Equipment
Ingredients
Speculoos Sponge
- 360 g cake flour, sifted
- 12 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 225 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200 g light brown sugar, packed
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 150 g biscoff cookie spread, smooth
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 240 ml whole milk, room temperature
Biscoff Buttercream
- 340 g unsalted butter, softened
- 480 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 250 g biscoff cookie spread, smooth
- 30 ml heavy cream
- 2 g fine sea salt
Decoration
- 8 biscoff biscuits, crushed or whole
- 60 g biscoff cookie spread, melted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 985 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 113 g
- Fat
- 57 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 77 g
- Sodium
- 438 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 28 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 168 mg
- Potassium
- 133 mg
- Calcium
- 134 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 15 mg
- Phosphorus
- 149 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 374 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 25 mcg
- Water
- 44 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease two 20cm (8-inch) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and Biscoff spread on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs one at a time, mixing fully after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk (begin and end with dry ingredients). Mix only until just combined to avoid gluten development.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the buttercream: Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until creamy (3-5 minutes). Add the Biscoff spread and beat until combined.
Gradually add the powdered sugar and salt on low speed. Once incorporated, increase speed to high and whip for 3 minutes. Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time if the frosting is too stiff.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a thick layer of buttercream on top. Place the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream.
Decorate with crushed Biscoff biscuits. Optionally, melt extra Biscoff spread in the microwave for 20 seconds and drizzle over the top.
Chef's Notes
- Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable for this recipe; cold eggs or milk will cause the batter to curdle, resulting in a poor rise.
- For a deeper caramel flavor, use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar in the sponge.
- The Biscoff spread adds significant fat; do not reduce the sugar in the frosting, or the structure will be too unstable to pipe.
- If doing the melted Biscoff drip, let the cake chill in the fridge for 20 minutes first so the warm drip sets nicely against the cold buttercream.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container or cake dome. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
Troubleshooting
Cake is dense or gummy
Cause: Overmixing after adding flour developed too much gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but can be served warm as a 'pudding' with custard
Prevention: Stop mixing immediately once flour streaks disappear
Buttercream is curdled or split
Cause: Butter was too cold or Biscoff spread was too oily/warm
Fix: Warm the bowl slightly (hairdryer or warm towel) while whipping on high speed
Prevention: Ensure all ingredients are at the same room temperature (20-22°C)
Cultural Context
Biscoff spread is derived from Speculoos, a spiced shortcrust biscuit traditionally baked for St. Nicholas' Day in Belgium and the Netherlands. This cake transforms those traditional holiday flavors—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger—into a modern American-style layer cake.
