Dutch Butter Cake

In a world of desserts piled with decked-out glam toppings, some of the frosting-less desserts get forgotten. Luckily, this Dutch Butter Cake is not lost to the wayside. This classic Dutch snacking cake has almost equal amounts by weight of butter to flour, making it a hybrid between a shortbread and a cake. A distinct crosshatched pattern on top gets an egg wash, creating a unique appearance.

Dutch Butter Cake, called boterkoek in Dutch, is full of ingredients that we’re all familiar with. Traditionally, it’s baked in its own special boterkoekvorm (or butter cake pan), but modern springform pans or cake pans are used for this cake recipe.

After combining the flour, salt, and nutmeg in one bowl, beat the butter, sugars, and orange zest in another bowl. Here, I chose orange zest, but you can also use lemon zest as well.