A host looking for a dark flavour
You want to serve a spiced breakfast cake made with cocoa or chocolate. Check the ingredients list: a dark-sounding product name won’t tell you how much cocoa it contains.
Who is this choice relevant to?
A host who wants easy-to-serve portions
You’re looking for a pre-sliced cake or individually wrapped portions that guests can help themselves to, so you don’t have to cut it during the party. Also check that the portion format you choose really does have the flavour you want.
A host who takes ingredients into account
You want to compare sugars, fibre and portion size, and check which allergens are relevant to your guests before serving. Use the packaging of the product you’re actually putting out.
What should you look for when choosing?
Start with the flavour you want and the ingredients that go with it, then decide how you’d like to serve the cake. Always check the label for allergens before serving.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dark flavour | Look for cocoa or chocolate in the ingredients list and check whether a percentage is given. | I want a spiced breakfast cake that contains cocoa or chocolate, not just a pack with the word ‘dark’ on it. This flavour preference comes first for around 42% of consumers. |
| Ease of serving | Check whether the cake is pre-sliced or individually wrapped, and how many grams are in a portion. | If guests can help themselves, I don’t want to have to cut the cake during the party. For around 33% of consumers, easy serving is the main priority. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Compare sugars and fibre per 100 g and per portion; also read the allergen information. | If I need to take into account what my guests can eat, I want to be able to check the ingredients and nutritional information in advance. This matters most to around 25% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘Dubbel Donker’ means a high cocoa content
For Peijnenburg Chocolade Dubbel Donker, Albert Heijn lists 13% chocolate as well as cocoa powder. This doesn’t tell you what percentage of the chocolate is cocoa.
For a current version, check the ingredients list and look for any percentage information before choosing based on cocoa content.
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Treating an old product example as an option to buy
Albert Heijn marks the product page for Peijnenburg Chocolade Dubbel Donker as discontinued. It can therefore serve as an example of an ingredients list, but not as confirmation that you can buy that version there now.
Check with the retailer to see which version is available and read the label on that exact pack.
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Judging allergens from the name or picture
The Peijnenburg version described contains rye, soya and barley, and may contain nuts and milk. Another spiced breakfast cake may have different ingredients.
If necessary, ask your guests about allergies in advance and keep the packaging available when serving.
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Assuming baker’s salt guarantees iodine
The fact that iodine can be added to baker’s salt used in bakery products doesn’t mean that every spiced breakfast cake contains iodised salt. In 2010, the RIVM described the use of iodised salt as voluntary.
If the type of salt used matters to you, ask the manufacturer for information about the specific product.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Worth considering if you want to assess a chocolate version or are looking for spiced breakfast cake in different portion formats.
- According to Albert Heijn, the ingredients list for Chocolade Dubbel Donker states that it contains 13% chocolate and cocoa powder.
- Albert Heijn marks that version as discontinued; the individually wrapped Dubbel Lekker portions are a different, plain version and don’t confirm a dark flavour.
Snelle Jelle
A brand to look at if you want to compare versions labelled ‘less sugar’ or ‘Zero’ as well as flavour.
- Albert Heijn and Jumbo list Snelle Jelle spiced cake versions with these labels.
- A label like this won’t tell you whether your chosen version contains cocoa or chocolate, so check the packaging.
AH
A supermarket own brand to consider if you’re mainly choosing between plain, wholemeal and bar formats.
- Albert Heijn’s range overview includes, among other options, sliced wholemeal spiced breakfast cake and spiced cake bars.
- Choose an AH version for a dark flavour only if the ingredients list for that specific product confirms it contains cocoa or chocolate.
Spiced breakfast cake products at Joybuy
Related products will appear here soon.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell how much cocoa is in dark spiced breakfast cake?
Read the current ingredients list and look for any percentage information about the cocoa or chocolate. Albert Heijn lists 13% chocolate and cocoa powder for Peijnenburg Chocolade Dubbel Donker, but doesn’t state the cocoa percentage in that chocolate. So the name alone doesn’t confirm a high cocoa content.
Can I serve dark spiced breakfast cake to guests with allergies?
Only after checking the label on the pack you’ve chosen against your guests’ allergies. The Peijnenburg Chocolade Dubbel Donker described contains rye, soya and barley, and may contain nuts and milk; don’t assume that other versions have the same ingredients.
Is spiced breakfast cake with less sugar an alternative to a dark version?
Yes, if the amount of sugar matters more to you than a cocoa flavour, but it isn’t automatically a chocolate version. The Voedingscentrum gives average figures of 7.3 g of sugars and 3.6 g of fibre per 30 g slice for spiced breakfast cake with less sugar, compared with 11.2 g of sugars and 1.1 g of fibre for regular spiced breakfast cake. These figures relate to the categories as a whole; check the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion on the pack you choose before buying.
Does all spiced breakfast cake contain iodine because baker’s salt is used?
No, don’t assume so without product information. In 2010, the RIVM described the use of iodised salt as voluntary. If the type of salt used matters to you, ask the manufacturer which type is used in a specific spiced breakfast cake.