Cake bakers planning a speculoos theme
You want to use biscuits for their flavour, as a crumb layer or for decoration, rather than simply serve them alongside the cake. Lotus Bakeries uses Biscoff crumbs and whole biscuits in its layer cake recipe.
Who are these biscuits suitable for?
Group bakers looking for a simple biscuit base
You need biscuits for a base and may also want some left over to share. Jumbo and ALDI both offer a 400 g pack of digestives; compare the pack size with the amount your recipe calls for.
Bakers who need to check ingredients
You’re baking for someone with a food allergy or need to avoid certain ingredients. Check the label on the exact variety you’re buying. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre stresses how important this information is for food allergies.
What should you look for in biscuits for cake?
First decide what role the biscuits will play in your cake. Then work out how many you need for the recipe and how many you want to keep whole for serving.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Speculoos for flavour | Check whether the recipe calls for crumbs, whole biscuits or both. Lotus Bakeries uses both in its Biscoff layer cake. | If I’m baking a cake with a distinctive speculoos theme, I want the biscuits to feature in both the flavour and the finish. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this role for flavour. |
| How much you need for the cake and guests | Compare the grams required by the recipe with the pack size, and allow for any biscuits you want to serve whole. | When baking for a group, I want enough biscuits for the cake and the table, without having lots left over unnecessarily. For around 29% of consumers, having a useful amount is the main concern. |
| A simple biscuit base | Check that you’re choosing plain digestives rather than a variety with a filling or coating, and read the ingredients on the pack you’ve selected. | When I want the filling to define the flavour of my cake, I’m mainly looking for a crunchy biscuit for the base. This is the main priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label on the exact variety, even if you’ve bought the product before. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) explains that 14 allergens must be listed on food labels in the Netherlands. | If I’m baking for someone with a food allergy, I want to know which ingredients and allergens are listed on the pack first. Around 14% of consumers give this check top priority. |
What to watch out for when buying and storing biscuits
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Treating a multipack as a baking pack
Lots of small portions are handy for sharing, but the number of packets doesn’t tell you how many grams of biscuit you’ll have for a base and decoration.
First add up the grams your recipe requires. Choose small portions mainly when individual servings are important.
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Assuming different biscuits have the same allergens
According to Lotus Bakeries, Biscoff Original contains wheat and soya. Another biscuit or variety may have different ingredients and allergen information.
Check the current label on the pack you’ve bought before baking, especially if someone you’re baking for has a food allergy.
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Storing opened biscuits and leftover cake in the same way
Unused biscuits and prepared cake don’t necessarily have the same storage instructions. Jumbo recommends resealing its Krokante Digestive Biscuit well after opening and storing it in a dark place.
Follow the storage instructions on the biscuit pack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends putting prepared leftovers in the fridge within two hours.
Brands to compare
These brands offer different options when choosing between a speculoos cake and a simpler biscuit base. Always check the information for the specific product.
Lotus Biscoff
Speculoos for anyone who wants to use the biscuit deliberately for flavour and decoration in a cake.
- Lotus Bakeries uses Biscoff crumbs and whole biscuits in its own layer cake recipe.
- Its distinctive speculoos flavour won’t suit every recipe. According to the manufacturer, Biscoff Original contains wheat and soya.
Jumbo
A supermarket own brand with options including a 400 g Krokante Digestive Biscuit for anyone looking for a larger quantity of biscuits.
- The stated weight makes it easy to compare the pack with the amount your recipe calls for.
- The ingredients and storage advice apply to the variety you choose. Jumbo recommends resealing this digestive well after opening and storing it in a dark place.
Biscotto (ALDI)
A 400 g pack of digestives for anyone planning how many biscuits they’ll need for a cake and guests.
- ALDI Netherlands lists around 27 crunchy wheat biscuits per pack.
- Check the current pack for ingredients and make sure these biscuits are suitable for your recipe.
Albert Heijn
A range where you can compare a supermarket own-brand digestive with other types of biscuit.
- The product information for AH Digestive gives you a starting point for assessing that specific variety.
- Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional and allergy information can change, so check the label on the pack you buy.
Biscuits on Joybuy for cake and sharing
Below you’ll find a digestive for making a biscuit base, Biscoff for a cake with a speculoos flavour, and a family pack for sharing. If you choose the family pack, check separately whether the biscuits are suitable for your cake recipe.
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McVities Digestive Original 400 g
A digestive to consider if you want to make a biscuit base. Compare the 400 g pack with the amount your recipe calls for, and check the ingredients and allergens on the pack.
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Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Cookie 250 g
For a cake where speculoos defines the flavour or decoration. Check whether 250 g is enough for both crumbs and any whole biscuits you need. If you have allergies, read the label on this variety.
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Parle G Biscuit Jumbo Family Pack 799 g
The 799 g pack is an option if you mainly want biscuits to share. If you also want to use them for a cake base, first check that they’re suitable for your recipe and read the label for allergen information.
Frequently asked questions
Which biscuits should I choose for a cake with a speculoos flavour?
Choose speculoos if you want the biscuits to define the cake’s flavour and finish too. Lotus Bakeries’ layer cake recipe uses 100 g of Biscoff crumbs in the batter, then 250 g of crumbs plus whole biscuits for the decoration. Use the quantities in your own recipe for your cake.
Is 400 g of digestives enough for a cake and guests?
That depends on the amount your recipe calls for and how many whole biscuits you want to serve. Jumbo and ALDI both list a 400 g pack of digestives; ALDI says its Biscotto variety contains around 27 biscuits.
Should I check for allergens when baking for other people?
Yes. Check the current label on the exact variety of biscuit you’re using, especially if a guest has a food allergy. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) explains that 14 allergens must be listed on food labels in the Netherlands; according to Lotus Bakeries, Biscoff Original contains wheat and soya.
How should I store unused biscuits and leftover cake?
For unused biscuits, follow the storage advice on the pack: Jumbo recommends resealing its Krokante Digestive Biscuit well after opening and storing it in a dark place. For prepared leftovers, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends putting them in the fridge within two hours.