Thick layers of pumpkin cake baked right into a Biscoff cookie crust, and frosted in thick luscious Biscoff buttercream! This cake is what all your fall dreams are made of, and will be gone in seconds after finally cutting into it. We LOVE this cake!!!

As many of you know, I use a lot of textures in a majority of the cakes that I make. Some are simple and have just the cake and the buttercream. But sometimes I love to take the texture train a little bit further by adding on a cookie crust. I’ve done this with several of my cakes, but I haven’t added a Biscoff cookie crust before, and my biggest regret is not doing it sooner! It’s divine!

ADDING THE COOKIE CRUST

There’s a trick to getting the cookie crust just right. You want it to be compact, but not too hard. If it’s too crumbly, it will fall apart when you’re frosting it, and especially when you pop it out of the pan while baking! I’ve found the perfect balance between the two, and it honestly tastes just like a giant Biscoff cookie bottom on each cake layer! Pair that with Biscoff buttercream AND a pumpkin cake? This cake is really going to get rave reviews from anyone who is lucky enough to sneak a bite.

So how to make it work? The trick is a perfect balance between the cookies themselves and melted butter. I do 24 cookies and 5 Tablespoons of butter. Melt the butter all the way, then add it to the already processed cookies (in the food processor until they form a powder). Then, split the crumble evenly between the three pans, and use the back of a flat measuring spoon OR the bottom of a drinking glass to press the layer down evenly.

Bake the pumpkin batter right on the crust. No need to pre-bake anything! I try to keep these cakes as simple and accessible as possible. I didn’t want to add another step to the mix. And, it bakes up beautifully! Just wait until you smell the pumpkin and the Biscoff cooking together!

BISCOFF SPREAD VS COOKIE BUTTER

They’re the same thing! I get this question all the time. They’re THE SAME (mostly). So if you see a knockoff “cookie butter” spread, it’s fine. It will have a slightly different taste (just as brand cereal vs off-brand cereal, right?), but will work the same. You’re going to need almost an entire jar for this cake. I know, it sounds like a lot, but the jars are pretty small, and you’ll need lots for that heavenly buttercream.

Pumpkin Bliss

For the pumpkin cake, if you haven’t tried it yet, you are in for a real treat! It is one of our favorite cakes to make to impress any pumpkin-lover, but also it becomes a favorite for those who don’t even have pumpkin as a favorite. It’s crazy! This cake is a bit more dense/thick than my usual fluffy cake – its a good medium between pumpkin pie an pumpkin cake. The texture is pretty thick, but in the best way you’ve ever tasted! So grab a couple extra cans of pumpkin with your yellow cake mixes – you’re going to want to make this cake again and again!

BISCOFF BUTTERCREAM

This is one of those buttercreams that you could eat with a spoon. You’re going to need a lot of it for this cake design, so make sure you don’t snack on all of it! (who am I kidding, we always eat too much of it, haha). The thick buttercream is also light and fluffy, and makes the perfect sweater pattern on this cake using the Wilton 6B piping tip. I did the brain pattern in a horizontal line, then repeated it again above until we reached the top of the cake on the sides. Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency so you can have them hold their shape without drooping down the sides. The way you can control this is with your heavy cream and your powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add in some heavy cream. If it’s too thin, add in some powdered sugar. Beat on high for 2 minutes, stir down the bubbles with a wooden spoon to get rid of any air bubbles, and you’re good to go.

The sweater pattern is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Try to practice it on some parchment paper before you go on the actual cake, if that helps. You can always scrape it off and add it back into your piping bag.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Biscoff Cake

Thick pumpkin layers with a Biscoff cookie crust, stacked and wrapped up like a sweater in Biscoff buttercream.
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Ingredients
 

Pumpkin Cake with Biscoff Cookie Crust

  • 24 whole Biscoff Cookies , pulsed to a powder in a food processor
  • 5 Tablespoons Melted Unsalted Butter
  • 15 oz Canned Pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie
  • 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream , room temperature
  • 3 whole Eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup Buttermilk , room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 box White or Yellow Cake Mix , I always use Duncan Hines, but whatever you can find should be similar.

Biscoff Buttercream

  • 2 cups (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Left out at room temp for 10-15 minutes.
  • 1 cup Biscoff spread
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 6-8 cups sifted powdered sugar

Instructions
 

For the Pumpkin Cake with Biscoff Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees convection bake (or 350 convention bake). Prep three 6" cake rounds with a swipe of shortening and a dust of flour to prevent sticking. Set aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse together the cookies and butter until a crumble forms. Split the crumble three ways between the three cake pans. Press down evenly with the back of a measuring cup or glass. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, sour cream, eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Hand whisk until everything is thoroughly combined. Sift in the cake mix and whisk until just combined (don't overmix!).
  • Bake for 32-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit in the pan for 3 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. I recommend wrapping them in plastic wrap, freezing them, and frosting the cake rounds when they are thoroughly chilled/frozen.

For the Biscoff Buttercream

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's super light and fluffy; about 2-3 minutes. Add in the biscoff spread, salt, and vanilla and whip up again until everything is thoroughly combined.
  • Add in the heavy cream, then add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. Whip up on high for 3 minutes. Add in more heavy cream if needed for a thinner consistency, or more powdered sugar, if needed.

Assembly

  • Stack and crumb coat cake. Freeze. Add a layer of buttercream on top and use the turntalbe to create a subtle swirl. Using a Wilton 6B piping tip, pipe on the braid pattern starting on the bottom and working your way up. Tuck the next row right next to the last so it looks like a sweater pattern. Serve cold.

That’s it! We LOVE this cake so much, and it’s just so gorgeous and cozy – perfect for fall, and especially for your Thanksgiving season this month. 🙂

As always, if you make one of my cakes, I’d love to see it and join in on the fun! Make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie #bakingwithblondie on Instagram.

Happy Baking!

xo,

Mandy