A large, pre-sliced breakfast cake is practical when a group is eating from the same pack in one place. For days out, individually wrapped portions are easier to divide up in advance. If ingredients, nutritional information or allergens are a priority, check the specific variety before choosing. Front-of-pack claims are no substitute for checking the current label.
If several children or adults are eating together in one place, you can hand out slices from a larger cake. Jumbo and Peijnenburg offer 550 g options, for example. Check whether the cake you choose is pre-sliced and how to store any leftovers.
For a day out or separate bags, you can hand out individually wrapped portions in advance, without having to slice the cake on the go. Peijnenburg, for example, offers a pack of ten portions weighing 280 g in total.
For a group, nutritional information and allergens may influence your choice. Always check the exact variety: according to PLUS product information, Peijnenburg Original contains rye, while its gluten-free variety contains milk and lupin.
First decide whether the breakfast cake will mainly be shared or taken along. Then check that the ingredients and nutritional information on the pack you choose are suitable for everyone who’ll be eating it.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| A cake to share | Check the pack weight and whether the cake is sliced. You’ll need to cut an unsliced cake yourself. | If everyone is eating together in one place, I want to be able to get enough slices from one pack. Around 42% of consumers give a shareable pack the highest priority. |
| Portions for days out | Check the number of individual portions and the weight of each one. | For a day out, I want to be able to put something in every bag in advance, without having to slice a cake to take along. Around 25% of consumers prioritise portions that are easy to take with them. |
| Label and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional values per 100 g. For individual portions, also check the amount per piece. | When people with different dietary needs are eating together, I want to know what the variety I’ve chosen contains. For around 33% of consumers, checking the label comes first. |
A pack of individual portions makes sharing on the go easy, but it may not contain enough for several snack breaks. A Peijnenburg pack of ten portions weighs 280 g in total; the large Peijnenburg and Jumbo Original cakes reviewed each weigh 550 g.
Work out how many portions you want to hand out and compare that number with the pack contents.
A claim such as wholegrain or no added sugars doesn’t tell you everything about the ingredients or nutritional values of a breakfast cake. For example, the Peijnenburg wholegrain variety reviewed contains xylitol and rye.
Read the nutritional information per 100 g and the ingredients list for the exact variety, including any sweeteners and usage warnings.
According to PLUS product information, Peijnenburg gluten-free breakfast cake contains milk and lupin. So a gluten-free claim won’t answer every question about allergens.
Check the full allergen information on the current pack for everyone who’ll be eating it.
If you’re not handing out all the slices at once, you’ll need to store the rest of the cake too. Jumbo says its 550 g Original cake should be stored in a cool, dry place.
For a day out, take a sealable container if needed, and follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose.
The range reviewed includes a 550 g pre-sliced Original cake, a pack of ten portions and varieties with different ingredients.
Jumbo offers a 550 g Original breakfast cake, among other options, for sharing from one pack.
Under its own brand, Albert Heijn offers 485 g pre-sliced wholegrain and zero breakfast cakes, among other options.
ALDI Nederland offers 485 g pre-sliced breakfast cakes and a 465 g unsliced pearl sugar variety under this brand.
Lidl includes Tastino breakfast cake in its Dutch range.
These individually wrapped bars are a good fit if you want to divide them up in advance and take them along on a day out. If you want to share a larger cake, choose a different pack format.
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The five individually wrapped bars are designed to be divided up in advance or taken along with you. The pack contains 250 g in total.
This product contains rye and gluten and may contain nuts and milk. The variety name and product description make different claims about sugar, so don’t assume that the product is sugar-free. Check the current ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the pack.
No. Don’t make that decision based on the name or packaging alone. The Voedingscentrum recommends vegetables and fruit as options for frequent snacks. When choosing breakfast cake, consider the portion, ingredients and nutritional values of the specific product.
No. The product name doesn’t tell you whether baker’s salt was used in baking. If iodine matters to your choice, check the ingredients on the current pack rather than assuming it applies to all breakfast cakes.
Follow the instructions on the pack you choose and seal the rest after handing out portions. Jumbo says its 550 g Original cake should be stored in a cool, dry place. For a day out, take a suitable storage container if you won’t be eating the whole cake at once.
Not necessarily. According to PLUS product information, Peijnenburg gluten-free breakfast cake contains milk and lupin. So read the full allergen information on the pack you buy.
