Dutch Boterkoek

This recipe is for a Dutch cake which is thick, soggy and almost pastry-like in textures. I have to admit I didn’t get it quite right the first time, I could have used a less wide pan and I should have cooked it less (I have an obsession about overcooking anything with eggs in). However, I have to use the pans I have, and I don’t have room for more. Mine turned out more like a soft cookie which a chewy outside and soft centre. But despite all my complaining, it was heavenly. If you want the authentic boterkoek, you might want to search for another recipe, or alter it a bit.

A note on the almond essence: I think it could be optional if you have a nut allergy. I’m not sure plain Boterkoek is supposed to be an almond cake, so the small amount should do fine just to enhance flavour. However, my partner and I both LOVE almond flavour, so I doubled the amount.


Dutch Boterkoek

Serves… no idea, but will fit a 8” cake pan with about 1” thickness.
Total time taken 1 hour for a messy cook, 45mins for the more organised!


160g butter

200g sugar

210g plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 egg, beaten (reserve a teaspoon of egg for brushing)

1 ½ tsp almond essence

Preheat oven to 180C


* Mix together the butter, sugar and almond essence

* Add the egg and mix in well (all the above best done with an electric beater)

* Sift in the flour and baking powder

* Try and resist eating it already (hard even for me, the raw egg-phobe)

* It should look more like dough than cake batter. Flop it into a cake tin (7-9”) and pat down so it’s even.

* Brush over the top with the reserved egg mixed with equal amount of water.

* Bake for 25-30 minutes. This all depends on the pan and your thickness of cake. A 9” tin only took 25 minutes. I imagine a 7” would take longer. Just observe the colour of the top.

PS no picture, because it didn't looked like I wanted it to!