Dutch Butter Cake (Boterkoek)

Boterkoek - Dutch Butter Cake requires only three ingredients, butter, sugar and flour, but a couple of extra are added for flavor. It's half way between a shortbread and cake with its buttery texture that can be flavored with ground spices or lemon zest or without any added flavors that is best served on casual days alongside your favorite hot drink when friends pop by.

Ingredients and substitutions for Dutch Butter Cake

• Plain flour: Plain or all purpose works best here. It is not recommended to use cake flour as this is too fine and would give this already crumbly cake an even finer texture.
• Butter: Room temperature unsalted butter is used, though salted butter also works. Room temperature is best because it combines to create the beloved texture in the batter and baked cake here.
• Sugar: The nice fine granules dissolve and add sweetness, without adding additional flavors. You could replace with white or raw sugar, though it won't dissolve into the batter as easily as superfine.
• Egg: Used for the egg wash here, you could replace with milk, if you prefer.
• (Optional) Lemon zest and juice: Verna lemons were most easy to source for this recipe, but honestly, any unwaxed lemon you have on hand works. You will want the skin to be as blemish free as possible for the zest. Though it is not essential for a traditional butter cake as it can be made with or without. Alternatively, you could simply add a dash of ground cinnamon to the cake instead of adding lemon zest.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Dutch Butter Cake:

Step 1: Lightly whip: The butter, flour, sugar, lemon zest, juice and salt in a bowl until the batter comes together.

Step 2: Press and mark: In the cake tin until smooth before pressing fork tines into the cake to give it the traditional look.

Step 3: Brush: Over an egg wash.

Step 4: Bake: Until golden.

Step 5: Slice and serve: Serve up alongside your favorite hot beverage.

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Dutch Butter Cake (Boterkoek)

Sylvie Taylor

Dutch Butter Cake, known locally as Boterkoek is half way between a shortbread and cake with its buttery flavor that can be flavored with ground spices or lemon zest or plain on its own.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dutch

Servings 12

Calories 292 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 260 grams / 1 ⅔ cups - 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 225 grams / 7.93 ounces butter room temperature
• 2 grams / 1 teaspoon lemon zest finely chopped
• 5 grams / 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 35 grams / 1 small egg room temperature and lightly beaten

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 20 cm or 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
• Toss the flour, sugar, salt, butter and lemon zest into a bowl and beat on the lowest setting until combined and no dry portions remain in the base of your bowl.
• Spoon the batter into a cake tin and smooth out evenly.
• Mark a cross hatch pattern into the top of your cake with a fork.
• Brush lightly with the egg.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and slightly jiggly in the center.
• Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Optional: If it has risen unevenly during baking, press lightly over the whole surface with the back of a tablespoon to even out.
• Chill for 2 hours before slicing.
• Slice and serve.
• Dig in with a cup of coffee on the side.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Egg: Room temperature egg is used for the egg wash here, you could replace with milk, if you prefer.
• (Optional) Lemon zest and juice: Verna lemons were most easy to source for this recipe, but honestly, any unwaxed lemon you have on hand works. You will want the skin to be as blemish free as possible for the zest. Though it is not essential for a traditional butter cake as it can be made with or without. Alternatively, you could simply add a dash of ground cinnamon to the cake instead of adding lemon zest.
• Alternative flavoring: In place of the lemon juice and zest or keeping the cake plain, you could add almond extract and top with sliced almonds.
• Cake tin: A round spring form tin was used, however, a standard cake tin of similar size would also work well.

Adapted from Denotenshop and Rutgerbakt

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal

Keyword cake, citrus, snack cake

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