Dutch cinnamon cake (Ontbijtkoek)

Welcome back to my kitchen!

As a kid I remember having thin slices of Ontbijtkoek with a thick slather of salted butter, it was a snack that I absolutely loved. Recently I got a really stong craving for it and I wanted to see if it was possible to recreate it with just what I had on hand, and boy was I pleasantly surprised. Although this cake is known as a cinnamon cake, the most prominent spices is clove, the warming anise flavour is a real taste of my childhood that I absolutely love. And with the cinnamon and nutmeg adding some much needed depth, this easy spiced cake really warms the soul on those cold winter nights.

So let's get started!

Makes 1 8-inch cake - Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 45 minutes - Serves: 24

Equipment

Small microwave safe bowl

8'' glass pie dish

Medium bowl

Spatula

Kitchen scale

Ingredients

Cake

55g vegan butter spread, melted* (see notes)

100g applesauce

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3g imitaion vanilla* (see notes)

90g granulated sugar

220g plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

100g oat milk, or your favourite milk

Syrup

50g vegan butter spread

55g golden syrup

pinch of salt

Method

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 50g butter, 55g golden syrup, and a pinch of salt in the microwave. Pour the mixture into a 8-inch pie dish. Place the dish on a baking tray lined with foil. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 175°C fan forced (350°F). In a medium bowl, mix together 55g butter, 100g applesauce, 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 3g vanilla, 90g sugar, and pinch of salt. Add 1 tsp baking soda and 220g plain flour. Mix to form a dough. Add 100g oat milk and beat until you have a smooth batter.
Scoop the batter over the prepared syrup in the pie dish. The syrup will still be liquid; smooth the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the cake halfway through, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve warm or let cool completely. Enjoy it cooled with butter smeared on top, or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Vegan butter: I use nuttelex buttery, to make this lactose free, but feel free to use regular butter.

Imitation vanilla: Vanilla, extract and imitation, contain a compound called vanillin, among other compunds, The vanillin is the primary compound and is the most recognizable as the flavour of vanilla and whilst both extract and imitation both contain this compound, imitation is more of a large hit of vanillin. And when we bake extract or imitation vanilla at high heat, we drive off a lot of the volatile aromas, that's why your kitchen smells great, but it can leave your baked goods lacking, so in my oven / high heat bakes I opt for imitation, but for pastry creams, whipped cream or icings I use extract, as the taste difference is far more noticable. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and if you give it a try, let me know how it turns out! Your feedback means the world to me. Happy baking!

Much love,