Ok, I did it, I created my Birthday cake of dreams!
This cake was everything I wanted and more. Three layers of thick dense brownie, sandwiched between a Biscoff spread (cookie butter) butter cream and decorated with a Biscoff drip, and crushed Biscoff biscuits.
This cake makes 3 x 8 inch cake tins, I love doing three layers, it adds an amazing height for drip cakes and just has a bit more ‘wow’ factor.
Other tools you will need are:
- 10″ cake board
- Small palette knife, to smooth the buttercream
- 1 sandwich bag or piping bag with the end snipped to create the drip
- 1 piping bag with a 2D star nozzle attached for decorating
Making the brownie layers is straightforward, simply mix the wet ingredients together, followed by the dry ingredients, then mixing the two together to create a brownie batter.
I started to check my brownie layers after 25 minutes, it’s a fine line between raw, fudgey and cakey, mine did take a good 35 minutes to be baked. After they are baked they must cool fully before icing!! Otherwise the buttercream will melt and it will be a slop! I tend to make my layers the day before I want the cake, wrap them in clingfilm once cooled, then decorate the next day, then I can fully focus on each element.
Now the buttercream… Biscoff heaven!! I added less icing sugar than what I would usually to a buttercream mix, purely because the Biscoff spread adds it’s own sweetness, and I didn’t want it to be sickly.
Chocolate brownie cake with Biscoff cookie butter frosting
Course: DessertDifficulty: hard16+
servings45
minutes30
minutesThe ultimate birthday cake. Three layers of chocolate brownie cake with a creamy Biscoff (cookie butter) buttercream, finished with a Biscoff drip.
Ingredients
For the Brownie layers:
225g unsalted butter
500g semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
400g caster sugar
260g dark brown sugar
190g all-purpose flour
170g unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
10 large eggs, at room temperature
230ml vegetable or olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Biscoff buttercream:
375 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
750 g icing sugar
450 g Biscoff spread
For Decoration:
200 g Biscoff Spread
Biscoff buttercream (save a piping bags worth from above)
Biscoff biscuits
Directions
- To make the brownie layers:
Preheat your oven to 180°c/160°c fan, and line three 8 inch cake tins with parchment paper. - Cube the butter and break up the chocolate into a large heat proof bowl. Then microwave in small increments until melted and smooth
- Add the sugars, whisking until well combined, then set aside to cool.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the eggs, one at a time into the cooled chocolate mixture, whisking vigorously for 30 seconds until very well combined.
- Add in the oil and vanilla and whisk again until combined.
- Add the flour mix to the wet ingredients and gently fold to combine.
- Divide the batter between the three cake tins. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops are dry and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs attached.
- Cool in tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- For the buttercream:
Add the butter to either a stand mixer or a large bowl and beat until smooth and light. (I used a stand mixer but an electric whisk will do the trick too) - Gradually add in the icing sugar and beat until it’s light and fluffy!
- Weigh out the biscoff spread into a heat safe bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds until runny. Add this into the mixture, beating until fully combined. If its really stiff, add in 1tbsp of boiling water.
- To decorate:
Add a tsp of buttercream to a 10 inch cake board, then add the first brownie layer to the centre and spread over some of the buttercream with a small palette knife. Add the second layer and repeat. - After adding the third brownie layer, cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to make a crumb coat. Once done, place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and add a final thin layer of butter cream over the top and sides, using a palette knife and metal scraper to create a smooth finish. (If you want to add the crushed biscuits to the base, do this now. Add the biscuits to a sandwich bag, and bash until a fine crumb, then press onto the base). Place back in the fridge for 10 minutes (this is necessary for the drip to work)
- To do the drip:
Carefully melt down the Biscoff spread in the microwave for 15 seconds until drippable, but not really runny! Then drip down the sides of the cake, I like to put it in a small piping bag with the end snipped off, then start at the edge of the cake and carefully drip down the side, applying different amounts of pressure to the piping bag to create bigger and smaller drips, then fill in the centre after the drips are done, smoothing with a small palette knife going from the outside, working inwards.
Set the cake in the fridge again for 10-15 minutes. - Finally, add any left over buttercream to a piping bag with a large star nozzle and begin to pipe big stars around the top. Finish by adding more biscuits to decorate.
Notes
- This cake will keep for 3-4 days.
- Once the brownie layers are baked and cooled, they can be stored in the fridge, wrapped tightly in cling film, for up to 2 days before assembling.
