Sunday, September 27, 2015

Dutch Boterkoek with Autumn Apples


Yesterday I made a variation of one of my favorite traditional Dutch afternoon cake treats, the "boterkoek“, roughly translating as “butter cake”. The boterkoek can be considered to be a bit like a cross between a tart and shortbread, with its crunchy sides and soft heart. I have not found a similar cake in other European cuisines and although there is a wonderful French gâteau breton or even the gâteau basque which I also love to bake every so often (you can take a look here), this is an entirely different treat and one that is decidedly Dutch in appearance and taste.




From what I was told, this cake first appeared in the thirties and was considered to be a confection for the more „common folk“ and therefore could not be found in any of what can be considered the "high-end bakeries". But it made and still makes a regular appearance in the kitchens of the homebakers and to this day remains a welcome afternoon treat with a cup of good strong coffee.



As its name implies, this lovely Dutch treat has lots of butter and the original has an almond flavor, reminiscent of frangipane. Given just how butter is the key flavor of this recipe, really, really try to use the best, freshest butter you can, and do not even consider of using any substitutes here.  If you are trying to be healthy, make it properly, then just enjoy a small slice of the real thing.




It is also very simple to make, so perfect if you have got to produce something at short notice. It is also one of the first cakes that Dutch children learn how to make at home – so if your are looking to show your kids some delicious and easy baking, this is a great recipe to get them started.

Dutch Boterkoek with Autumn Apples

Ingredients for the Boterkoek Base
  • 150 g butter, unsalted
  • 200 g caster sugar, also called superfine baking sugar (if you cannot find superfine baking sugar at your grocery store, you can grind standard granulated sugar in a food processor or blender for about a minute)
  • 1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla sugar
  • 1 egg (M), organic or free range
  • 200 g plain wheat flour
  • a generous pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

Ingredients for the Apple Topping
  • 3 baking apples (L), preferably a regional variety with red peel, sliced
  • 2 tbsps caster sugar
  • a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla sugar
  • 2-3 tbsps apple jelly (preferably homemade)

In addition
  • a springform baking pan (about 23 cm/9 inch)
  • baking parchment




Preparation of the Boterkoek with Apples
  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
  2. Line your 23cm (9 inch) springform pan with baking parchment.
  3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Pour the egg into the mixture, and stir well.
  5. Add the flour, salt and baking powder, and mix until you have a smooth dough.
  6. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan, and pat down with the back of a spoon until smooth (you might find it easier to use clean hands to smooth the mixture).
  7. In a medium bowl mix together the sliced apples, the sugar, vanilla sugar and cinnamon.
  8. Arrange in a nice pattern on top of the base.
  9. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the apples appear to be baked and the dough around them is just golden and firm to the touch and the sides start to brown.
  10. Remove from the oven and while still warm, brush the top with warmed apple jelly, then let cool almost completely in the springform pan and until the jelly has set up again.
  11. Then remove the ring and the base and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely and serve on the day it was made (although it was still pretty delicious the day after it was baked).




Cut into small slices and serve plain or with a bit of Greek yogurt – while that is not traditional, we found that the tanginess of the yogurt cuts well through the delightful buttery sweetness of the cake. And do not forget to serve with some really good coffee or tea, if you prefer.




And while I veered off the traditional boterkoek by adding some wonderful regional autumn apples and homemade apple jelly as a topping, boterkoek is a really simple recipe with surprisingly good results for something so easy. Definitely give this one a try!

If you are looking for a traditional, more simplified version, without apples, by all means visit my previous boterkoek posts here and here!

Whether you choose the apple version or the plain almond version, this cake is great to mix up in a hurry when you have surprise visitors! And apart from being the perfect afternoon pick-me-up-treat, it also makes a great mid-morning delight!

Eet smakelijk!


20 comments:

  1. OOO, My Heart just leapt!
    Those photos are warm and overflowing with "HOME."
    I smell the apples.
    And those cup holders are FABULOUS.
    you bring joy, Andrea!! xx luv from MN.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My dear Kim, you write the most wonderful, up-lifting comments! Thank you for all your kindness and thoughtfulness, I really appreciate it all!
      Hugs,
      Andrea

      Delete
  2. Eet smakelijk. Insgelijks! Leider hatte ich gerade zwei grosse Apfelstrudel aus dem Backofen gezogen.... Ich liebe Apfelkuchen aller Art :-) Man kann nie genug Inspirationen bekommen! Danke, Andrea! Dein Kuchen sieht zum Anbeissen aus!!!! Herbstgrüße!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, liebe Wally, Niederländisch sprichst du auch noch...ich arbeite dran, ist gar nicht sooo einfach, aber macht unheimlich viel Spaß! Wenn du noch ein paar rote Backäpfel übrig hast, dann nichts wir ran an dieses Rezept - es hat uns unglaublich gut geschmeckt - aber ein Stück deines Apfelstrudels hätte ich auch sehr, sehr gerne probiert!
      Liebe Grüße aus Bonn - die Sonne scheint, aber es ist unglaublich kühl hier,
      Andrea

      Delete
  3. Hi Andrea, you have outdone yourself once again, love apple treats. Your presentation is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheri, that is so nice of you - thank you for your kind words! And, yes, there is no such thing as having too many apple treats at this time of year!

      Delete
  4. Hallo! My Boterkoek with apples is in the oven now! Just before going to the farmers market this morning, I saw your post and made a note to look for apples. I found beautiful ones, and now we will have this fantastic treat for dessert tonight! Vielen Dank für diese Rezept, und liebe Grüße, David

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear David, then I sincerely hope that your Dutch Boterkoek with Apples turne out delicious and fragrant and just plain wonderful! If you get a chance, please do let me know wheter you and Mark enjoyed it!
      Liebe Grüße nach Tucson!
      Andrea & Co. - You would have loved, loved the live coooking show in downtown Bonn yesterday - which took place as part of the "Bonn fest", I took lots and lots of pictures and I got hold of the recipes they prepared, good!

      Delete
    2. I saw some of your photos from yesterday - it looked fantastic!

      The cake was (still is) amazing. I sent you a photo on Facebook! Not as pretty as yours (my apple skills need work!), but the taste is incredible! Mark, who is not a big dessert fan, loves it!

      Delete
    3. Dear David, thank you for letting me know! Isn´t it amazing how sometimes the most humble of recipes turns out to be the most delicious! And to think that I made this teatime treat just on a whim...
      Andrea

      Delete
  5. You can never have too many apple cake recipes and yours looks delicious wth all those beautiful photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Gerlinde, hört sich gut an - du kennst bestimmt auch ganz wunderbare Apfel-Kuchen-Rezepte - werde nochmals dein Blog daraufhin durchstöbern!
      Liebe Grüße nach Santa Cruz!
      Andrea

      Delete
    2. Ich habe einen Apfelstrudelkuchen der beliebt ist. Ich werde deinen Kuchen demnächst baken, er sieht sehr lecker aus.

      Delete
    3. Gerlinde, deinen tollen Apfelstrudel-Kuchen habe ich schon auf deinem Blog gesehen - kein Wunder, dass er so beliebt ist - sieht wahnsinnig lecker und wunderbar herbstlich aus.
      LG nach Santa Cruz,
      Andrea

      Delete
  6. What a fabulous looking cake Andrea, I can't wait to try it !
    I hope you and the family are all well :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Karen - what a delight to hear from you! From fb I can see that your business is doing well! Thank you so much for dropping by - I will be over for a visit later today!
      We are doing allright, thank you for asking!
      Andrea

      Delete
  7. Oh, this is my kind of cake. What a beautiful rose you've made with apples slices. Everything you do shows the loving care of a mother's hands.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Colette, you and I should definiotely have a slice of my Dutch boterkoek with apples, then some lovely stoing coffee and relax and chat for a very long while...
      Andrea

      Delete
  8. What a truly beautiful cake :) I love to bake with my kids, and we will definitely try this cake very soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marcelle, sounds wonderful to me - enjoy! And thank you for visiting my blog!

      Delete