Only choose a Dutch spiced breakfast cake with chocolate on the label if its ingredients match the cocoa flavour you’re looking for alongside savoury nibbles: the product name alone doesn’t prove that it has a high cocoa content. Sliced portions are handy for sharing, but if you’re considering a chocolate, caramel and sea salt variety, check the ingredients and nutritional information too if you’re after something less sweet.
You want to serve Dutch spiced breakfast cake alongside savoury drinks snacks, but you’re looking for more than the word ‘chocolate’ on the packaging. Check the label to see which cocoa or chocolate ingredients the specific variety contains and whether a cocoa percentage is given.
You want to be able to share the cake without too much cutting. A sliced variety makes serving easier, while the pack size determines how much you’ll have left afterwards. The way it’s served doesn’t tell you anything about its cocoa flavour.
You’re considering the ingredients, sugars, sweeteners or allergens for yourself or your guests. Compare the information on the pack you’re buying; a different flavour variety may have a different recipe.
First decide whether cocoa is the main priority for your savoury snack spread. Then compare how the cake is served and the ingredients in the specific variety.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa content behind the name | Check the cocoa and chocolate ingredients, and see whether the current packaging gives a cocoa percentage. | I’m looking for a clearly indicated cocoa flavour for drinks, not just a cake with chocolate in the name; this is the main priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Serving and storage | Compare sliced and unsliced cake, and choose a pack size to suit the number of guests. | If I want to serve small pieces without much cutting or leftover cake, the way it’s served matters most. Around 30% of consumers prioritise ease of sharing. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check for rye and any other declared allergens, sugars per 100 g and per serving, and any sweeteners. | When I have guests with specific dietary requirements, I want to know what this variety contains before serving it; these label details matter most to around 30% of consumers. |
Jumbo lists a Peijnenburg breakfast cake with chocolate, caramel and sea salt. The name alone doesn’t tell you how much cocoa the cake contains or how bitter it tastes.
Check the ingredients for the specific variety and see whether the packaging gives a cocoa percentage before choosing it as a dark chocolate option.
Albert Heijn lists AH Bio chocolate breakfast cake as discontinued. This doesn’t mean it’s currently available to buy.
Choose an available variety whose current packaging and ingredients you can check before buying.
According to Albert Heijn, AH zero sliced breakfast cake contains xylitol and 22 g of polyols per 100 g. The product information also warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect; this variety contains rye.
If you’re serving it on a sharing platter, read the ingredients, allergen information and any warnings on the packaging of the variety you’ve chosen.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine may be present in bakery products through baker’s salt. This doesn’t mean that every Dutch spiced breakfast cake contains iodine.
Check the ingredients on the packaging of your chosen cake, or ask the manufacturer which salt it uses.
Peijnenburg makes Dutch spiced breakfast cake in several varieties. For a drinks spread with a chocolate flavour, its 320 g sliced Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt variety is worth considering.
The AH range includes a sliced zero variety, among other options. Albert Heijn lists the separate organic chocolate breakfast cake as discontinued.
No, the name alone doesn’t prove that it has a high cocoa content. The Peijnenburg variety listed by Jumbo is called Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt; if you’re specifically looking for a darker chocolate flavour, check the ingredients and any cocoa percentage on the packaging.
Store opened cake in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed container, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also check the storage instructions on the packaging of your chosen cake.
No, you can’t tell from the product category alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine may be present in bakery products through baker’s salt; check the packaging or ask the manufacturer which salt is used in the particular cake.
As well as the sugars, check the sweeteners, ingredients and any warnings on the label. According to Albert Heijn, AH zero sliced breakfast cake contains xylitol and 22 g of polyols per 100 g; the product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and lists rye as an ingredient.
