This Pumpkin Biscoff Poke Cake is a delicious departure from ordinary pumpkin cake. Made with Biscoff cookie butter spread, it’s baked, cooled, and frosted in a 13×9 pan for the easiest seasonal treat.
I love traditional pumpkin recipes for fall, such as my favorite no-frills Pumpkin Bread. Or Classic Pumpkin Roll (posted to this blog 15 years ago!) That’s a dessert I’ll never, ever tire of. But I also don’t mind breaking with tradition. Exploring new flavor combinations is totally my jam, and that’s how this cake came to be. It’s based on a traditional flavor combo – pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting – but with a Biscoff twist.
This cake is so easy to whip up in a 13×9 pan, but the real magic happens after baking. You’ll poke holes in the cake, pour in warm, melted Biscoff spread, then top it off with fluffy Biscoff cream cheese frosting. Crushed Biscoff cookies are the only decoration it needs. This cake is the answer for anyone hosting a fall feast, because it serves more than a dozen people. And it’s something that stands out from the ordinary pumpkin spice crowd.
Biscoff: The Cookie and the Spread
If you haven’t fallen in love with Biscoff yet, let me introduce you to – or initiate you into – the Biscoff fan club. Biscoff cookies originated in Belgium, where they were first created by the Lotus Bakeries company in 1932. These spiced, caramel-flavored cookies quickly became a favorite to serve alongside coffee. It wasn’t until decades later that Biscoff spread made its debut. In 2007, the spread was invented, transforming the cookie into a creamy, spreadable treat also known as ‘cookie butter’.
Dry Ingredients
First thing, in a big bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, leavens, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk it together well to incorporate everything together. This also aerates the dry mixture.
Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, place 15 oz. of pumpkin puree (1 can), vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. I like using sunflower oil for its neutral, light taste. But regular vegetable oil will work just fine, too! Mix everything together well – a hand mixer works for this – and combine the wet and dry ingredients together.
Bake in a 13×9 Pan
Who doesn’t love the ease of baking in a 13×9-inch pan? Grease and flour it first. Or if you have flour-based baking spray then give it a good coating. Then pour the batter in and spread evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350°F.
Poke Holes in the Cake
Cool the cake in the pan, then use a wooden spoon handle to poke holes all over the cake. Here I’m using a honey wand handle – whatever works!
Melt Biscoff Spread
Place 1 cup of Biscoff spread in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about 1 minute at 100% power. It should be entirely melted. Stir well to remove lumps. If it’s not completely melted, heat for another 30 seconds.
Pour the melted Biscoff spread over the cake and use a spoon to push it into the holes in the cake. Refrigerate the cake while you make the frosting. This will set the melted Biscoff and make the cake easier to cover in frosting.
Biscoff – Cream Cheese Frosting
Oooh, this is good. And too easy to make! Biscoff spread, 8 oz. of cream cheese and stick of butter. Get these into a big mixing bowl and cream together until well combined and fluffy. Then, beat in a little confectioners’ sugar. Whip until light and creamy.
Spread the frosting over the cake. I used an ice cream scoop to dollop out the frosting (and you can too!). Spread it evenly first, then create swirls with the end of your spatula.
Biscoff Cookie Crumble
Add crushed Biscoff cookies around the edge of the cake. They’ll be crunchy at first, which is nice. But covered with plastic wrap or stored air-tight, the cookies will soften. Which I actually like even better!
The lightly spiced pumpkin cake and caramelly-flavor of Biscoff spread is a match made in heaven. I urge you to try this Pumpkin Biscoff Poke Cake for yourself!
I love that this cake is baked, cooled, frosted, and decorated right in the pan. It’s so easy to whip up and requires no fussy decorating. In the photo above, I tried to capture the tunnels of Biscoff created from the ‘poke’ technique. (Do you see it?) It’s so nice to get a forkful of cake with an extra bite of cookie butter in it. This cake generously serves about a dozen people or more, which is perfect for a dinner crowd.
In the words of my mom via text message: “The pumpkin Biscoff cake is awesome!” I hope you love this cake as much as we do!
Related recipe: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Pumpkin Biscoff Poke Cake
Pumpkin cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 15 oz. pumpkin puree 1 can
- 1 cup sunflower oil or vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup creamy Biscoff spread
Biscoff cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup creamy Biscoff spread at room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 10 whole Biscoff cookies coarsely crumbled
Pumpkin cake
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13×9 inch baking pan.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk well to combine.
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In separate mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well with an electric mixer until the ingredients are well incorporated.
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix on low speed until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to turn over the batter to make sure there are no hidden pockets of flour. Mix again briefly.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean.
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Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
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Place the 1 cup of Biscoff spread in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals at 100% power until melted and smooth (about 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds total).
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Pour the melted Biscoff over the top of the cake and use a spoon to smooth it into the holes in the cake. Refrigerate the cake while you make the frosting.
Biscoff cream cheese frosting
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Place the Biscoff spread, cream cheese, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until well incorporated on low speed.
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Once the sugar is incorporated, beat on high speed until fluffy and billowy. Dollop the frosting on top of the cake and spread evenly. Use the end of an offset spatula to create swirls in the frosting.
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Immediately sprinkle the edges with the coarsely crumbled Biscoff cookie pieces.
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Refrigerate leftovers. Bring cake to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
Pumpkin Puree – Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing – one 15 oz. can will do the trick for this recipe. Or, you can always roast and puree your own pumpkin if you like. Weigh out 15 oz. on a scale, or measure out a scant 2 cups (about 1 7/8 cups to be exact).
Sources: If you can’t find Biscoff spread locally, you can always purchase some online. You can also use other brands of cookie butter, such as Speculoos, but the flavor will be slightly different.