Boterkoek or Dutch Butter Cake

What I like about it is the creamy dense interior, with my favorite part being the crust, as that become really hard and crunchy. That’s also the part that can burn if you bake it too long or too high, but if done right, it is the part you may savor the most.

Traditionally, a Boterkoek is baked in a round form, but I thought a tiny change wouldn’t hurt, and used a square 9×9 cake form instead. When you butter the form well,  it comes out clean, but you can also use parchment paper.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

• Granulated sugar
• Butter
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• All-purpose flour

Oh, those brown edges are so delicious. Tradition also tells you to score the cookie with a fork, and create a crisscross pattern; again I kept is simple, so you can see the shiny top.

Last but no least, there is no leavening agent, so it doesn’t rise and thus becomes dense. It is a really simple thing to make and I would encourage you to make it, may be just once. Simply to experience this soft and creamy Boterkoek. And when you eat those delicious dark edges, think about what I told you.

How to make a Boterkoek or Dutch Butter Cake

• Step 1 – Mix butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light.
• Step 2 – Add 1 egg and a pinch of salt and mix again, then add flour. Mix until you have a smooth dough.
• Step 3 – Add dough into a 9×9 baking dish and press it down. Level it and smooth out the top, with you hands or the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
• Step 4 – Beat 1/2 egg and brush the top of the cake.
• Step 5 – Use a knife or fork to ‘carve’ the top of the cake. The image below is the most simple way of carving a boterkoek, but you can

• Bake it in the oven (350 degrees F) for approx. 30 minutes.
• Allow to cool and cut.

A boterkoek baked in a 9×9 baking dish will be about 1 inch thick, but you can make them thicker by using a smaller baking dish. You may need to adjust the baking time/temperature to still have a cooked center and brown edges instead of black and burnt.

Don't Miss a Single Great Recipe!

First Name:

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Variation on the Traditional Boterkoek

• Add lemon zest, about 1.5 teaspoon.
• Add almond extract to the batter and/or sprinkle top with almond slivers.
• Press nuts into top of the boterkoek, like almonds, pecans or walnuts.
• Use Dutch speculaas spice mix in the dough.