Boterkoek is a traditional Dutch buttercake, typically either made plain or filled with a layer of almond paste. In this version, I mixed the almond paste into the dough rather than spread in a layer, which just felt a bit fiddly.
This is a dense cake; it has no leavener in it at all. The only lift comes from air whipped in when you cream the butter and sugar. It has a buttery, dense, plush, chewy interior and a crispy, almond-flecked top. This makes it closer to a cookie, even though it’s large and called cake. The almond topping is optional, but it adds a lovely crunch to the cake.
I made this using homemade almond paste, really only because I couldn’t find any at a few different stores. If you have it available near you, go ahead and use store bought. It’s very easy to make though, takes about 5 minutes and keeps well in the freezer. It’s worth doing to get this rich, almond scented snack cake.
dutch butter cake
Adapted from e2 bakes brooklyn
1 large, room temperature egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon water
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 ounces almond paste - homemade or store bought, sliced in rounds
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature (I used salted - unsalted will work too)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional - leave out or halve if desired)
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350° F. Prepare an 8” pie dish or cake pan with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom.
Make egg wash - combine 1 teaspoon of the beaten egg with a teaspoon of water. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine sugar and almond paste. Beat on medium speed into a smooth paste. Add butter and increase speed to high; beat until very light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until evenly combined. On low, beat in the flour and salt until just evenly incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Scoop the dough into the prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Brush egg wash over the cake.
almond topping
½ cup flaked almonds
2 tsp sugar
In a fine mesh sieve, rinse almonds in water. Shake to remove excess water. Toss damp almonds with sugar in a small bowl. Press onto the top of the cake. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes (check early to ensure you don’t over bake this cake. You want it to be very slightly golden, but still pretty light in the middle. Since it’s quite dense, an over baked cake will be leaden rather than chewy and lush).