If you’re serving them straight away at a garden party, a standard pack of canoe cakes may be enough. If you want to give each guest their own sealed cake, check that the packaging explicitly says each cake is individually wrapped; the product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS doesn’t confirm this. Also compare the number of portions and the filling, and always check the label on the pack you’ve bought if any of your guests have allergies.
If you’re preparing goodie bags in advance or offering a treat to take home, you’ll need to know whether each cake has its own wrapper. The product pages for the canoe cakes listed by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS don’t confirm that they’re individually wrapped.
If you’re opening the packs during the party, the number of portions per pack will help you plan your shopping. Albert Heijn lists six portions in a 270 g pack; Jumbo lists five portions in a 275 g pack. Remember to take into account what else you’ll be serving.
Keep the ingredients and allergen information with the cakes. The product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS lists ingredients including egg, milk, soya, almond and cereals containing gluten. Check the label on the exact pack you’re serving.
First, decide whether each guest needs to be able to pick up a sealed cake. If you’re serving them straight away, the number of portions and the filling become more important. If any guests have allergies, you’ll still need to check the label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Individually wrapped cakes | Look for explicit wording on the pack confirming that each cake is individually wrapped. A tray or outer wrapping around the whole pack doesn’t confirm this. | If I’m preparing goodie bags in advance, I want to give each guest their own sealed canoe cake. Individually wrapped packaging is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Portions and filling | Compare the number of portions or cakes per pack and, if the filling matters to you, the stated proportion of almond paste. | If I’m putting the canoe cakes on a platter, I want to know how many I’ll need for my guests and what type of filling I’m buying. This is the most important factor for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label on the pack you’ve bought, including any warnings that the product may contain other allergens. | If a guest has a food allergy, I want to be able to show them the information on the right pack before serving anything. Checking allergens is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
PLUS describes its pack as a tray. A mention of foil packaging for Aviateur doesn’t mean that each cake has its own wrapper either. This distinction matters if you want to hand out sealed cakes.
Before buying, check the physical pack to see whether each canoe cake is individually wrapped, rather than relying on the outer packaging.
Weight doesn’t tell you directly how many portions the manufacturer lists: Albert Heijn gives six portions for 270 g, while Jumbo gives five for 275 g.
Compare the number of portions or cakes first, then work out how many packs you need based on your guests and the other snacks you’re serving.
The canoe cakes listed by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS contain several allergens. Without the packaging, it’s harder to show guests which ingredients and warnings apply to the cakes you’re serving.
Keep the pack, or a clear photo of the full ingredients and allergens section, by the serving area. Don’t rely on the label from a pack you bought previously.
Albert Heijn lists its butter canoe cakes in a 270 g pack with six portions and 41% almond paste.
Jumbo lists its butter canoe cakes in a 275 g pack with five portions and 38% almond paste.
PLUS describes its butter canoe cakes as a 275 g tray with a 39% almond paste filling.
A Jumbo listing describes Aviateur filled canoe cakes as a pack of seven, weighing 325 g, with a 46% almond paste filling.
This isn’t clear from the product information provided by these three brands. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list portions per pack, while PLUS lists a tray, but neither confirms whether each cake has its own wrapper. Check the physical pack if this is a requirement for your garden party.
Read the allergen information on the exact pack you’re serving. The products listed by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS contain ingredients including egg, milk, soya, almond and cereals containing gluten; also check for any warnings about other allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the allergen information that must appear on the labels of prepacked foods.
Follow the storage advice on the pack you’ve bought. Albert Heijn recommends keeping the cakes in a sealed tin after opening; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises storing biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container.
