Cakes and mini speculoos cookies (kruidnootjes) are both delicious of course, so why not try a combination of the two: speculoos cookie cake? During the online masterclass about cakes I did for delicious. magazine I turned a regular cake into a speculoos cookie cake by stirring the tiny cookies into the batter. Once baked, the cookies looked so cute in the cake! You can make this cake with classic ingredients or bake a vegan version. I always like a little spice, so I mixed some ginger into the batter, but you really don’t have to. This cake is just as delicious without. I used store bought mini speculoos cookies (kruidnootjes), but you can easily make your own. Always fun to do with the children and easy to make. Children love rolling the dough into tiny balls. Click here for the recipe for mini speculoos cookies or here for the old-fashioned chewy pepernoten. Vegan and classic!
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Speculoos cookie cake
for 1 classic cake
200 g caster sugar
200 g butter, at room temperature + extra for greasing
4 eggs, at room temperature
200 g flour
2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
1½ tsp baking powder
120 g speculoos cookies
also needed: cake tin of 1½ liters, well greased and lightly floured, or greased and bottom and long sides lined with baking paper
Preheat the oven to 160 °C.
Place the sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl and beat for 8 minutes until light and creamy. Add the eggs one by one and beat very well. Do not add the next egg until the previous one has been completely incorporated.
Fold in the flour, ginger and baking powder. Finally mix in the speculoos cookies. Spoon the batter into the tin and tap on the counter so that the large air bubbles disappear and the surface is smooth.
Bake in the middle of the oven for ± 55 minutes. About 10 min. before the end of the bake time, stick a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake, If the skewer comes out clean or with some dry crumbs on it, the cake is done.
Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn it over on a rack. Leave the cake to cool completely on the rack.
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Vegan speculoos cookie cake
for 1 vegan cake
300 g flour
265 g sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
100 ml neutral oil
a few drops of sesame oil (optional)
220 ml of plant milk
juice and zest of 1 lemon. (± 40 ml)
120 g vegan speculoos cookies
also needed: cake tin of 1½ liters, well greased and floured, or greased and bottom and long sides lined with baking paper
Preheat the oven to 160 °C.
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger and a pinch of salt together well. In another bowl, mix both oils, plant milk, lemon juice and zest. Mix the dry and wet ingredients well. Mix in the speculoos cookies. Spoon the batter into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for ± 55 minutes.
About 10 minutes before the end of the baking time, stick a skewer in the center of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean or with some dry crumbs the cake is done.
Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn it over on a rack. Leave the cake to cool completely on the rack.
