This Dutch Butter Cake (Boterkoek) is a moist, soft butter cake, famous in the Netherlands and is often served with a cup of coffee. It’s so easy  to make and very popular, a regular when visiting friends , the smell of the baking buttery cake often greets you at the doorway. 

Dutch Buttercake (Boterkoek) is so delicious and it is a very easy cake to make with simple ingredients that you will definitely have in your cupboard. I really underestimated the WOW I was going to experience on my first taste of this delicious cake, how can so few simple ingredients taste that good ??? I couldn’t even wait for the cake to cool before I tried it and now I’m addicted, I know I will be making this regularly.

This cake definitely embraces the Danish Hygge vibe, Hygge is something I whole heartedly love to embrace, especially this time of the year when there is so little warmth out there! What does hygge mean? In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Having friends and loved ones over and welcoming them with the aroma of fresh baked cakes is Hygge. Snuggling under a blanket with the one you love, drinking hot chocolate whilst watching a storm while the fire crackles in the hearth is Hygge. Hygge is an important part of my life. So get your Hygge on and bake, invite your friends and loved ones around and enjoy.

Love Di 💋

150 g butter
200 g caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
1 egg, beaten
200 g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
A handful of flaked almonds (optional)

I swapped 50g of the flour for the same amount of ground almonds, but you can also use desiccated (flaked coconut), either will add a lovely flavour and I will definitely try coconut next time. 

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4. 

Line the bottom and grease a 23 cm / 9 inch tin with a removable base.

Mix together butter, sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy.

Add the beaten egg to the mixture but leave a teaspoon or so in the bowl for glazing at the end. Combine the egg with the mixture, and add the flour and baking powder. Combine until smooth. I didn’t take the teaspoon of egg from the egg for the cake batter, it’s a very stiff batter and I felt it needed the whole egg, so I just cracked another separately and used that.

Place mixture in the baking tin and gently push evenly with your hands or back of a spoon. Get it level.

Use a sharp knife and score the surface of the mix in a criss-cross pattern, like in the photo below. I’m not sure if I didn’t do mine deep enough or what I did wrong but you can see by my top photo the pattern didn’t work, I will try harder next time !!!!!

Mix the teaspoon of egg with a teaspoon of water, and brush on top of the buttercake.

Sprinkle with the flaked almonds, and bake for 25-30 minutes until just golden and test with a toothpick or skewer to see if it comes out clean, if it does, your cake is done and ready to be removed from the oven.

Allow to cool on a wire rack, invite friends and loved ones round, put the kettle on and enjoy.