Description
Ontbijtkoek, also known as Dutch Honey Breakfast Cake, is a warmly spiced, moist loaf traditionally enjoyed at breakfast in the Netherlands. This comforting cake combines rye and all-purpose flours with a blend of aromatic spices, sweetened naturally with honey and molasses. Its tender crumb and subtle sweetness make it perfect sliced thin and served with butter, either warm or cold.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups rye flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- â…” cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- â…› teaspoon ground anise
- â…› teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- â…“ cup molasses (NOT blackstrap!)
- ¾ cup milk (plus extra for brushing)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper to ensure the cake will release easily after baking.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together all the dry ingredients including rye flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and the blend of spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, coriander, cloves, anise, black pepper) along with salt.
- Warm wet ingredients: In a small saucepan, gently warm the honey, molasses, and milk over medium heat until combined and warmed through, which helps incorporate the ingredients smoothly into the batter.
- Make batter: Pour the warmed wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold and mix until you achieve a sticky batter that is well combined.
- Finish and bake: Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan, flatten the surface with the spatula, and lightly brush the top with a little milk to help create a soft crust. Bake in the oven for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan before slicing. Serve warm or cold, traditionally with butter.
Notes
- This recipe uses rye flour, which lends a distinctive earthy flavor and denser texture typical of traditional ontbijtkoek.
- Do not substitute blackstrap molasses as it is too bitter; use mild molasses instead to maintain a balanced sweetness.
- Brushing the top with milk before baking helps create a tender crust on the cake.
- Slice thinly as this cake is quite dense and flavorful, perfect with butter spread.
- Store leftover cake tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
