Boterkoek
Butter cake
Dense Dutch butter cake with a glazed top
Boterkoek sits on the counter of almost every Dutch bakker, from Amsterdam to small towns in Brabant: a round, flat butter cake, scored in a criss-cross on top, glossy with glaze, dense and fudgy in the middle and crisp at the edges. It is cut into small wedges, because it is rich, and eaten with a cup of coffee at elf uur, the eleven o'clock break, or offered to visitors. The dough itself has no egg; only the top is brushed with beaten egg for shine (milk works too, though the colour is paler). Overbaking is the classic mistake: it should come out golden but still soft in the centre, so it sets fudgy, not dry. Chef's tip: use salted butter, or add the pinch of salt; it is what stops boterkoek tasting merely sweet.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz buttersoftened, salted or unsalted
- 7 oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp saltif using unsalted butter
- 9 oz plain flour
For the glaze
- 1 eggbeaten; or use 1 tbsp milk for an egg-free glaze
- 2 tbsp flaked almonds (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Butter a 23 cm round tin, or a fluted tart tin with a loose base.
Step 2: Beat 9 oz butter, 7 oz caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon zest and ¼ tsp salt together briefly until combined; it doesn't need to be fluffy.
Step 3: Add 9 oz plain flour and work it in with a spoon or your hand to a smooth, soft dough.
Step 4: Press the dough evenly into the tin and smooth the top with the back of a wet spoon.
Step 5: Brush with 1 egg (or milk), then draw a criss-cross pattern on top with a fork. Scatter 2 tbsp flaked almonds over if you like.
Step 6: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden on top, firm at the edges and still a little soft in the centre when pressed.
28 minStep 7: Cool completely in the tin before cutting into small wedges; it firms up as it cools. Keeps a week in a tin.
45 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boterkoek take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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