Organisers hosting a coffee get-together
If you want to make Dutch breakfast cake a centrepiece on the table, consider an uncut variety with ginger or pearl sugar. Decide in advance who will slice it and how you’ll serve it.
Which option suits which organiser?
Organisers catering for different dietary requirements
For guests keeping an eye on sugars, fibre or allergens, the exact product matters more than a claim on the front of the pack. Compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the products you’re planning to serve.
Organisers who want to hand out slices quickly
Pre-sliced cake or individually wrapped portions mean less cutting when it’s time to serve. If you’re buying for a group, check how many slices or portions are in the pack.
What should you look for when choosing?
For a retirement celebration, how you plan to serve the cake will often guide your first choice. Then compare the flavour and the label on the products that fit the occasion.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and presentation | Check the flavouring and whether the cake is pre-sliced or uncut. | If I want something festive for the coffee table, I’d rather choose a flavoured cake that I can slice myself. Presentation comes first for an estimated 50% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information and ingredients | Compare sugars and fibre per 100 g, and check the ingredients and allergens for the product you’ve chosen. | When guests have different dietary requirements, I want to know exactly what I’m serving rather than relying on a claim such as “wholemeal”. These label details matter most to an estimated 30% of consumers. |
| Serving | Check whether the cake is pre-sliced or individually wrapped, and how many portions are in the pack. | If I need to hand out cake to a group quickly, I don’t want to have to slice it on the spot. Convenience is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming wholemeal means low in sugar
The wholemeal label doesn’t tell you how much sugar a Dutch breakfast cake contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 11.1 g of sugars and 1.3 g of fibre in a 30 g slice of wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake; values vary between products.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g or for equivalent portions, and check the full ingredients list.
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Serving a no-added-sugar variety to everyone
No added sugars doesn’t mean sugar-free. Jumbo says that one pre-sliced variety contains sweeteners and naturally occurring sugars; the pack also warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Check the packaging of the variety you’re serving. If guests have different preferences, consider offering another type of Dutch breakfast cake too.
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Checking allergens only when you’re ready to serve
Ingredients vary between Dutch breakfast cake varieties. A flavouring or a different recipe means you can’t rely on the label of a similar product for the cake you’ve bought.
Before buying, read the current allergen information for that exact variety and keep the packaging to hand when you serve it.
Brands and ranges to consider
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers pre-sliced Dutch breakfast cake, as well as varieties with no added sugars. The format can help you choose between presenting the cake and handing it out.
- According to Peijnenburg’s own product information, its pre-sliced plain variety with no added sugars contains 4.9 g of sugars and 17 g of fibre per 100 g.
- These figures apply to that variety. For a different flavour or pack, check the nutritional information and allergens again.
Albert Heijn
The range includes pre-sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake, ginger cake, pearl sugar cake and uncut organic Dutch breakfast cake.
- The different flavours and formats give you options for a coffee table.
- Albert Heijn lists 3.7 g of fibre and 39 g of added sugars per 100 g for its organic plain variety. Assess this product by its own label: organic doesn’t describe how much sugar it contains.
Jumbo
Jumbo offers pre-sliced Dutch breakfast cake, a convenient format when you need to hand it out quickly.
- Jumbo says one pre-sliced variety has no added sugars.
- According to Jumbo, that same variety contains naturally occurring sugars and sweeteners. The pack warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
PLUS
If you want slices ready to serve, you could consider PLUS’s pre-sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake.
- PLUS states that its wholemeal variety contains 41% wholemeal rye flour.
- PLUS also lists 34.1 g of sugars and 5.7 g of fibre per 100 g for this variety, along with a Nutri-Score of D. Compare the full nutritional information rather than relying on a single claim.
Koek & Bakker (ALDI)
ALDI stocks both pre-sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake and an uncut luxury ginger variety from Koek & Bakker.
- The pre-sliced variety is handy for serving quickly, while ALDI says the ginger variety contains pieces of ginger and needs to be sliced.
- Before choosing a variety for your guests, check its packaging for ingredients, allergens and nutritional information.
Lidl huismerk
Lidl offers a zero variety and luxury Dutch breakfast cake in flavours including apple and cinnamon, nuts, and dark chocolate with nuts.
- These flavours give you options when the Dutch breakfast cake is intended as a treat.
- For your chosen flavour, check the physical packaging for ingredients, allergens and nutritional information.
Dutch breakfast cake that’s easy to hand out
These individually wrapped portions of Dutch breakfast cake are a good fit for a coffee table where handing them out quickly matters more than presenting an uncut cake.
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Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake Less Sugar-Free, 250 g
The individually wrapped portions are ideal if you want to hand out Dutch breakfast cake without having to slice it.
The product name specifies a 250 g pack. If you have dietary requirements to consider, compare the sugars per 100 g and per portion on the current packaging; don’t assume the product is sugar-free based on its name.
Before serving, check the allergen information, particularly for rye and gluten, and for any statements about nuts or milk.
Frequently asked questions
Is wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake automatically low in sugar?
No. The wholemeal label doesn’t tell you how much sugar the cake contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 11.1 g of sugars per 30 g slice of wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake; compare the values for the specific variety before you buy.
What does “no added sugars” mean on Dutch breakfast cake?
It doesn’t mean the cake is sugar-free. Jumbo says one pre-sliced variety contains naturally occurring sugars and sweeteners, and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Check the label again if you choose a different variety.
Should I choose pre-sliced or uncut Dutch breakfast cake for a retirement coffee get-together?
Pre-sliced Dutch breakfast cake is practical if you want to serve it without any cutting. With an uncut cake, you can choose the slice size and present it whole, but you’ll need to allow time for slicing and have a knife ready.
How should I store Dutch breakfast cake once it’s open?
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for the variety you’ve chosen. Albert Heijn recommends keeping its organic plain variety in a sealed tin once opened; instructions may differ between products.