Decadent Cookie Butter Layer Cake Recipe

This layered cookie butter cake is absolutely delicious! Made with four layers of soft cake and a homemade cookie butter crumble, this Biscoff-style cake will likely become a new favourite.

Cookie butter is a delightful sweet spread made from crushed spiced cookies — the same type often served on airplanes. It has a smooth, spreadable texture similar to Nutella but with a distinct speculoos flavor. You can enjoy it on toast, stirred into oatmeal, baked into cookies, or folded into cake batter. This recipe transforms cookie butter into a multi-layer cake with a crunchy cookie crumble middle and a fluffy cookie butter buttercream.

Key Ingredients for a Cookie Butter Cake

Although the recipe card lists several ingredients, each one is straightforward. This cake is designed to be approachable while delivering rich cookie butter flavor and tender texture.

Flour: All-purpose flour works well here. A small amount of cornstarch is added to give the cake a lighter crumb.

Butter: Butter adds flavor and richness. A touch of neutral oil helps keep the cake moist.

Buttermilk: Buttermilk contributes tang and keeps the cake soft and tender.

Biscoff Cookies: Use plain Biscoff (speculoos) cookies, crushed for the middle layer and crumble. Avoid sandwich varieties with filling.

Cookie Butter: Any speculoos cookie butter or Biscoff spread will work. It’s commonly sold beside Nutella at many supermarkets.

Baking Directions Made Easy

Choose your pan configuration: this recipe was baked in four 6″x2″ pans for a tall, layered cake. If you prefer, use two 8″x2″ pans for a two-layer cake — bake time is similar, but start checking for doneness a little early.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare pans. Grease and line the bottoms with parchment for easy release.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the room-temperature butter with granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the oil, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and cookie butter, scraping the bowl frequently to ensure an even mix.

Tip: Scrape down the sides of the bowl often while creaming to keep the batter uniform.

4. With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients, then half of the buttermilk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Mix only until combined to avoid overworking the batter.

5. Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans. Weighing batter for each pan helps ensure even layers. Bake at 350°F for about 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Begin checking at 28–30 minutes to prevent overbaking.

6. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Cookie Butter Buttercream

Besides the cookie butter buttercream, this cake features a special middle layer: a cookie butter crumble. It adds texture and concentrated speculoos flavor between layers.

To make the crumble, crush about 15 Biscoff cookies and reserve 1/2 cup of crumbs. Combine those crumbs with 1/2 cup of cookie butter until evenly moistened. The result is a spreadable cookie crunch similar to the filling in some ice cream cakes.

For the cookie butter buttercream: beat 1 cup (2 sticks) of room-temperature unsalted butter until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add 1–2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon heavy cream and combine, then stir in 1/3 cup cookie butter. Add the remaining powdered sugar and 1–2 tablespoons more cream as needed, plus 2 teaspoons vanilla, until the frosting is smooth, light and spreadable. Adjust powdered sugar and cream a little at a time to achieve your preferred consistency.

Assemble The Cookie Butter Cake

Place one cooled cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream evenly across the layer. Drop 4–5 teaspoons of the cookie butter crumble onto the frosting and smooth it into an even layer — it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Repeat with remaining layers. Once the final cake layer is in place, frost the exterior with the remaining buttercream and decorate with extra cookie crumbs, broken Biscoff cookies, or any garnish you prefer.

Enjoy a slice of this cake for birthdays, special occasions, or anytime you want a sweet celebration. The combination of soft cake, creamy cookie butter frosting, and crunchy cookie crumble is satisfying and memorable.

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

If you like cakes, try some other recipes from the same collection, such as mini chocolate cake, pumpkin caramel cake, or mini red velvet cake. If you’re a cookie butter fan, try cookie butter cookies for another easy treat.