Almond cake served on a plate and sliced

Dutch Desserts

Name: Lemon and Almond Dutch Boterkoek
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Dutch
Ingredients: 200g Good Quality Unsalted Butter, room temperature; 200g Whitworths Caster Sugar; 250g Plain Flour; 1 Egg, Beaten (half for mixture and half to glaze); Pinch of Salt; 1 Lemon, Zest; 2 tbsp Lemon Juice; 80g Almonds, finely chopped; Whole Almonds to top

Enjoy the deliciousness of a Dutch bakery in your own home. Heavily influenced by the Netherlands' rich culinary heritage, which includes hearty, comforting dishes and delightful pastries. The Dutch are well-known for their pastries, apple tarts and waffle cookies.

The Baker

Now to introduce you to our wonderful baker behind this Dutch classic!

Name: Lorraine (travelsthroughbooksandbakes)

Home Country: UK - Living in the Netherlands

The Bake: Boterkoek

The Story Behind the Bake

Boterkoek (butter cake/ cookie) is a staple Dutch bake. The key ingredient is butter and it’s made with the best quality you can find! Which is often a locally produced butter.

Boterkoek is one of my son’s favourite treats, although, he likes the traditional recipe which doesn’t have any flavourings. I have taken inspiration from Laura's Bakery 'Amandel-citroen boterkoek' recipe. In my own version, I add chopped almonds and lemon zest, introduces a refreshing twist to the classic recipe. Its buttery richness combined with the zing of citrus and the crunch of almonds makes it an irresistible treat for any occasion.

This was one of the first bakes I was introduced to when I first moved to The Netherlands and I must admit it’s my first time making it in my attempt to read and bake around the world (40 countries and counting)!

Lemon and Almond Dutch Boterkoek

Rated 3.6 stars by 5 users

Servings

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

25-30 minutes

Boterkoek is a classic Dutch bake, a mix between a tart and shortbread made with quality butter, resulting in a rich, dense pastry. A quick and easy bake well paired over coffee with friends.

Recipe inspired by Laura's Bakery 'Amandel-citroen boterkoek' recipe.

Author:

travelsthroughbooksandbakes

Image of Lemon and Almond Dutch Boterkoek

Ingredients

200g Good Quality Unsalted Butter, room temperature
200g Whitworths Caster Sugar
250g Plain Flour
1 Egg, Beaten (half for mixture and half to glaze)
Pinch of Salt
1 Lemon, Zest
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
80g Almonds, finely chopped
Whole Almonds to top

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Directions

Preheat your oven to 180°C and prepare a springform tin by greasing and lining it with greaseproof paper.
In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Gradually add half of the beaten egg into the butter-sugar mixture, ensuring it's fully incorporated.
Combine the flour, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the mixture, stirring well until it forms a dough-like consistency.
Mix in the almonds until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Transfer the dough into the prepared tin, using a metal spoon to smooth it out evenly.
Beat the remaining egg and, if needed, add 2 teaspoons of milk to it. Brush this mixture over the dough.
Use a fork to create criss-cross patterns on the top of the dough. Then decorate with the remaining almonds.
Brush the top of the dough once more with the beaten egg-milk mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
Allow to cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy your delicious almond and lemon butter cake!