Lotus Biscoff Cakes

Pictures and recipes for these cakes have been flying around the internet recently, so I decided it was only right if I had a go at them. Lotus Biscoff Spread is one of my favourite products in existence so when mixed with a cake, I knew this would be a winning cake from the onset.
I think the place that this style of cake has most frequently been seen is popular teen Youtuber Zoella's vlog but before making the whole cake, I tested my recipe on 24 cupcakes for work to be the guinea pigs.

Although quite time consuming, these cakes were pretty simple to make and I can assure you they tasted amazing too. The recipe and method below can be used for both the cupcakes and the three layer cake, the only think you will need to change is the size of tin you choose to use (either two cupcake tins or three 7" cake tins).

For the cake
The Ingredients; 

• 10Oz self raising flour
• 10Oz soft light brown sugar
• 10Oz stork baking butter
• 5 large eggs 
• 1tsp baking powder 

The Method; 

The recipe above is the same recipe I use for the majority of my cakes, however in this instance I substituted caster sugar for soft, light brown sugar to give the cakes a more caramelly tasted to match the Biscoff spread. 

1. Preheat the oven to 180degreesC. 
2. Place all ingredients into a stand mixer - this can be done by hand but my KitchenAid makes this process 10x easier and makes my arm ache 10x less. 
3. Beat until well mixed in and the colour has become light and the consistency looks fluffy and airy. 
4. Whilst the mixture is being beaten, prepare your cake tins. Either line two cupcake tins with 24 cases or grease and line three 7inch cake tins if you're making the big cake. 
5. Once the mixture is sufficiently mixed, divide between tins and tap on the kitchen surface to release any trapped air bubbles - this should give a more even rise. 
6. Now, place in the oven and cook until golden and a skewer comes out clean when poked into the middle of the cakes. I found that the large cakes took between 18-22 minutes and the cupcakes between 10-14 minutes but after the initial time, make sure you check frequently to prevent burning. 
7. Remove the cakes from the oven, leave to cool slightly in tins and then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely before icing. 

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The buttercream on these cakes is to die for, it tastes exactly like the Biscoff biscuits and goes perfectly with the slight caramel taste of the cakes. 

The Ingredients; 

• Lotus Biscoff spread (crunchy) to cover the tops of the cakes. 
• 3/4 jar Lotus Biscoff spread (smooth) for the buttercream. 
• 200g unsalted butter
• 45ml milk 
• 500g icing sugar
• A few Biscoff biscuits for decoration. 

The Method; 

1. Weigh out your ingredients and then place the butter in the stand mixer and beat until much softer and lighter. 
2. Slowly add in the icing sugar and when the icing gets too stiff, add a drop of milk to loosen until the right consistency again. 
3. Continue until all the icing sugar is incorporated.
4. Once well mixed, add the smooth Biscoff spread and beat for a further 5 minutes - this is important to make sure the buttercream is extremely light and airy.
5. Whilst this is beating, spread about half a teaspoon of the crunchy spread over the top of each cupcake or about a tablespoon of the spread over two layers of the big cakes. 
6. Now ice the cupcakes - I piped the butter cream in roses using the Wilton 2D flower nozzle (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/17828/2D-Wilton-Flower-Nozzle?gclid=CjwKEAjwoPG8BRCSi5uu6d6N5WcSJABHzD8FH2wp7y2zduWsnLAZo7etCTbvdMbtSvYXbSurp3lnMhoCZIXw_wcB&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!105381759389!!!g!42886506744!&ef_id=Uhs8FwAABBWsSxkE:20160730080740:s) - or sandwich the layers of the large cake together (with the buttercream going on top of the crunchy spread). 
7. With the final layer of the large cake, the decoration is up to you. I spread buttercream over the top of the cake and then piped roses around the edge of the top layer.
8. Use the Biscoff biscuits to decorate the cakes - they look good broken in half and placed into the buttercream or crumbled over the top of the cakes.*

The large cake I made was for a friends party and I recommend as a slightly more impressive version of the cupcakes if you're looking for a centrepiece however both taste equally as delicious! 

*The biscuits go soggy quite quickly in the buttercream, so either eat quickly (which is never a problem with cake in my house) or bring spare biscuits to replace later!

Enjoy! x