This cake has thick layers of tender cookie butter flavored cake and is filled with a cookie butter buttercream. Super easy to make, you will love this flavorful cake!
Speculoos, Lotus, Biscoff, Heaven On A Spoon- no matter what you call cookie butter- you need to make this cake. Since discovering cookie butter a few years ago – I honestly don’t remember my life before it- I’ve added a bunch of recipes to my site like this cookie butter babka, this cookie butter fudge, and these cookie butter biscotti.
But not until today have I shared a cookie butter cake recipe!!
What is cookie butter?
Hello omg where have you been? Cookie butter is a combination of mashed up cookies and butter. If you have never tried it, stop what you’re doing and go get yourself a jar. Go ahead I’LL WAIT.
There are a bunch of brands above that I mentioned that make cookie butter, you can even find it at Trader Joes. I use either the Biscoff or the Walmart brand for recipe testing. I can’t tell the difference in flavor and it is wayyyy cheaper!
How to make a cookie butter cake:
This comes together easily especially is you use a stand mixer. Combine the first three ingredients in one bowl and add the oil, cookie butter, and brown sugar to the mixer. Mix on low, adding in the vanilla and eggs one at a time. Alternate adding in the dry mixture and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until a smooth batter forms.
Brown sugar vs. white sugar
I tested this recipe first with granulated white sugar and felt like there was just a little depth of flavor that was missing. The next time, I swapped it out for brown sugar which deepened the cookie butter flavor and gave a little moisture to the cake.
Oil vs. butter
Using oil in your cakes leads to a more tender crumb- I don’t know why that sounds like its something out of a romance novel or something but it’s true. I love to use oil in my cake recipes especially when I use yogurt or buttermilk because the combination from the acid in these ingredients makes for a really tender cake.
Can I make this cake dairy free?
Yes! You can make your own buttermilk by:
Measure one cup of soy, almond, or rice milk in a measuring cup. Take out one tablespoon and replace it with either lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes until its thickened a little. Voila! You just made dairy free buttermilk!
Baking:
You can either bake this recipe in 3 six inch cake pans, or 2 8″ cake pans. If you want to create a two layer stacked cake (stacking the 6″ on top of the 8″) you need to double this recipe and the buttercream recipe too.
You can also make this in a 9×13 as a snack cake! The baking time would be about 30-35 mins.
The buttercream:
Ok let’s not forget about the buttercream. The best thing about this (besides for licking it from the spatula) is that you can use either chunky or smooth cookie butter. Because, you know, they make both options and we don’t want to leave either of them out.
If you use the chunky one, then you will need more half n half when you are making the buttercream. If you are using the smooth kind, you will need less.
If you want to make the buttercream dairy free you will have to use margarine (sorry) or Earth balance or another butter substitute.
How to make cookie butter buttercream:
You’ll need your stand mixer again so go wash it out if you used it for the cake. Add the softened butter, cookie butter, and confectioners sugar to the mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment start the mixer on low and let the sugar mix into the softened ingredients before bringing it up to medium- high speed. Scrape the bowl down as necessary then add in the salt and the half n half.
Like I said before depending on what kind of cookie butter you use, you may need more or less of the half n half (to cream or milk to sub) to get the consistency you want.
Decorating the cake:
Def read this post on how to make your cakes more professional if you are into that sort of thing, but you can frost this cake easily by frosting the top of one cake and stacking the other layer on top. Then use a knife or an offset spatula to layer that buttercream on thick.
Other decorating ideas:
- crush up Biscoff cookies and decorate with the crumbs
- decorate with whole cookies
- pipe the frosting on with a decorative tip
- Decorate it with flowers like I did
Storing and freezing:
Yes you can freeze this cake but freeze it without the buttercream. Make the buttercream the day you need it and frost it then. This cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
This cake is seriously so good and smells like heaven when you bake it! If you guys make this recipe I would LOVE it if you could rate it and leave a review below! Also tag me in your photos on Instagram so I can see your cookie butter cake creations!!!
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Cookie Butter Cake
Ingredients
- For the Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup smooth cookie butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs large
- 1 cup buttermilk
- For the Buttercream
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup smooth or chunky cookie butter
- 3 cups confectioner sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon half n half if using chunky cookie butter
- 2 teaspoons half n half if using smooth cookie butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray 3, 6” pans or 2, 8” pans with baking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, and whisk lightly to combine.
- In another bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the oil, brown sugar, and cookie butter. Mix or beat on low- medium until a smooth batter forms. Add in the vanilla and one egg at a time, mixing in between.
- Next add ⅓ rd of the dry mixture and alternate adding buttermilk- starting and ending with the flour- usually ⅓ of the flour at a time, and ½ of the buttermilk at a time. Mix on medium speed or with a spatula until a thick smooth mixture forms.
- Pour even amounts into your baking pans. Bake 30-35 minutes for 6” pans or 25-28 minutes for 8” pans.
- The cakes are ready when the edges start to pill away from the sides and when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- While the cakes are cooling make the buttercream. You will need to clean your mixer if you used it for the cake.
- Add the butter, cookie butter and confectioners sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Start the mixer on low speed so that the sugar doesn’t blow up in your face. Gradually increase the speed to medium as more and more sugar gets mixed in. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Add in the amount of half n half needed depending on which type of cookie butter you're using, and depending on how thick or creamy you like your buttercream. If it's too loose add more confectioners sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more half n half.
Notes
Nutrition
What is ‘cookie butter’ please? Would you have a link for where to buy it from please? Is it just peanut butter?
Amazing! My family has been a cookie butter fan for awhile so when I saw Sam created this recipe I knew it was a must. My husband said it’s his new favorite.
Ahhh Adrianne! I am so happy to hear that thank you so so much!! I am so glad he loved it! Isn’t cookie butter the best!
I made this cake for a birthday and it was insanely good! Packed full of cookie butter flavor! It recipe was also very easy to make!
Im so happy to hear that Amanda!! Thank you so much!
I made this recipe as cupcakes. I cored the cupcakes and filled them with cookie butter and then iced them with a cookie butter Swiss meringue buttercream. They were delicious! Next time I think I will add a bit of cinnamon and ginger to the cake batter. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much for making this recipe Karen!