Biscoff spread – the addictive brown sugar cookie spread with the consistency of peanut butter – is popping up more and more places these days, and as it gets more popular, I’m looking out for more opportunities to use it up. It’s delicious spread on toast, of course, but it also makes a tasty batch of cookies and a delicious topping for cupcakes. It is also an excellent filling for a coffee cake, as I found when putting together this Biscoff Swirl Coffee Cake.
The coffee cake is a simple vanilla cake batter with a swirl of Biscoff-laden filling and a cinnamon yogurt topping. The idea for the topping came from a 1965 Pilsbury cookbook I have, which had a sour cream topping baked onto a cake. Thick, greek-style yogurt makes a great topping (which stays very soft, almost like a frosting) for this cake because it adds a slight tang to the cake and breaks up some of the sweetness of the biscoff. The cake is moist and very tender, and the three different layers – topping, cake and filling – make this cake a little more interesting than you average coffee cake!
When you are layering the batter and filling of this coffee cake in your baking pan, you’ll notice that the layers of this cake are fairly thin. This means that you need to take your time and spread your batter carefully so that you have an even layer of Biscoff filling throughout. Spread the Biscoff and the cake batter as you would spread a frosting on a cake: start at the center and pull towards the outside, and don’t spread the same spot over and over, or you’ll mix the layers. A small offset spatula makes it much easier to spread the batter, but be patient and a regular spatula will do the trick, too. It’s worth the effort of layering the batters because the finished cake looks irresistible with that perfect Biscoff swirl running through it.
Biscoff Swirl Coffee Cake
Topping and Filling
1 cup plain, greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Biscoff Spread
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk (any kind)
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×9-inch square baking pan, or line one with aluminum foil.
Prepare the topping and filling. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, confectioners’ sugar and brown sugar. Transfer 1/2 cup of this mixture into another small bowl. Add the Biscoff spread to this portion of the mixture and blend until very smooth.
Add ground cinnamon to the yogurt mixture in the first bowl and set aside.
Prepare the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg, followed by vanilla extract. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture until no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread into a thin, even layer using a spatula or small offset spatula.
Pour Biscoff filling over this first layer of cake. Carefully spread it into a thin, even layer using a spatula or small offset spatula.
Pour remaining cake batter over the Biscoff layer and spread into a thin, even layer.
Pour cinnamon yogurt topping over cake batter and spread into a thin, even layer.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until cake is set and springs back when lightly pressed.
Allow cake to cool in pan before slicing.
Serves 12.
Maureen
March 3, 2012I’ve never used biscoff but this coffee cake screams “make me” – so I will. 🙂
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
March 4, 2012I love biscoff and I love coffee cake, so how could I not love this?
cheryl
March 4, 2012I am going to have to break down and order the Biscoff on line! Can’t find it anywhere locally.
Sues
March 4, 2012Ooh what a good idea to put Biscoff spread in coffee cake! I have to admit I overdosed a bit on Biscoff spread a while back… But this is making me think I’m ready to come back!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
March 4, 2012Oh, my goodness. This is awesome!
Tom @ Grind and Brew Coffee Machines
March 4, 2012Likewise I’ve never heard of Biscoff either, but I do love coffee cake. I’ll have to see if I can locate some Biscoff first.
Mary Clare
March 4, 2012I love this idea!! I bet it is so tasty! I can’t wait to try this!! -Thursdays
Jeanna
March 5, 2012Biscoff spread recently popped up at our Walmart. Look there before buying online, it was significantly less expensive.
Julius Juliusson
March 5, 2012Sounds good – Looking good. Nice blog you hvae here. Good luck.
Trader Joes Recipes
March 12, 2012This looks amazing! I love homemade coffee cake.
Lisa
March 18, 2012This took nearly double the baking time listed. The topping did not want ti set up.
Nicole
March 18, 2012Lisa – The topping for this recipe does not actually “set up” during baking. It stays moist, almost like a frosting (since it’s really just sweetened yogurt). Doneness should be checked with a toothpick in the cake and not based on the moistness of the topping in this particular recipe.