Biscoff + Strawberry Cake
The cake chronicles continues, & last week it lead me down the road of a sweet + fruity layer cake. This Biscoff + Strawberry Cake - taking the flavor and enjoyments of a cookie I usually only eat on airplanes to a whole new level. A sweet, Biscoff flavored cake with alternating layers of sweet, strawberry buttercream and a sweet cookie butter filling. It is sweet on sweet on sweet, but that distinct Biscoff flavor and fresh strawberries keep it perfectly balanced and so so good.
Biscoff + Strawberry
There are 2 essential components of this cake that take the flavors to the next level
Actual biscoff cookies. Puree them in a food processor until you get something slightly chunkier than a sand consistency. Add those to the cake, and they just melt in the rest of the batter, and save a little bit to sprinkle on top of your cake.
Freeze dried strawberries. Still using the food processor to transform them into a strawberry powder, and this time adding them to the buttercream. It’s what takes the buttercream from butter-colored to a perfectly pink hue. And again, save a little extra to sprinkle on top of the cake.
Two fillings - so much better than just one
In my last cake post, I talked about the need for cake tools. Literally makes baking + assembling a cake so much simpler. This time a cake sliced is key - a tool that allows you to perfectly cut a cake layer in half. I did that with this cake - cutting 2 cooked cakes and halving them, so your finished product gets you 4 baby layers. The beauty of the cake is the alternating fillings - from cookie butter to strawberry buttercream. It looks so cute and is such a fun variation. And all of it is delish - but good god that cookie butter layer. Gosh. I’m late to the cookie butter party, but I’m here now + I’m on board. It’s so so good.
Don’t skip the fresh strawberries
Necessary layer - adding thinly sliced fresh strawberries to the cake. Adding a layer of thinly sliced fresh strawberries to the buttercream layer is essential to get a little something fresh into the cake. Breaks up the richness of the cake, adds in some real deal strawberry flavor. I made this cake without it, & it was the one thing it was missing. So round 2 adding in this fresh component was perfect.
Truth be told, one very big reason this was so perfect is our neighbor so sweetly gifted us a huge 3 lb bpx of Biscoff cookies for Christmas. Since received, had no idea what the heck we were going to do with them. This cake was a pretty good solution, and even more perfect shared with friends. We invited our good friends Sarah + Brian over as our first studio apartment guests (something you can really only do with besties) and we had lasagne + this cake + a game of Catan. And had ourselves a very fun time.
For the cake
18 Biscoff Cookies, pureed to thin crumbs in a food processor
2 cups flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar packed
4 large, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
For the cookie butter layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup cookie butter (i bought the one from TJs)
1 cup powdered sugar
For the strawberry buttercream
2 cup (452 g) unsalted butter slightly chilled
4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
1/2 cup (14 g) pulverized freeze dried strawberries
1/4 cup (40 g) strawberry jelly or jam if you don't mind seeds
1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla extract
1/3 cup (76 g) heavy whipping cream
fresh strawberries, at least 5-6 thinly sliced
Preheat your oven to 325. Prep two 6-inch pans with a thing layer of oil, then a sprinkle of flour, and line the bottoms with parchment. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl, whisk until well-blended.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing completely after adding each one.
Turn the mixer to low, add in ⅓ of the flour mix and mix until combined. Slowly add half of the buttermilk + mix until incorporated. Add in the rest of the flour + buttermilk, and continue to mix until it has all been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly mix for another 20-30 seconds. Add in the Biscoff crumbs, stir on low until fully incorporate. Fill each cake pan half way, and bake 40 minutes.
When the cakes have cooked, cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then cool out of the pan at room temp for an hour. Level each layer of the cake, and then cut each layer in half. Wrap the 4 layers individually in parchment, and freeze for at least an hour.
Move to making the fillings. For the cookie butter filling, add the butter + cookie butter to the stand mixer, mixing on medium with the paddle attachment. Add the powdered sugar + mix on low. Gradually increase the speed to medium high, mixing until light + fluffy. Set aside.
For the buttercream, cream the butter with a stand mixer + paddle attachment. Turn to medium-high speed + mix for two minutes. Turn the mixer to slow, and add the powdered sugar + freeze dried strawberries. Mixing on low then turning the mixer to medium high - mixing at that speed for a minute. until incorporated. Add the jam, cream + vanilla, and increase the speed to medium-high for five minutes. Add more jelly if it seems to thick.
Now time to assemble. Place the first cake layer on a cake board and top with half of the Biscoff filling - stopping 1/4 inch before the edge of the cake and piping a buttercream board around the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on the Biscoff filling and evenly spread a layer of strawberry buttercream over the cake layer. Slice fresh strawberries and place them over the buttercream. Repeat this process with the next 2 layers. Place the final cake layer top side down on the top. Apply a thin crumb coat around the cake and chill for 15 minutes in the fridger to set. Finish frosting the cake with the strawberry buttercream, and top the cake with fresh strawberries + a sprinkle of the freeze dried strawberry powder + crumbled Biscoff cookies. Eat at room temp.