Dutch Spiced Honey Cake
A spiced Dutch breakfast cake with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove flavors. Dense, moist, and perfectly sliced thin—this honey-sweetened classic pairs beautifully with butter and cheese.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 6g
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup raw honey
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 whole large eggs
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with unsalted butter and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.
- 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups whole wheat flour, 0.5 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 0.5 teaspoon baking soda, and 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt. Set aside.
- 3
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 0.75 cup raw honey and 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter until well combined and creamy, about 1 minute. The mixture should lighten slightly in color.
- 4
Crack 2 large eggs into the honey-butter mixture and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the eggs are fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy. You should hear the whisk moving steadily through a thick mixture.
- 5
Pour 0.5 cup whole milk into the batter and stir gently with a wooden spoon until combined.
- 6
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold together using a spatula with broad, gentle strokes, rotating the bowl as you fold. Stop as soon as no dry flour streaks remain—overworking the batter will toughen the cake. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.
- 7
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. The batter should come three-quarters of the way up the sides.
- 8
Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, and the top is deep golden brown and springs back lightly when tapped.
- 9
Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes—you should still feel warmth radiating from the pan. This resting time allows the crumb to set slightly so it won't crumble when you turn it out.
- 10
Run a small knife around the edges of the pan, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Peel away the parchment paper and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, before slicing.
- 11
Slice the ontbijtkoek into 0.5-inch-thick slices using a serrated bread knife—a gentle sawing motion gives cleaner cuts than pressing down. Serve at room temperature or lightly toasted, with unsalted butter and Dutch cheese for a traditional breakfast, or simply on its own with a cup of coffee.
Tools you’ll need
- 9-by-5-inch loaf pan
- parchment paper
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- silicone spatula
- wooden skewer or toothpick
- wire cooling rack
- serrated bread knife
- oven thermometer (optional but recommended)
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