Home bakers making a crumb base
You can decide exactly how much breakfast cake to crumble. An unsliced pack also lets you cut pieces to size if your recipe calls for them.
Which format is right for you?
Home bakers with specific ingredient requirements
You might be looking for a wholemeal version, or want to compare the sugar information, ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the option you choose. The term ‘wholemeal’ doesn’t, on its own, tell you whether a product contains gluten.
Home bakers who want slices or a particular flavour
Your recipe might call for even slices or a flavour such as ginger, raisins or pearl sugar. In that case, the cake’s format or flavour matters more than being able to cut the pieces yourself.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, check whether your recipe calls for crumbs or slices. Then compare the amount you need with the pack size, and check the label of the option you plan to use.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Format and quantity | Check whether the cake is unsliced and whether the pack size matches the amount in your recipe. | If I’m crumbling cake for a base, I want to decide how much to use and what to do with any left over. An estimated 42% of consumers prioritise format and quantity. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional details for the exact option you’ve chosen. | If ingredients or allergens determine my choice, I want to be able to check the label on the pack I’ll be using. Around 33% of consumers give this choice of label the highest priority. |
| Slices and flavour | Check whether you need even slices and whether the flavour works with the other ingredients in your tart. | If my recipe calls for slices or a distinctive flavour, I choose a cake to suit. An estimated 25% of consumers prioritise this convenience or their preferred flavour. |
Common mistakes
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Choosing a pack without checking the recipe
Pre-sliced cake is handy if you’re using the slices whole, but you don’t need even slices for a crumb base.
Before choosing, check how much cake you need and whether you’ll be using slices, pieces or crumbs.
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Confusing a sugar claim with allergen information
A product labelled ‘no added sugar’ isn’t automatically gluten-free. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points out that allergens must be listed separately on the label.
Check the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging of the exact option you’ve chosen.
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Applying information about baker’s salt in bread to breakfast cake
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses iodised baker’s salt in bread. That information doesn’t mean breakfast cake contains the same ingredient.
Don’t assume you know what’s in a product based on its category. Check the ingredients on the pack you’ve chosen.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers breakfast cake in plain and flavoured varieties, including ginger, raisin and pearl sugar.
- A particular flavour may suit the taste your recipe calls for.
- Check that the flavoured variety works with the other ingredients in your tart.
Jumbo
Jumbo’s own-label range includes plain, wholemeal and flavoured breakfast cakes.
- An unsliced plain variety is an option if you want to make your own crumbs or pieces.
- Check the format and ingredients of each variety, as they aren’t the same across the whole range.
Koek & Bakker (ALDI)
ALDI lists individual sliced Zero and wholemeal breakfast cake varieties under this name.
- The sliced format is useful if your recipe calls for even slices.
- Check the ingredients and allergens of each variety separately. ‘Wholemeal’ doesn’t mean gluten-free.
PLUS
PLUS offers an unsliced plain breakfast cake that you can cut or crumble yourself.
- The unsliced format lets you cut the pieces to suit your tart recipe.
- The variety described contains rye flour. Check the other ingredients and the current allergen information on the pack, too.
AH
Albert Heijn offers a sliced plain breakfast cake for recipes that call for slices.
- The sliced format saves you time when you need even slices.
- The variety described contains rye flour and lists cereals containing gluten. Check the label on the pack.
Tastino (Lidl)
Tastino is a name Lidl uses for its breakfast cake.
- Check each variety to see whether its format and flavour suit your recipe.
- Check which variety is available in store and what the packaging says.
Breakfast cake at Joybuy
These two breakfast cakes come in different formats for tart recipes: an unsliced cake to crumble or cut yourself, and a sliced wholemeal option when you want to use slices.
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g'woon unsliced breakfast cake 550 g
The unsliced format is ideal if you want to make your own crumbs or pieces for a tart base.
Pack size: 550 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging before using the cake.
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g'woon sliced wholemeal breakfast cake 485 g
The sliced format is ideal if you want to use even slices in a tart recipe.
Pack size: 485 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging; wholemeal doesn’t mean gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
Which breakfast cake should I use for a tart base?
An unsliced breakfast cake is the obvious choice if you want to crumble or cut it to size yourself. If your recipe calls for whole, even slices, a sliced variety is more practical.
Does ‘no added sugar’ also mean gluten-free?
No. These claims relate to different product characteristics. For information about gluten and other allergens, check the ingredients and allergen details on the exact pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that these must be listed separately on the label.
Can I assume that breakfast cake contains iodised baker’s salt?
No, you can’t tell that from the name breakfast cake. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses iodised baker’s salt in bread. For breakfast cake, check the ingredients on the pack you plan to use.
Which ingredient information should I use when baking?
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the packaging you’re actually using. These details apply to the variety you’ve chosen and matter more to your recipe than assumptions based on a different version of the same breakfast cake.