Lekker Holland (Boterkoek/Dutch Butter Cake)
Lekker Holland or also known as Boterkoek in Holland is a sweet, buttery cake with a wonderful cookie-like texture. Enjoy this cake with a cup of tea or coffee for a perfect afternoon tea treat!
As one of the most ethnically diverse societies, Indonesia is well known for its cultural diversity. Some of them are historically affected by colonization. For so many years in the past, Indonesia experienced a long colonial period under the Dutch and it has left a huge influence on various aspects of Indonesian people’s lives and cuisine. It is inevitable that some Dutch recipes become part of Indonesian culinary tradition and this Lekker Holland is also one of them.
What is Lekker Holland?
Lekker Holland is known as Boterkoek in Netherlands which literally means ‘butter cake in’ Dutch. It is a traditional Dutch cake made with a simple combination of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. It has characteristic lines on the surface which are a little crispy once cooked. It is usually cut and served in thin wedges or small squares along with a hot cup of coffee or afternoon tea.
The Cookie-Like Cake Texture
Lekker Holland looks like a flat cake at first glance. You may expect it to be soft and fluffy when you take a bite of this treat. In fact, the batter is quite stiff, closer to a cookie dough consistency. It is like a buttery bar cookie, baked in a large tin, and cut into little bites after baking. It is rich, dense, crumbly, and chewy like a softer version of shortbread cookies.
High-Quality Butter is the Key Ingredient
Lekker Holland is a cake made with butter, flour, sugar, and egg. These simple ingredients allow the flavor of the butter to really shine through. You will want to use good-quality butter to make the recipe.
If you want to stick to the Indonesian tradition, we usually use Wijsman Dutch canned butter. It is the most popular and expensive butter in Indonesia. Apparently, the product itself is hard to find in the Netherlands. Wijsman butter was created specifically for tropical countries and no refrigerators during the colonial time. Alternatively, you can also use European-style butter which has less water, higher fat content, and richer flavor.
How to Make
- With a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add an egg and vanilla extra. Beat until well combined. Sift in all-purpose flour, milk powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined.
- Spread on the pan evenly. Flatten the top with a bench scraper.
- Brush the top with an egg yolk. Make horizontal and vertical patterns with a fork.
- Decorate with raisins and sliced almonds if preferred.
- Bake at 320F/160°C for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes or until. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Lekker Holland
Ingredients
- 14 tbsp (200 gr) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (130 gr) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup (220 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30 gr) milk powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Toppings
- 1 egg yolk
- raisins or chocolate chips
- sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320F/160°C. Line a 8-inch/20 cm square pan with parchment paper with extra overhang on the sides. Set aside.
- Soak raisins – If using raisins, soak them in water for 10-15 minutes to prevent them from burning during baking. Drain and discard the water.
- Mix wet ingredients – With a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until white and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients – Sift in all-purpose flour and salt. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together. Don't overmix.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Level the top with the spatula or bench scrapper.
- Add toppings – Brush the top with egg yolk evenly. Make horizontal-vertical patterns on top with a fork and decorate the cake with raisins/chocolate chips and sliced almonds.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool – Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes to set. Don't remove the cake from the pan when the cake is still too hot or the cake will crumble. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
