Biscoff Cupcakes
These Biscoff cupcakes are made with my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. There is a Biscoff cookie on the bottom, a cookie butter surprise center, and they are frosted with cookie butter buttercream.
Why you’ll love these Biscoff cupcakes
- I used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe as the base. This recipe can also be halved using my small batch vanilla cupcake and half the buttercream.
- The vanilla base allows the cookie butter flavor to really shine.
- A surprise biscoff chunk filling in the center of the cupcake makes for an extra “mmm”.
- Super smooth and silky Biscoff buttercream coupled with a crunch from the cookie bottom.
I also have a Nutella version of this cupcake or a Biscoff layer cake version.
What is the flavor of Biscoff?
Lotus Biscoff is a brand that makes speculoos cookies and cookie butter spread. Speculoos cookies are a crispy caramelized spiced cookie, similar to gingersnaps but less gingery. Cookie butter is a spread made from these cookies, similar to peanut butter and Nutella.
In other words…heaven in a jar. You can find other brands of speculoos cookies and cookie butter, it doesn’t have to be biscoff (it’s just referred to as biscoff the same way chocolate hazelnut spread is referred to as nutella). I like the biscoff brand though and Trader Joes has good ones as well.
If you want to try more cookie butter recipes, I have a biscoff ice cream, biscoff cookies, Biscoff Cheesecake, a brown butter cookie butter sheet cake and biscoff brownies.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Butter: I like to use salted butter for my cakes and unsalted butter for my buttercreams.
- You can also use unsalted butter for the cakes, just add an extra ¼ tsp of salt to every cup of butter used.
- I don’t recommend using salted butter for the buttercream because it’s heavy on the butter and may be too salty for most people.
- Oil: any neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, etc. will work.
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar in my cupcakes and I don’t recommend substituting it or reducing the amount.
- Vanilla: I use extract in the cake recipe but I prefer vanilla bean paste for buttercreams. Either works though.
- Eggs: always use large, room temperature eggs. Place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes if they’re cold.
- I use one whole egg here but this cupcake recipe also works great with two egg whites if you have some lying around.
- Flour: I usually use all-purpose flour for cakes but cupcakes are a different story. I use cake flour for these cupcakes.
- I also HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as flour is almost always over measured.
- If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute the cake flour for equal parts all-purpose flour – 1 Tbsp and then add 1 Tbsp cornstarch. It’s not a perfect substitute but will get the job done. To learn more about this, check out my ebook about ingredients. Use code BAKER for 60% off.
- Baking Powder: can sub for ½ tsp baking soda if you don’t have baking powder.
- Salt: salt brings out the flavor in all baked goods.
- Sour Cream: I use sour cream in almost all my cake and cupcake recipes. It brings and holds a lot of moisture into the cake. Plain greek yogurt or unsweetened regular yogurt also works.
- Milk: any fat percentage of milk works, even plant based milk works.
- Biscoff Cookies: I use the lotus biscoff brand but any speculoos cookie works.
- Biscoff Cookie Butter: I use the lotus biscoff brand, but any brand of cookie butter works.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the cupcakes by whisking the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Then cream in the butter and oil with the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Add the egg and vanilla and beat until they’re fully incorporated.
Step 3: Add the sour cream and milk and mix until they’re combined.
Step 4: Place half of a cookie on the bottom of each cupcake liner and scoop in cupcake batter filling the cupcake liner only about half full (30-32 grams).
Step 5: Place a teaspoon size chunk (5-7 grams) of cookie butter in the center of each cupcake and then top with just enough batter to cover the top (another 10-12 grams). The cupcake liners should be about 3/4 full.
I make sure everything is accurate by measuring it with a digital scale. It’s not entirely necessary but will ensure more precise cupcakes. This is how much every part of the cupcake weighs.
- Half a cookie on the bottom of each cupcake: 3-4 grams
- Vanilla cupcake batter: 30-32 grams
- Teaspoon chunk of cookie butter in the middle: 5-7 grams
- Top with more cupcake batter: 10-12 grams
- Total about 55 grams per cupcake
Step 6: Bake for 20-21 minutes, until slightly golden and the center springs back when you press on it.
Step 7: Beat the eggs in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Step 8: Heat the sugar and water until it’s at a 240 F (116 C), then stream it into the beating eggs.
Step 9: Let it whip for 10 minutes and then add the butter.
Step 10: Add the cookie butter, vanilla, and salt to the buttercream after scraping the sides in. Turn the mixer to high speed for another minute. If the buttercream is too soft, refrigerate for 15-45 minutes.
Step 11: Frost the cupcakes with the Biscoff buttercream, drizzle some melted cookie butter over the buttercream and sprinkle some crumbled Biscoff cookies on top. Make sure cupcakes are cooled before frosting.
Expert tips on getting perfect cupcakes
There’s a few things that can make it or break it with these cupcakes.
- Don’t swap ingredients unless I mentioned them in the ingredient section above.
- Don’t reduce the sugar. I know a lot of people do that for some recipes but I don’t recommend it with this one.
- Weigh your ingredients with a digital scale
- Weigh all the parts of the cupcake as I mentioned earlier – not entirely necessary but leaves less room for error 🙂
- Use a light colored stainless steel muffin tin.
Frequently asked questions
I use the lotus biscoff brand but any speculoos cookie or cookie butter works.
Usually my secret to perfect cupcakes is my digital scale! If you overfill or under-fill the muffin pans you may get a cupcake with a muffin top or a shriveled sunken cupcake but if you weigh them, you’ll get it right each time.
These Biscoff cupcakes probably aren’t going to have a perfect dome because we baked the filling inside but it should bake up flat. If it sinks in the middle, it was probably under-baked or the cupcakes were overfilled. 50-55 grams per cupcake total (with the cookie butter filling).
You can use dairy free butter, dairy free milk/cream to make these Biscoff cupcakes.
I have not tested my cupcake recipes, but all my cake and cookies recipes work well with a 1:1 gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour so this should work fine as well.
The cupcakes are done baking when they no longer look wet. The edges may not brown too much depending on the oven and the pan so make sure to test it by gently pressing on the tallest area of the cupcake and if it springs back, it’s done. If it feels wet and stays pressed in, give it another few minutes before testing again.
No point in sticking a toothpick in the center because you’ll likely just get a toothpick covered in cookie butter lol.
How to serve and store Biscoff cupcakes
Serve the cupcakes fresh or leave them at a cool room temperature for 1-2 days.
To refrigerate, make sure to cover the cupcakes with a cake dome or store them in an airtight container for up to a week.
To freeze it, place them in an airtight container and then place the container in an airtight bag. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
If you make these vanilla cupcakes, I’d love it if you left a star rating for me. If it’s less than five stars, please leave a comment with the rating so I know why! 🙂
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
Making these today! Just a quick question can I use unbleached cake flour in this recipe?
Yup!
Hi! I’m so excited to try these! Out of curiosity, do you think the flavour of the biscoff would taste good if I used browned butter in the vanilla cupcake recipe?
Hi Sally, yeah that should be fine! I have a brown butter biscoff cake too!
https://baranbakery.com/cookie-butter-sheet-cake-d1/
Amazing!! Do you think I could just sub the butter in this recipe for brien butter?
I made these today with a Biscoff version of your Swiss meringue buttercream (to make them safe for a pregnant friend) and they were ABSOLUTELY DREAMY. The different textures of soft cake, slightly crunchy cookie, and creamy frosting made eating these so interesting and delicious. There is a ton of Biscoff flavor too. My husband said these are the best cupcakes ever. Thank you for this recipe, Bernice. You nailed it.
So glad you all liked it, thank you for sharing Jen ??
Used your recipe for the buttercream and followed directions with boxed cake mix and added the cookie butter. It was amazing!! The buttercream is so dreamy and delicious. Thank you!!
HI wondering if I could increase the sour cream and leave out the butter in the Biscoff cupcake recipe
Hi Shirley, I haven’t tested it so I can’t say for sure. I would guess that they would probably shrivel a little, maybe even be more dry since sour cream has a lot less fat than butter.
I made these in May and they were delicious. I did not add enough cookie butter in the middle but will rectify that when I make them this weekend. The icing was like crack, so good just to eat by the spoonful. I did actually have Biscoff cookies left and put the icing between two of them and that was also delicious!
Making this recipe now. The cupcakes are great but I followed the recipe exactly and when I added the butter it looks curdled. Is this normal?
Added the butter to the frosting? If it curdles turn the mixer up to full speed and let it run for a few minutes.
Haven’t made yet but have a question regarding a possible substitute for sour cream. I usually swap heavy cream for sour cream in some recipes without an issue. Do u think it’ll work here?
I think it would make the cupcakes a little greasy on the bottom and maybe a little flat on top.
I’ve already successfully tried your recipe and it’s so amazing I’m doing it again, though I was hoping to do mini cupcakes for a potluck – how long would you recommend I bake them for and would the temperature stay the same?
Same temp, maybe 8-12ish minutes, when they no longer look wet and starting to golden around the edge 🙂
Will subbing the sour cream for mayo affect the cupcake texture?
I’ve never tried mayo in a cake but I would assume it’d work similar!
These are absolutely delicious! I wouldn’t change a thing— they’re perfect. The frosting is the star but it shines brightly because of the perfectly moist vanilla cupcake. Will absolutely be making these again!
I love that your recipes list the measurements within the instructions so you’re not constantly scrolling back and forth.
Hey! Not sure if you are aware, so I thought I’d mention that the tool to 2x and 3x the recipe does not change the amounts for the weight measurements, only the volume. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Cathy, thank you! I manually put in the grams so they’re accurate to what I use instead of letting the plugin automate them so that’s why they don’t change with the 2x-3x button. I don’t really have a way around this right now unless I input my recipes with just weight measurements and skip the volume.
Understood! Thanks for the extra effort. I bake by weight whenever the recipe offers that so I appreciate it! Baking these tonight and decorating tomorrow!
If I freeze these, will the cookie at bottom of cupcake get soggy? Excited to make.
Hi! I froze and defrosted mine and they were fine 🙂 they’re not crunchy but they’re not like wet or anything lol
These look delicious and I can’t wait to try them! As far as making them gluten free though, it would be impossible as the lotus cookies and cookie butter contain flour…..