Boterkoek (Dutch Butter Cake)

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Boterkoek (Dutch Butter Cake) sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Netherlands traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 62 minutes in a single skillet, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 7 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350˚F (conventional oven).
2. Step 2. Place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until creamy.
3. Step 3. Add the flour and salt and knead by hand until you have a smooth dough. Divide into two pieces.
4. Step 4. Line the base of a square or round cake tin with baking parchment (not a springform tin) and place the first half of the pastry on top. Flatten with your fingers and a spoon.
5. Step 5. Using a teaspoon, sprinkle dollops of dulce de leche over the base. Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate and cover with the second half of the pastry.
6. Step 6. This is a bit trickier, but if you don’t get it right, don’t worry, it’ll be fine once it’s baked! Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.
7. Step 7. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. It will be wobbly. That's because butter cake only firms up when it cools.
8. Step 8. Cut into small pieces when it has cooled completely!
9. Step 9. Notes
10. Step 10. Storing: Store in an airtight container outside of the fridge for about 2-3 days or in the fridge for 5 days. Freeze for up to three months.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest skillet you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with netherlands roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 4-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.