Description
This secretly vegan Biscoff cake is the best of both Speculoos cookies and deliciously tender and soft cake. With cookie butter baked throughout the sponge cake layers, crushed Biscoff cookies, and biscoff cookie butter, this cookie butter cake is an absolute showstopper.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegan Biscoff Cake:
- 300 mL unsweetened dairy free milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (to be mixed with dairy free milk milk)
- 460 grams all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour + 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 150 grams salted vegan butter (I recommend Flora Plant butter or Miyokos), room temperature
- 170 grams unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 150 grams biscoff cookie butter
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract (yes, 2 tablespoons!!)
- Optional (but recommended): 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
- 2 cups vegan butter, softened
- 4 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–4 tbsp unsweetened dairy free milk
- 8–10 Lotucs cookies, crushed
- 1/3 cup biscoff cookie butter, heated for 30 seconds until drippy
Instructions
- Prep:Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease three 6″ cake pans with cooking oil, and line them with parchment paper. Set aside. Prepare the vegan buttermilk. Combine the dairy free milk with the apple cider vinegar, and set aside to sit for 5-6 minutes. You can weigh and measure the remaining ingredients during this time.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Make the batter: In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a large bowl with hand mixer, cream together the vegan butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed. Then add in the applesauce, biscoff cookie butter, and vanilla extract. Mix again on medium speed until combined, scraping down the sides and at the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add in about half of the dry mixture, along with half of the vegan buttermilk, and mix on medium speed until just combined. Add in the remaining dry mixture and vegan buttermilk, and mix on medium speed until there are just no more dry streaks. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as well as the sides.
- Divide the batter between the three cake pans evenly, and bake for 35 minutes in 6″ cake pans, or until the toothpick comes out clean. (for three 8″ cake pans, bake for 27-30)
- Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled completely (there is absolutely no warmth to the touch!), then you can prepare your buttercream.
- When ready to frost the cakes, add vegan butter to a large bowl or stand mixer and cream for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, continuing the beat the mixture until it’s a thick buttercream.
- Add in vanilla and 2-4 tablespoons of coconut/almond milk and continue to beat until desired texture.
Assembly:
- To assemble the cake, pipe or spread about 1/2 cup vegan buttercream onto one top of a layer. Pipe a border around the top. Then sprinkle in about 1/4 cup of the crushed lotus cookies, plus a tablespoon drizzle of biscoff cookie butter. Place the second layer on top and repeat. Then place the third layer on top and coat with a crumb coat. Place the cake into the fridge to chill.
- Smooth the edges of the cake with a bench scraper, then apply the final layer of frosting. To create a drip, gently drip the biscoff spread over the edges of the cake. Then pipe the remaining frosting on top. Add Lotus cookies if desired and enjoy!
Notes
Biscoff spread & cookies: You can find both in bigger grocery store chains. If you’d like gluten free, there are similar style cookies called Partake, and those are gluten free. There is also this wonderful recipe for a gluten free biscoff cookie butter.