Students who want to share breakfast cake
If you want to share a sweet extra with your housemates, the pack size and packaging matter more than an unusual flavour. Jumbo and ALDI, for example, offer plain breakfast cake in 550 g packs.
Who are these choices relevant to?
Students comparing nutritional information
If you’re looking at sugar or fibre content within the category, compare the values per 100 g. Check the ingredients and any warnings too: varieties with no added sugar may still contain sugars and sweeteners.
Students looking for a treat to share
Pearl sugar, ginger, nuts or raisins can help you choose a flavour for a sweet finish or something to have with your coffee. If you choose a flavoured variety, check the allergens on the packaging too.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you mainly want to share the breakfast cake, compare its nutritional information or choose a distinctive flavour.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing | Check the net weight and whether the cake is sliced or unsliced. | If I want to share something sweet with my housemates, I look for a pack that suits the occasion. Around 50% of consumers put sharing first. |
| Sugars and fibre | Compare sugars and fibre per 100 g; for varieties with sweeteners, check the warnings too. | When I choose breakfast cake based on its nutritional information, I want to know what my chosen variety contains, not just what the front of the pack promises. Around 30% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Flavour | Check the flavourings and allergens for the specific variety. | For a treat with coffee, I’d choose pearl sugar or another distinctive flavour over plain. This is the main deciding factor for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
-
Treating breakfast cake as an evening meal
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes breakfast cake as a snack that often contains a lot of sugar and little fibre or other nutrients.
Think of a slice with a student meal as a sweet extra or something to finish with, not as the meal itself.
-
Assuming ‘no added sugar’ means ‘sugar-free’
Peijnenburg states that its plain variety with no added sugar still contains 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g. Jumbo warns that excessive consumption of a variety with sweeteners may have a laxative effect.
Check the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g, along with the ingredients and warnings on the pack you choose.
-
Overlooking allergens when choosing a different flavour
Ingredients vary between varieties. PLUS lists wheat and rye in its Korenlanders Bakkers plain breakfast cake and warns that the product may contain nuts.
Check the label every time you buy, making sure it’s for the exact variety you plan to eat, especially if allergens are important to you.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers plain breakfast cake, as well as varieties with pearl sugar, nuts and ginger.
- According to Peijnenburg, its plain variety with no added sugar contains 4.9 g of sugars and 17 g of fibre per 100 g.
- ‘No added sugar’ doesn’t mean the cake is sugar-free; check the nutritional information for the variety you choose.
Jumbo
The own-brand range includes several plain and other breakfast cake varieties.
- The range offers a choice of pack sizes and varieties.
- According to Jumbo, a sliced variety with sweeteners carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Koek & Bakker
ALDI offers Koek & Bakker varieties including sliced wholemeal breakfast cake and an unsliced version with pearl sugar.
- The wholemeal pack contains 485 g; the pearl sugar variety contains 465 g and, according to ALDI, has crunchy pearl sugar.
- Check the ingredients of the specific variety if nutritional information or allergens are important to your choice.
PLUS Korenlanders
The range includes a 500 g pack of Bakkers plain breakfast cake.
- The product information lets you check the ingredients of this plain variety separately.
- PLUS lists wheat and rye as allergens and states that this variety may contain nuts.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn offers its own breakfast cake alongside varieties from other brands.
- The range shown includes AH plain unsliced and AH Organic plain unsliced varieties.
- Compare the ingredients and nutritional information for each individual pack; the varieties are not interchangeable.
Breakfast cake on Joybuy
These products include a wholemeal breakfast cake and packs for individual snack occasions. Compare your chosen variety for pack size, nutritional information and allergens if these matter to your decision.
Image unavailable
g'woon sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, 485 g
For anyone looking specifically for a sliced wholemeal variety as a sweet extra.
485 g pack. Compare the nutritional values per 100 g on the label and check the allergens if they’re important to you.
Image unavailable
Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake Less Sugar-Free, 250 g
An option if you’re looking for breakfast cake for individual snack occasions.
250 g pack. Check the ‘of which sugars’ value and the ingredients on the label; don’t assume from the variety name that the product is sugar-free.
Image unavailable
g'woon breakfast cake, 6 pieces
For anyone who wants several pieces of breakfast cake for snack occasions.
The product name states that the pack contains six pieces. Check the net weight, nutritional information and allergens on the pack before comparing it with other varieties.
Frequently asked questions
Can breakfast cake replace a student meal?
No. Don’t use breakfast cake as the basis for an evening meal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes it as a snack that often contains a lot of sugar and little fibre or other nutrients; at most, treat it as a sweet extra alongside a meal.
Is breakfast cake with no added sugar also sugar-free?
No. Peijnenburg states that its plain variety with no added sugar contains 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g. For every variety, check the ‘of which sugars’ line on the label.
How should I store breakfast cake after opening?
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose. PLUS recommends resealing its Korenlanders Bakkers breakfast cake pack securely after opening and storing the cake in a cool, dry place.