Fall is the most inspiring time of year for me when it comes to recipes. The cold weather always gets me in the mood to bake, so that helps, but it’s the cozy flavors of the season that really amp me up. When I was thinking about new flavor pairings for my favorite pumpkin layer cake, I instantly thought Biscoff frosting would be incredible. Spoiler alert: I was not wrong. This cake is what Fall cake dreams are made of!
This is my favorite pumpkin cake recipe, ever. It’s deliciously moist, packed with pumpkin flavor, and has just the right amount of spice. It’s been my go-to for years and something I crave every single Fall. I’ve paired it with cream cheese frosting for a classic combo, made it into a pumpkin pie-inspired layer cake for Thanksgiving, and used it to make the pumpkin spice latte cake you’ll find in my book. This pumpkin Biscoff cake, though. It is NEXT LEVEL.
The Biscoff frosting completely elevates this pumpkin cake. Made with Biscoff cookie butter spread, it has gorgeous notes of cinnamon and caramel that really amplify the spice flavor in the pumpkin cake. Together, these flavors are absolutely perfect for Fall. To take things a step further, I crumbled Biscoff cookie crumbs in between the cake layers and added them as garnish on the outside of the cake. Because you can never have too much Biscoff.
I’m lucky to be able to find Biscoff cookie butter spread at my local grocery store and Target, but if you’re having a hard time finding it locally you can get it here on Amazon. You can also substitute any cookie butter in place of the Biscoff spread, so if you have a different favorite brand feel free to use that instead!
To decorate this cake, I used a Wilton cake comb to create the grooved texture in the Biscoff buttercream and left the top edge raw. It looked nice and rustic like that. Then, I added Biscoff cookie crumbs around the bottom edge of the cake and topped it with Biscoff buttercream swirls and more cookie garnishes. I used Wilton Tip 1M for the swirls here.
However you decorate, this cake is bound to impress at your next Fall gathering! It would make an excellent Thanksgiving cake or just an all-around cozy bake for a rainy day. I’m completely in love with this flavor pairing and I hope you love it as much as I do!
Spiced Pumpkin Biscoff Cake
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 2 3/4 Cups (290g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 Cup (140g) packed brown sugar
- 1 Cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Cups (12 oz) canned pumpkin purèe
- 1 Cup (240ml) full fat buttermilk* DIY recipe in notes
Biscoff Frosting
- 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 Cup (188g) Biscoff spread or cookie butter
- 5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 Tbsp (60ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Additional Fillings/Toppings
- 1/2 Cup (50g) crushed Biscoff cookies, divided
- 4 Biscoff cookies, halved
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/177ºC and prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and placing a wax or parchment paper circle into the bottom of each one. Measure the cake flour by spooning into your measuring cup and leveling it. Place it into a medium sized bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Whisk together and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in white and brown sugars and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium-high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the buttermilk in a steady stream and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
- Pour batter evenly between the cake pans (fill them no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for ten minutes before removing and continuing to cool on a wire rack or flat surface.
Make the Biscoff Frosting
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter and Biscoff cookie spread together on medium-high until it’s creamy and fully combined, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla, whole milk, and salt and continue to mix on low for another 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, until fully incorporated and smooth.
Assembly
- Once the pumpkin cakes are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of Biscoff frosting onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Add a layer of Biscoff frosting as filling, then sprinkle on about 2 Tablespoons of crushed Biscoff cookies before adding the next layer on top. Repeat the filling and stacking process with the final cake layer. Crumb coat the cake with Biscoff frosting, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.
- To create the design pictured, frost the cake with Biscoff frosting and use a cake comb to create grooved texture on the sides. Keep the top edges raw. While the frosting is still tacky, gently press Biscoff cookie crumbs around the bottom third of the cake. Pipe swirls of Biscoff frosting on top of the cake and place half of a Biscoff cookie in between each swirl. Finish by sprinkling the rest of the Biscoff cookie crumbs over the swirls.
Notes
- The pumpkin cake can be baked ahead and stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively you can store the cakes in the freezer for up to two months.
- The Biscoff frosting can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix in your stand mixer to bring it back to smooth buttercream consistency.
I hope you fall head over heels for this pumpkin Biscoff cake like I have! Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post a pic! I love to see what you create.
Hi, thanks for the recipe, I want to make the recipe but without the pumpkin, for a biscoff cake can I use this recipe ?
Hi Sandra! This is essentially a pumpkin cake with Biscoff buttercream, so you can use the frosting portion of the recipe and pair it with a Biscoff flavored cake. I don’t currently have a recipe for Biscoff cake layers (it’s on my list though!), but if I bet the cinnamon-vanilla cake layers from my churro cake recipe would taste amazing with the Biscoff frosting: https://sugarandsparrow.com/churro-cake-recipe/
Hi! If I used a 9 inch pan would this recipe give me 2 layers instead of 3?
Thank you!
Hi Leslie! Yes, this recipe will make enough for two 9-inch layers. If you want a third layer, you’ll want to make 1.5x the recipe. Enjoy!
I am commenting on the frosting. I had made pumpkin cupcakes w/ another recipe, but used this Biscoff frosting! It was absolutely delicious! I did not use all of the confectioners sugar, but the majority of it, though. I broke Biscoff cookies in half and stuck them into the frosting as the decoration on my cupcakes! They were awesome!
Yay, Stephanie! I’m so happy you loved the buttercream recipe!
Hello! I’m looking to bake this cake later today, but cake flour is tough to find at my local market, can I substitute for all purpose flour? Thank you!
Hi Desire! Yes, all purpose flour should work fine with this recipe. Even better if you make a homemade version of the cake flour using all-purpose flour. I just added instructions for that in the notes section of the recipe. Hope that helps!
Hi! I really want to try and make a Biscoff flavoured cake plus I love spices so this cake immediately caught my eye. Only thing is, in my country we don’t have pumpkin purée, at least not easily available in my local supermarkets. Could the pumpkin purée maybe be substituted by apple purée? No disrespect to this Autumnal institution, it’s just that I can’t find any pumpkin purée over here. Thank you so much
Hi Rute! I would use this recipe for the cake portion of the recipe instead of trying to substitute the pumpkin: https://sugarandsparrow.com/spice-cake-recipe/ and then top it with the Biscoff buttercream from this recipe. Hope that helps!
Hi Whitney!
I am looking to make this cake into a 3 layer 4” round. Would you recommend halving this recipe? Also what would the oven temp and bake time be? Thanks so much for your guidance
Hi Vanessa! To make the perfect amount of batter for a 3 layer 4 inch cake you’ll want to make 1/3 of the recipe (divide every ingredient by 3). If the math gets too complicated you can half the recipe but you’ll have more batter than needed. Be sure to fill the pans no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes. Enjoy!
Your photo shows frosting to be white. But mine in light brown, about half the color of the cookie butter. What gives?
Hi Cheryl! The frosting shown here is definitely light brown, not white. If you followed the frosting recipe and didn’t substitute for a different cookie butter it should be the same light brown/beige color as is shown here.
Can I bake all three pans at the same time?
And how many degrees do you use?
And which function of the oven do you use- top/bottom heat oder circulating air?
Hi Alfonsa! Yes, I recommend baking all 3 layers at the same time. I have a conventional oven, so I just use the bake function at 350ºF/177ºC. If you have a fan-assisted oven, I recommend reducing the temperature by 25ºF since those ovens run much hotter and tend to over-bake cakes. Hope that helps!
Thank you for your quick response!
One last question: when I do the DIY buttermilk, does the milk has to be room temperature when stir with vinegar? Or room temperature just before adding the batter?
When I added the buttermilk the batter clotted so I think my mistake was the too cold buttermilk…
I made this cake last week and it’s a huge hit! One question: would love to make a cupcake version of this. What modifications to bake time/temp would you recommend? Thanks!
Yay, Maggie! That makes me so happy! You can bake this recipe as cupcakes. Be sure to fill the tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 15-18 min. Enjoy!
Can you please tell me the best way to store the leftover cake? Thanks so much!
Hi Krystal! There are a few ways to store leftover cake: 1) you can wrap the cake or slices in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days 2) store at room temperature under a bell jar or otherwise covered for 3-4 days 3) wrap the individual slices in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. If you store the cake in the refrigerator or freezer, just bring it back to room temperature before eating it. Hope that helps!
I have been baking for YEARS and this is hands down the absolute best cake I have ever made. It was so good that I converted it into cupcakes the next weekend to take to a game watching party. Absolutely amazing.
Yay, Courtney! That makes me so happy!
I’d love to make this cake as it looks absolutely delicious. I’d be making it 3 layers 8in. I am also wondering if the taste of pumpkin is very strong as my kid loves spice cake having recently tried but unsure for pumpkin. Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you
Hi Ashley! It’s a pretty pumpkin-flavored spice cake 🙂 you could alternatively try this spiced chai cake recipe: https://sugarandsparrow.com/vanilla-chai-cake-recipe/ you’re reminding me that I need to add a traditional spice cake to my list of recipes to make!
I used a different cake recipe but used your frosting recipe and it was INCREDIBLE!
I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was an absolute hit. This will definitely be one I make again!
I’m hoping to make this cake for an upcoming birthday party. What size cake box would you recommend so the icing on top fits also?
Hi Selena! For cakes this height I recommend these boxes: https://amzn.to/45VTLlF
I want to make a 3 layer round cake with a 9 inch cake pans. Will this recipe work with that or it will only make 2 layers? 0r if I doubled the recipe would that work for a 3 layer 9 inch? I don’t know if I would do 1 & 1/2 batch of the recipe. Just trying to see if I can make 3 layers or is that too much?
Hi Laura! 1.5x the recipe will be enough for 3 9-inch layers. You’ll want to divide the batter equally to have enough for all 3 pans. Enjoy!
Is 5 eggs okay to use then if we are x1.5 the recipe? Thank you Whitney!
Hello,
I would love to make this cake but reduce it to a single layer. Would you recommend halving the recipe in order to do so?
Thank you!
Hi Kara! Yes, if it’s an 8 or 9-inch layer, then half the recipe and you’ll have just the right amount.
I want to use this recipe for a Halloween cake. Can the frosting be colored for different colors on my cake? If so, will any food coloring work?
Hi Laura! Yes, the frosting can be colored and any food coloring will work but I prefer gel-based colors with buttercream to keep the consistency in tact.
For the frosting, how can you make it less sweet? Could you do a mixture of butter and shortening?
Hi Milena! You could try adding up to 1/2 Cup less powdered sugar but the consistency will be thinner. And yes, you could sub up to half of the butter with shortening if you’d like!
Hi Milena,
I managed to make the buttercream less sweet,
Instead of 6 cups of powdered sugar, I only added 2 to 2.5 cups powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered milk and 1 tablespoon meringue powder and omitted the liquid milk. Kept everything else the same. The buttercream was stable, delicious and not too sweet. I was able to do the piping on top.
Hi there! I’m wondering if your cake pan is 6×2 or 6×3. Thank you!
Hi Paige! I use 6 x 2 inch pans. Hope that helps!
Hola!
Antes que nada muchas gracias por sus conocimientos compartidos!!
Yo tengo una pregunta, el pumpkin pie spice, organic de Great valué, tiene todo los ingredientes que mencionas, podré usarlo así? O recomiendas mejor por separado?
Muchas Gracias de antemano por tu respuesta!! ☺️
Hi Magda! I do like adding the spices separately so I can control the amount of each spice but I think it will work to add pumpkin pie spice as a sub! I’m not sure exactly how much to add though, so I’d start with 3-4 tsp and go from there. Hope that helps!
Made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was a huge crowd pleaser. The pumpkin cake was so flavourful and perfectly spiced with such a great pillowy texture. I added your salted caramel sauce as a drip on top of the cake which emphasized the caramel notes in the cookie butter buttercream. My family is already asking when I’ll make this cake again. I’ve yet to make one of your recipes that hasn’t turned out!
Yay, Ashley! I’m so happy to hear that this cake was a hit! Adding salted caramel sauce sounds like such a good choice. I need to try that now!!