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Home » Recipes » Cakes

Dutch Butter Cake

Mar 21, 2022 by Heather Janak · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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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.

rectangular dutch butter cake covered in a ring of sliced almonds, butter and almonds in background

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.

Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions and variations
  • How to make dutch butter cake
  • Hot tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More recipes you'll love
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

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

overhead view of ingredients clockwise: granulated sugar, baking powder, sliced almonds, almond extract, egg, unsalted butter, kosher salt, all-purpose flour
  • 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:

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  • 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

beaters touching butter and sugar in a bowl

Step 1: Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

creamed butter and sugar with egg, pouring almond extract on top

Step 2: Add the egg (with 1 teaspoon removed) and almond extract. Beat to combine.

beaters touching flour in bowl

Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat just until combined.

dutch butter cake batter in rectangular tart pan

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

  1. To get a super smooth top, grease your hands lightly before patting the dough down.
  2. 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.
  3. Let cool completely before attempting to remove from the pan.

Recipe FAQs

Why is my Dutch Butter Cake so salty?

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.

What does it mean to cream the butter and sugar together?

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.

Do I have to use a tart pan?

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.

How do you store dutch butter cake?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

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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

Slice of dutch butter cake cut out of whole round cake

Dutch Butter Cake

Heather Janak
Almond is the muse of this dense, buttery cake that is Dutch in origin and also goes by the name of boterkoek.
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Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Dutch, European
Servings 8
Calories 343 kcal

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan
  • Wood tamper

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
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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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 343kcal
Keyword almond, butter, butter cake, cake, cookie, dense, dutch
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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portrait of heather janak in the kitchen

Hi, I'm Heather!

I am a baker with a passion for elevated desserts. I personally write, test and photograph every recipe you see here. Follow along as I develop easy and challenging recipes alike!

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