate
Instructions
To make the cake
- If you are making the brown butter to go with the butter cream (step 1) make this now so it can cool while your cakes bake.
- Pre-heat your oven to 365°F (185°C/165°C fan-forced). Grease and line 2 x 8 inch round cake tins with baking paper.
- Measure out the milk and add the lemon juice. Allow to stand at room temperature until you need it.
- Cream the room temperature butter and brown sugar together in a stand mixer on medium untill fluffy. Add the Biscoff spread and mix well. Add the vanilla extract, eggs and oil and mix well.
- Sift in the flour, corn flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the butter milk. Fold in gently together until just combined and their are no unmixed lumps of flour.
- Divide between two lined cake tins and bake for 35 mins or untill a tooth pick inserted comes out clean and the cake is no longer 'talking'.
- Allow to cool before removing from the cake tins. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting or your frosting will melt!
To make the buttercream and decorate the cake
- Cube the butter for the buttercream and add to a lightly colored pan. Heat on medium hight until melted and foaming. Continue to stir until butter starts to brown and develops a wonderful nutty aroma.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof container immediately, taking care to scrap out the brown bits at the bottom. Chill in the fridge untill solified then return to room temperature.
- Add the brown butter to a stand mixer or bowl, making sure you include all the brown bits at the bottom.
- Add the Biscoff spread and brown butter to the bowl of the stand mixer and beat togher.
- Sift in the icing sugar and salt. Add the lemon juice and milk. Beat on medium until fluffy and well combined. Taste and check the texure. If its to firm add anohter ½ tablespoon of milk and beat again. If its to loose add another couple of spoonfulls of sifted icing sugar and mix well.
- Put your first cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Cover the top of the cake with frosting. If you want, flip the top cake over so the 'base' becomes the nice flat top of the cake.
- Frost the top can sides of the cake, filling in any gap in the middle then smoothing down with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with some extra crushed-up Biscoff biscuits and you're done!
Notes
- The recipe time given is the hands-on time to make the cake. It does not include cooling time for the cake or chilling time for the brown butter for the buttercream.
- If making this cake in advance hold off sprinkling on the crushed-up biscuits until right before serving, or they will go soft.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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Nancy says
Hi, I am trying out this recipe and noticed that you have put oil in the ingredient list but there is no instruction where to place it.
I've read the recipe a few times and can't see it. Please advise if it's needed.
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Nancy, apologies for that. Yes the oil is needed, 1/4 cup per the ingredients list, to be added with the vanilla extract and eggs. I'll update the recipe card now, let me know how it goes 🙂
Ash says
Hello, I'm so excited to try this recipe. How much icing sugar is needed for the buttercream? It isn't in the ingredients list
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Ash, ah good pick up, it's 2 cups (320gms) of icing sugar. I've updated the recipe card. I would love to know how it goes when you make it 🙂
Helen says
Hi there,
I plan on making your delicious biscoff cake for my husband’s birthday but will need to tweak it to suit his dietary requirements…
Will the nuttelex be ok to clarify??
And i’m guessing i just omit the salt, if it already has it or do i reduce the amount?
Thank you
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Helen,
When I am doing dairy-free baking I tend to use nuttelex butterly, so I imagine this would be an OK substitute. The amount of salt you are adding with nuttelex butterly vs unsalted butter is less than half a gram. So I would add a bit less than 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the cake batter, and a bit less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the buttercream.
Usha says
I just made this. One of the best cakes I ever made.it was soft and airy. It will be my go to cake from now on. The icing was a little sweet so, next time I will reduce the quantity. Great cake. Please, try it. You will not regret it.
Sarah Brooks says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake! I'd love to hear more, did you make any tweaks to the recipe, or stick with it as written? If you found the icing a little sweet you could try adding a tablespoon of lemon juice next time. If you get a chance, leaving a star rating really helps others discover and enjoy the recipe too.