Boterkoek – Dutch Butter Cake
Boterkoek means “butter cake” in Dutch, and all that that implies. You’ll love this rich, buttery treat that is not really a cake, but is not quite a cookie either.
Dutch Boterkoek is comfort food at it’s finest. The recipe includes just 5 very basic ingredients and takes about 10 minutes to assemble. The flavor is simple yet deep. It’s like a hug for your taste buds.
All about Boterkoek (Dutch Butter Cake):
Based on it’s name, obviously there is a very high butter content in this dough, there’s almost as much butter as flour.
Lots of butter not only means deliciousness, it also means this is a very tender dough. The high fat content keeps the gluten strands “short” and underdeveloped. A “short” dough is a very tender dough.
This is also true of Shortbread Cookies. But the difference between shortbread and Boterkoek is the amount of sugar in the dough.
My basic shortbread cookies have half the weight of sugar to butter.
Dutch Butter Cake has as much sugar as it has butter. Remember that sugar does much, much more than merely sweeten a recipe.
Sugar tenderizes and it absorbs and retains moisture. So that means Dutch Butter Cake is even more tender than shortbread cookies, and it’s very, very moist. Maybe that’s why is called a cake rather than a cookie?
One of my favorite things about Boterkoek is the super crisp and chewy crust that forms around the edges of the cake. The crust is also thanks to the high sugar content in the dough.
One final note about the sugar. The traditional Dutch recipe uses a type of sugar not available in the United States. Basterdsuiker is moister than American granulated sugar.
For my Dutch Appletaart I use a mixture of brown and white sugar to emulate the texture of brown basterdsuiker.
Since I wanted only white sugar in the Boterkoek, I use superfine sugar. Superfine sugar will dissolve more readily in the dough, releasing more moisture. It’s a pretty good substitute and this recipe is Dutch-husband approved.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make Dutch Butter Cake (Boterkoek):
I’ve seen Boterkoek recipes that add almond extract, vanilla or lemon zest for flavor. Personally I want my boterkoek to taste like butter so I don’t add any extraneous flavorings. If you’re less of a purist than I am, feel free to add the flavoring of your choice.
Want more authentic Dutch recipes?
- Dutch Apple Tart
- Dutch Sugar Bread
- Dutch Speculaas Cookies
- Dutch Savory Pancake
- Dutch Stroop Waffels
- Dutch Breakfast Cake
- Dutch Filled Speculaas Cake
- Dutch Spekkoek (Thousand Layer Cake)
You might also like: Classic Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, Coconut Shortbread Cookies, Rose Shortbread Cookies, Lemon Filled Shortbread.
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Boterkoek
Ingredients
- 10 oz all purpose flour (2 cups, see note)
- 8 oz superfine sugar (1 cup (see note))
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 8 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 egg (whisked)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line the bottom of a 9" tart pan or spring form pan with a parchment paper round.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 10 oz all purpose flour, 8 oz superfine sugar and ¼ teaspoon table salt. Toss in 8 oz unsalted butter and use your fingers or the mixer paddle to work the butter into the flour until there are no large lumps of butter.
- Remove 1 tablespoon of the whisked egg and set it aside. Add the rest of the egg to the dough and mix just until it comes together.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan. Smooth until the top is level and flat.
- Brush the reserved egg onto the top of the dough. Use a fork to create a lattice pattern on top of the dough.
- Bake until the edges and top of the cake are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
- Cool completely in the pan. Cut into 16 wedges to serve.
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This looks amazing! I have question.
Do you grease the pan with butter, or is that not necessary? I just noticed it’s not in the recipe. Also, if mixing in the butter with the stand mixer, do you mix it in on low?
Thanks!
No need to grease the pan. Since there’s plenty of butter in the dough it doesn’t stick. I would start the mixer on low so the ingredients don’t pop out of the bowl. You can up the speed a bit as the mixture comes together.
Thank you for your reply.
I made it tonight! It was delicious! It is a simple dessert, but rich in flavor. The only mistake that I might have made is that I did add the whole tbsp of whisked egg on top of the dessert (I am assuming now that I was not supposed to do that), so it did have a slight eggy taste on the top, but I did not mind it at all. I felt that it added to the flavor of the treat without being overpowering. I know some might not like it, but for me, it added to the flavor. Let me know though if that was an error on my part.
Also, can you freeze boterkoek? Let me know, since it is quite a lot for one person to eat.
Thank you again for a delicious, simple treat.
Yes, I used the full tbsp of reserved egg wash for the top. The egg gives the cake a glossy finish. You can certainly freeze boterkoek. I would recommend wrapping individual slices so you can just defrost as many as you want to eat at a time.
Thank you! I am glad I did it right. I just read that usually with egg wash, you are not supposed to add the whole thing. But I thought it was perfect for this dessert. It gives it a glossy finish, but I also loved how it gave the dessert a subtle, custard flavor (like an egg tart) and a bit of a crunch on top. It complements the soft texture underneath very nicely.
Thank you again for all your advice. I am sure I will make this again in the future.
Eileen’s recipe is an absolute favorite of ours. I make it over and over.
Thanks Eileen!
I’ve made this recipe as written and it turned out wonderfully but I need to make it for a large crowd. Do you think I can double it and bake in a 9×13? I usually added a layer of almond paste, it’s soooo yummy.
Yes, I think that would work. A layer of almond paste is always a good thing!
Making this in honor of my granddaughter Hollands 10th birthday. My Mother-in-laws recipe is exactly this, but she did add vanilla. My husband lived in Amsterdam as a child and then my daughter did as well. My grandson was born there. Hope the kids like it as much as we do.
Easy, quick, fun and tasty. I used confectioner sugar and so far as I can tell it worked. Might pair well with morning coffee, or with some fresh berries as a dessert or a very light drizzle of chocolate sauce. Thanks for the recipe. I shared it on FB. Hope you don’t mind
Hi Martin, I love if you share a link to the recipe post (not just the recipe so folks don’t have to visit my website).
Would confectioner sugar (8 oz) work in this recipe?
Yes, I think that would work. I’ve made shortbread and other cookies with confectioner sugar with good results.
@Eileen Gray, I used it and it seemingly turned out ok, but since I’ve never had Boterkoek, I’m not sure! lol. It looked like the pictures and tasted quite good. Thanks for the recipe!
Great!
If I do have basterdsuiker, do I need to modify anything else in the recipe? Or am I good to just substitute one to one?
I don’t think so. Go ahead and substitute 1:1. Enjoy!
Can I cut the sugar in half? Also wanting to use a sugar substitute…any thoughts on how I would cut the sugar in half without ruining the ratios in the recipe?
Well, if you cut the sugar in half you will be drastically altering the ratio of the recipe. What type of sugar substitute do you intend to use? There are so few ingredients in this recipe that drastically altering any one of them will significantly change the outcome.
I made this yesterday for the first time. It came out delicious! I’m so happy since my Mother was from the Netherlands… ❤️❤️ I will make it again!
Do you think I could put this in multiple smaller disposable pie tins? I want to make smaller ones as gifts.
Yes, Just make sure the dough is thick enough.
I have made this and it turned out perfectly! Wondering if I can freeze this. Any advice on how to do this?
Yes, you can freeze it. I would wrap and freeze individual slices. Then take them out and defrost as you want them.
I have used this recipe half a dozen times for my Dutch husband. I’ve modified it slightly with each iteraion (to current perfection). I grind a half cup of slivered almonds when I pulvarize the flour and sugar in my Bullet. Always use Finlandia or Kerry Gold butter. I also add a splash of Baileys and zest from half a lemon. Hubby loves it!
Sounds like a whole NEW recipe… I’m going to try Eileen’s original recipe.
I made this for my Dutch husband’s birthday today. It was delicious.
What is the best way to store it. Covered, in the refrigerator or…?
I keep it at room temperature. If you have lots of leftovers and want to store for longer, you can wrap individual slices in plastic and freeze them.
Thank you for your helpful recipe. It relieved my boterkoek craving. I added a tsp of almond extract, because that’s the flavour I remember and since I’m dairy-free I used vegan margarine (sad, I know), but it was still delicious.
Hello Eileen
Thanks for the recipe!
Can you tell me why this recipe doesn’t call for creaming the butter and sugar, I’m interested to know.
Thanks!
Johanna
Because in the recipes I found in my husband’s old Dutch cookbook, they treat the dough like a tart dough and mix the butter into the flour. So I do it that way. Creaming the butter and sugar will introduce more air and make a lighter dough.
Hi Eileen! Would liquor be able to be added here, do you think? Also, I have seen some versions with a bit of cake flour used (like your shortbread)…do you have any thoughts if that would be beneficial? I was eyeing your Lemon Curd Shortbread the other day, wondering if carrot cake jam would be too sweet of a sub, and then I came across this! Decisions, decisions!!! Thank you so much! We love your recipes and your website!
Well, I am a sucker for a little liquor in my pastries. Personally, I don’t add much to this recipe because I want it to taste like butter. You could probably add a tablespoon or two of rum or another liquor. I don’t think the cake flour is necessary since this is such a tender cookie/cake.
Just looked up the stroop in their catalog and its listed as Treacle syrup (Kueken Stroop)
Thanks, I’ll check into it.
Love this! With Dutch parents I grew up eating boterkoek and stroopwafels…so yummy!
I really want to create a recipe for stroopwafels (I have the waffle iron for it). But I can’t buy real “stroop” here in the US.
I’ve got the waffle iron for it too but haven’t tried it yet. I found stroop and basterdsuiker (bastard in catalog) at VanderVeens in Grand Rapids MI.
thedutchstore.com
You’ve got me motivated to try it myself!
Hope you still get to see this but you can make stroop yourself. Recipe is on here https://boerenkeukenrecepten.com/2019/10/26/zelf-stroop-maken/ . Hope a translation machine will be ale to make sense of it.
Don’t forget to make a few pancakes once you made it 🙂
Tryckle is similar but doesn’t quite have that appley flavour in my opinion.
Here’s the translation using google translate:
Traditional fruit syrup is made from apples and/or pears. The industrial production of these syrups started after 1880 in Belgium and in South Limburg in the Netherlands. With many fruits still in stock, I tried to make it myself. A fun job to do and it also tastes very good. Purely natural, we say, you know exactly what goes into it: fruit, sugar and lemon juice. I used both types of fruit; apples and pears. Of course, you can also just take one type. Enjoy!
Ingredients (approximately 500 ml syrup)
4 kg of pears
1 kg of apples
500ml water
200 grams of sugar
1 lemon
Preparation
Cut the apples and pears into pieces and remove the cores if necessary. The peel can remain in place anyway
Place the fruit in a pan with the water, juice of the squeezed lemon and sugar
Let the fruit cook more or less to a pulp
Take a colander and place a clean, damp tea towel in it
Shake in the fruit mass
Place the colander with a cloth on a pan and let the sauce drain for a few hours or overnight to collect the juice.
Then squeeze the tea towel with fruit well so that some juice comes out. The pulp itself is no longer used and you can rinse and wash the cloth
Now let the collected juice simmer gently in the pan for a while until the syrup is thick enough (until it pulls a syrupy thread on a spoon).
You can then put the syrup in (boiled) jars
Delicious on bread, cheese, pancakes and yoghurt
Cant wait to try this.
Some 45 yrs ago i had butter cake but a German version. I have never found the recipe
It had sugar and cream poured over as soon as out of oven.
Would this work for this recipe? .
Hmmm, I would think you’d need a more spongy cake for something like that. This Boterkoek definitely has more of a cookie texture. It’s quite dense and would not absorb cream.