Cookie Butter Cake
Packed with the flavor of speculoos cookies, this Cookie Butter Cake makes for one heck of a tasty dessert! Serve up a slice tonight with a mug of coffee!
Around 2pm each afternoon, my sweet tooth starts shouting at me. Some days I ignore it. Some days (especially if I was good and got up for the gym that morning), I grab a handful of jelly beans. But most days, I grab a couple speculoos cookies. Not familiar with speculoos cookies? How about Biscoff cookies? Same thing. These cookies are made in a small Belgian town located about an hour outside of Brussels.
Lotus is the most common brand of speculoos, and in Europe these cookies are sold as “Lotus Speculoos” cookies. If you order a coffee at just about any cafe in Belgium, chances are it will be served with a speculoos cookie. So where does Biscoff come into the picture? Well, Delta signed on to serve speculoos cookies on its’ flights, but it feared that Americans would have a hard time pronouncing ‘speculoos.’ So they merged biscuit (European for cookie) with coffee. Bis-coff. Interesting back story, huh?
Biscoff cookies remind me of a cross between gingerbread and graham crackers. (I made speculoos cookies a few years back for Christmas, and they actually don’t include any graham flour. However, there is something about the taste that reminds me of graham crackers. Call me crazy.) The flavor is delicious, and it’s perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee.
But then in 2007, a Belgian version of ‘Shark Tank’ led to the creation of Biscoff spread (aka cookie butter). Take Biscoff cookies. Turn ’em into a spread like Nutella. Spread it on anything and everything. Delicious! (Trader Joe’s version of cookie butter spread is also quite tasty. In fact, it kinda has a cult following. In 2015, customers voted it as the #1 Trader Joe’s product. That’s legit!)
Cookie Butter Cake
Cookie Butter CakeThe other day (around 2pm…while munching on a couple Biscoff cookies), I had an idea to make a cake using cookie butter spread. It has a similar consistency as Nutella and peanut butter, so I figured I could turn it into a frosting. Holy cow! A spoonful of Biscoff spread by itself is amazing, but turn it into a frosting on a cake? I had to restrain myself (i.e. freeze the slices of cake) to keep from eating it all!
For this Cookie Butter Cake, I started with a basic yellow cake. It’s my tried-and-true yellow cake recipe, so I knew that would be a good base. From there, I experimented (read: ate my way through a jar of Biscoff Spread) with the frosting until it had the right, spreadable consistency. I wasn’t sure how to decorate this cake, but I ended up going with a simple garnish of crumbled Biscoff cookies.
In the end, this Cookie Butter Cake wins an award for most delicious cake baked in my house this week. (To be fair, I only baked one cake this week…but still, this cake wins!) If you love Biscoff cookies as much as me, then you owe it to yourself to make this Cookie Butter Cake. Just promise to invite friends over so you don’t eat it all by yourself, ok? Happy baking!
Did you make this Cookie Butter Cake at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Looking for more speculoos-inspired desserts? Check out these other favorites, too:
Espresso Cookies with Biscoff Buttercream
Cookie Butter Pound Cake (similar concept as this Cookie Butter Cake…just in pound cake form!)
Homemade Speculoos Cookies
Cookie Butter Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups cake flour see note
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
For the Cookie Butter Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup cookie butter aka Biscoff Spread
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup milk
- {optional garnish} crumbled Biscoff cookies
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease (2) 9” round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; set pans aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 min. on medium speed).
- Add eggs in 2 additions, mixing fully after each addition.
- Add baking powder, salt and half of the flour; stir until just combined.
- Add vegetable oil, vanilla extract and milk; stir until just combined.
- Add remaining flour; stir until just combined. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.)
- Divide batter evenly between 2 prepared cake pans.
- Bake 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool completely in pans.
For the Cookie Butter Frosting
- Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and cookie butter until well combined.
- Add powdered sugar in 1 cup additions, mixing fully after each addition.
- Add milk, mix fully on low speed and then increase to high speed for 3-4 minutes.
To Assemble
- Place one layer of cake on serving platter or cake stand. (Tip: Don’t forget to remove parchment paper underneath!)
- Spread ½ cup of frosting evenly on top of cake.
- Add second layer of cake; frost top and sides with remaining frosting.
- {Optional} Garnish top of cake with crumbled Biscoff cookies.
Notes
I’m swooning. This looks AMAZING. I’m a huge fan of cookie butter so I know I’ll be a huge fan of this cake too! Have a great weekend, David!
I was thinking about you when I made this cake, Kelsie! However, to be fair, I was thinking “Kelsie would like this. Except she would dub the cookie butter for Nutella.” 🙂 Seriously, though, cookie butter is magical. I love this cake!!
I love speculoos cookies, and I’m lucky that they are everywhere. Even the place I get my hair cut gives me a lotus cookie with my coffee! Now, cookie butter icing on a cake?! That gets my vote for sure, great idea.
What! That’s it. I need to move over there. Your barber gives you a Lotus cookie with coffee!? I’m jealous! Fortunately, Lotus cookies have become fairly easy to find in our grocery stores over here. I love ’em! And I love this cake. Seriously one of my all-time favorites. Thanks, Matt!
My sweet tooth starts shouting at me around the same time, too! I need a good cup of coffee and something sweet every afternoon 🙂 I really think this cookie butter cake would do the trick!
No wonder we’re friends then, Alexandra! A good Lotus cookie + a cup of coffee is hard to beat…unless it’s a slice of cookie butter cake + a cup of coffee instead. Haha! 🙂
I love Biscoff, so I’m sure I’d love these cookies, too. (I was so happy on the last flight I was one, that they passed them out as a snack.)
The frosting is especially intriguing to me, and sounds so delicious! ~Valentina
Me, too, Valentina! Whenever they pass out snacks on a plane, I always (always!) pick the Lotus cookies. Love ’em! This cake is a total homage to the Lotus cookie, and it’s seriously one of my all-time favorites. 🙂
Wow, I never had a cookie butter cake and this sounds so fascinating! I have to wait for my husband to get back on sweets so I can try this. Definitely pinning it.
Yes! Definitely pin this one for later, Kankana. I love cookie butter (so good!), so it just stands to reason that a cookie butter cake would be tasty. This is seriously one of my all-time favorites! 🙂
Definitely a tasty dessert David. Yum! Now, wouldn’t a cookie butter cheesecake with Biscoff spread be delicious too!!
Oooo…look at you go, Neil! I think that cookie butter cheesecake might have to happen now. 🙂
LOL – this might be the only cake you made for the week of your cake-judging, but David, it sure does deserve an award! This Biscoff/Speculoos cookie batter is insane – and you made it into a frosting! OH ME OH MY! I’m not gonna lie – I’d eat that frosting by the spoonful! And -I wish I could make my sweet tooth wait until 2pm to kick in – mine starts at 5am! Now if only I had a slice of this….
Happy Monday, my Upstate NYC friend!
This cake is SO good, Shashi! I had to immediately freeze it as I was certain I’d eat way more than I should have. 🙂 Hey, if you want to eat cake at 5am, then I say you eat cake at 5am. You do you, my friend! Just make sure to serve it with a nice cup of coffee!
Sometimes I’m just not with it! I’ve never even tried cookie butter! Oh, what am I missing? Even without knowing this cake looks spectacular. Now it’s on my baking list for this week!
Oh no! Ok, Kathy. You have homework this week. (I’d say today, but that might be pushing it a bit.) You have to go to the store and buy a jar of Lotus’ Cookie Butter. Just promise me you won’t eat it all in one day, ok? (It’s amazing!!) 🙂
TJ’s cookie butter is totally addictive! I can’t be trusted to not eat the whole jar in a week haha love the idea of a cookie butter cake!
You know what’s strange, Nicole? I totally woke up this morning and thought “Hey, I haven’t heard from Nicole in a while. I hope she’s ok.” Then I opened my inbox to see your note. Perfect timing! 🙂 Also, I totally know what you mean about those jars of cookie butter. WAY too good. So I just baked it into a cake instead. Haha!
This would be dangerous to have around, David. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t stay out of it!
You’re telling me about this cake being dangerous, Marissa! I forced myself to slice it up and freeze it because I knew it wouldn’t be safe in the kitchen. 🙂
It looks delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you! I do really enjoy this cake! 🙂