Biscoff Crumble Cake with Cookie Butter Frosting

Biscoff is delicious in buttercream, cookie sandwiches, and this cake, too! This Lotus Biscoff crumble cake recipe is moist, soft, and full of comforting spices, thanks to the spread that's baked into it. The cookie butter frosting adds extra Biscoff flavor, and the crumb topping is made from Biscoff cookies, adding texture, too.

Lotus Biscoff Cake Ingredients

The recipe card shows you all the ingredients you'll need, but I've highlighted some of the key ones:

Cake Layers

• Unsalted butter at room temperature and canola oil - After testing this recipe many, many times, I got the ratio down of liquid ingredients to dry. The butter and oil give this cake both its moisture and its structure.
• Lotus Biscoff spread - This cookie butter spread is literally baked into the layers and *so* tasty! It's a key ingredient for both moisture and cake flavor.
• All-purpose flour - Some cakes call for cake flour, but this one does not. Given the volume of wet ingredients, all-purpose flour helps this cake hold it shape and structure.

In addition to the cookie butter frosting, I also recommend making a Biscoff cake crumb! It creates texture between the cake layers as well as on its outside. It also is another way to incorporate Biscoff flavor into this treat.

Why You'll Love this Lotus Biscoff Cake Recipe

• Creamy cookie butter: This cake is full of Biscoff cookie butter - it's an essential ingredient in the cake batter as well as the buttercream.
• An easy cake recipe: I tested this recipe half a dozen times and after perfecting the ratio of ingredients, it's a good one. Not only is it flavorful, it's easy to whip up once you have the ingredients.
• Biscoff cookie crumbs: We are crumbling up Biscoff cookies and adding them back into the buttercream!

Steps for Making the Cake Crumb

The optional Biscoff cake crumb will give you texture between your layers. You can also use it to decorate the outer base of cake. If you decide to make it, start the recipe here.

Begin making the crumb by preheating the oven temperature to 300°F. Line a quarter sheet pan or baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl or bowl of your stand mixer, combine all the dry ingredients for the crumb (sugars, flour, baking powder, crumbled Biscoff cookies, salt, and spices). Add to stand mixer bowl if not already using. Combine oil and vanilla in a small container and stream the liquid into the mixer while paddling on low.

Mix until you see small clusters of your ingredients forming. Use your hands to clump the mixture together and spread out on your baking sheet.

Bake crumb for about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool completely.

Steps for How to Make this Lotus Biscoff Cake

Meanwhile, increase the oven’s heat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 6” round cake pans or coat them with baking spray before proceeding. If using cake strips (highly recommend), begin soaking them in a small bowl or glass. The strips will help your cake layers bake and rise more evenly in the oven.

To a large mixing bowl, add and whisk together your dry ingredients. Set aside.  

Using the paddle attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream your unsalted room temperature butter, vanilla extract, and sugars together on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each one, before mixing batter all together on medium speed for 1 minute.

Add half of your bowl of dry ingredients and all buttermilk to your mixing bowl. Then mix on low for about 45 seconds.  

Add remaining flour, along with your Greek yogurt, oil, and Biscoff spread. Mix on low speed until totally incorporated, about a minute more.  

Finally, pour and evenly spread the batter into your prepared cake pans (about 350 grams in each pan). Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, at which point you can insert a toothpick to test if your cake's done by inserting it into the layers and seeing if the toothpick comes out cleanly.

Let cake cool in pan about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps for Making the Biscoff Buttercream

With a hand mixer or paddle attachment and stand mixer, beat room temperature butter with vanilla extract, kosher salt, and Lotus Biscoff spread on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. 

Stop your mixer and pour all of your finely crumbled Biscoff cookies and about half of your powdered sugar and half of your heavy cream into your bowl. Next, beat on a low speed to slowly incorporate all ingredients. Repeat this process, stopping the mixer in between adding the remaining powdered sugar and heavy cream. Mix until cookie butter frosting is totally combined.

Fit a piping bag with a large open piping tip so that your cookie crumbs don't get stuck in the tip.

Next, fit the bag over the rim of a tall glass so it's stable. Fill with buttercream.

How to Assemble Your Cake

If you've made your crumb, cake layers, and buttercream, you're ready to stack your cake layers!

Start by piping a dollop of buttercream onto a cake circle. It'll act as glue to hold the layer in place. Set your first cake layer on top of that.

Pipe about ⅓ of your Biscoff buttercream on top of the bottom layer and sprinkle about ½ of your cake crumb. Use your hands to gently press the crumb into the frosting so it sticks to it. Add another coat of frosting on top to hold the crumb in place.

Place second cake layer on top of the first. Then, starting from the base of the cake and moving to the top, pipe a thick layer of frosting around your cake.

If you want the marbled effect, place 2-3 spoonfuls of Biscoff spread in a microwavable container for about 15 seconds on medium power. You want the texture to be warm and easily spreadable.

Use a spoon to swipe small dollops of the melted spread around your cake. Then place a cake scraper against the side of the cake and gently pull the cake around to smooth out the frosting and create a marble design.

Fill in any gaps in the frosting with your Biscoff buttercream, but refrain from marbling and smoothing the cake more than three times. The spread will start to harden, making it messier and more difficult to smooth the cake’s sides.

Add any remaining melted buttercream to the cake top and spread it with a spoon or offset spatula.

Gently press remaining crumbs all around the base of your cake and on top for extra crunch and Biscoff flavor! 

Freezing and Storing Your Lotus Biscoff Cake and Buttercream

• Leftover cake will stay good for a few days after baking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or the refrigerator for five. Note that cake will dry out more quickly in a refrigerator.
• You can bake these cake layers in advance. Tightly cover them with plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight bag or container. Bring out of freezer and allow time for cake to thaw before beginning to decorate.
• Your buttercream will also freeze well. In an airtight airtight container in the freezer, it can stay good for up to three months. Bring out of the freezer the night before using to let the buttercream come to room temperature before putting it into a piping bag.

Tips to Bake Like a Pro

• If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking. Weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency. I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.
• Avoid over-mixing your cake. Only mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

What is Biscoff cookie butter?

Lotus Biscoff cookie butter or Lotus Biscoff spread has become increasingly popular in baked goods.

More Desserts

Searching for a more traditional dessert instead? My carrot cake with pineapple is a family favorite for birthdays and celebrations. You could also opt for my vanilla cupcake recipe - can't go wrong with that!

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