This Dutch Butter Cake, or boterkoek, is a dense, buttery cake that features sweet notes of almond. It is so dense, that it is almost like a large cookie baked in a tin. This Dutch Butter Cake recipe is so simple and fast, you’ll come back to it again and again.
According to the Sunday Baker, it is a Dutch-Jewish cake, with the Jewish version typically including candied ginger. There is even a special pan that exists just for butter cake called a boterkoekvorm. It features a rotating slider that helps the cake come out of the pan easier.
This is one of the first bakes I made for youthsweets before I had a website and before I filmed my bakes. I made it in a humble glass pie pan (which is totally an option by the way! It makes traveling with it easier.) and just snapped a few photos to post on Instagram.
I fell in love with almond-flavored desserts because of Dutch Butter Cake. Since then I have made a Gluten-Free Easy Almond Tart and a copious amount of macarons, which feature almond through almond flour, like my Strawberry Macarons.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- This thick cake has the perfect almond flavoring.
- Dutch butter cake can be made in almost any pan you have. I have tried it in a glass pie dish, metal springform pan and a fluted rectangular tart pan.
- This easy dutch butter cake comes together in just 35 minutes.
- My recipe uses real butter.
Ingredients
- This recipe uses all-purpose flour, which I recommend either weighing out or using the scoop and level method to avoid using too much.
- Make sure you use unsalted butter instead of salted butter, otherwise it may end up too salty.
- Granulated sugar sweetens this simple cake.
- Other than butter, the main flavor of this cake is almond, which is achieved through almond extract.
- This cake is garnished with sliced almonds.
- This recipe only uses one large egg, which is great for when egg prices are a bit high.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here’s how to customize this dutch butter cake to your liking:
- No sliced almonds — use flaked almonds, whole blanched almonds or omit completely
- Less almond — cut down the extract to ½ or 1 teaspoon or swap for vanilla extract
- No baking powder — use ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make dutch butter cake
Step 1: Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Add the egg (with 1 teaspoon removed) and almond extract. Beat to combine.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat just until combined.
Step 4: Pat batter into a pan. Beat the remaining 1 teaspoon of egg with 1-2 teaspoons of water. Brush that mixture onto the top of the dough. Rake a fork over the top in lines or in a criss-cross pattern. Garnish with sliced almonds and bake.
Hot tips
- To get a super smooth top, grease your hands lightly before patting the dough down.
- If you do not use a springform pan with a removable bottom, you’ll want to ensure your parchment has enough of an overhang to be able to remove the cake once cool.
- Let cool completely before attempting to remove from the pan.
Recipe FAQs
Check that you used unsalted butter and that the salt you used is kosher salt. If using table salt, decrease the amount to ½ teaspoon.
Creaming the butter and sugar means to beat it together with beaters or in a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy and lighter in color.
No, you can use almost any pan you like. I have made this in a glass pie pan, tart pan and springform pan. Just make sure you either use a pan with a removable bottom OR line your regular pan with parchment paper with enough overhang to be able to remove the dutch butter cake when cooled.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
More recipes you’ll love
Lastly, if you make this Dutch Butter Cake be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets if you post!
📖 Recipe
Dutch Butter Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 150 g unsalted butter (11 tbs) room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 1 egg room temperature, beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 200 g all-purpose flour (1 ¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt use ½ teaspoon if using table salt
- 2 tablespoon slivered almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan or cake pan with parchment. Grease lightly.
- In a medium bowl with beaters or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove one teaspoon of the beaten egg and set it aside. Pour the rest of the egg into the mixture, along with the almond extract and beat until incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture to the pan, patting down with clean hands or a tamper.
- Mix the remaining teaspoon of egg with a teaspoon of water, and brush on top of the cake. Sprinkle almonds around the outer edges (or however you’d like). Drag a fork on top in a criss-cross pattern (or however you’d like).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool almost completely before removing from the pan.
Notes
- If you do not use a springform pan with a removable bottom, you’ll want to ensure your parchment has enough of an overhang to be able to remove the cake once cool.
- If you do not like as much almond flavoring, you can reduce to ½-1 teaspoon instead.
- If you do not have slivered almonds, you can use sliced or chopped almonds.
