Choose Dutch spiced cake with ginger or pearl sugar if a distinctive flavour matters most to you during your work-from-home lunch. If you mainly want to grab a portion quickly, look for sliced or individually wrapped cake. For each option, compare the nutritional information, ingredients and allergens on the packaging. The word ‘luxury’ on its own tells you nothing about the ingredients.
If you fancy something other than plain cake with your lunch, ginger and pearl sugar are two specific options to compare. ALDI describes a ginger version from Koek & Bakker, while PLUS lists Peijnenburg pearl sugar bars. Check their ingredients and portion sizes too.
If you want to grab a slice or bar between meetings without having to cut it first, compare sliced cake with individually wrapped portions. Jumbo lists both types of packaging in its Dutch spiced cake range.
If you’re keeping an eye on fibre, sugars or allergens, compare the nutritional information and ingredients for the exact product. A label such as wholemeal or gluten-free doesn’t tell you everything about the other ingredients.
Decide what matters most for your work-from-home lunch: a distinctive flavour, a portion that needs no preparation, or the ingredients in the cake. Then compare your chosen options using the information on their own packaging.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Distinctive flavour | Check which flavouring is listed in the ingredients and compare the sugars per 100 g. | When I have time to enjoy my lunch, I want the ginger or pearl sugar to be the real reason for choosing this cake. Taste is the top priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Convenient portions | Check whether the cake is sliced or individually wrapped, and how much a slice or bar weighs. | Between meetings, I want to be able to grab a portion without having to cut the cake first. Convenience is the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Compare fibre, of which sugars, and salt. For allergen information, read the ingredients on the exact product’s packaging. | If I eat Dutch spiced cake with lunch more often or need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in this version. Around 30% of consumers give ingredients the highest priority. |
A flavour boost doesn’t tell you how much sugar or fibre the cake contains. PLUS lists 42 g of sugars per 100 g for Peijnenburg Koekrepen pearl sugar bars; that figure applies to that version.
Choose based on flavour if that matters to you, but also compare the nutritional information and portion size on the label.
According to PLUS, Peijnenburg Glutenvrij Ongesneden contains lupin and milk. Other Dutch spiced cake varieties may list different allergens.
If you have an allergy, check the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact product you’re buying.
The product name alone doesn’t tell you which type of salt has been used in that version.
If salt containing iodine is a condition of your purchase, check the ingredients list on the packaging you choose.
Jumbo lists plain, wholemeal and sliced Dutch spiced cake under this brand, among other options; PLUS also shows pearl sugar bars.
ALDI describes an uncut Dutch spiced cake with pieces of ginger and a pre-sliced product called Ontbijtkoek Zero.
Jumbo lists own-brand Dutch spiced cake in plain, pearl sugar and wholemeal varieties, among others.
PLUS lists its own-brand varieties and Korenlanders Bakkers plain Dutch spiced cake as separate product ranges.
Albert Heijn lists AH Dutch spiced cake and AH Bio Dutch spiced cake as separate product ranges.
No, the label doesn’t mean the product contains no sugars at all. Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure in the nutritional information for the exact Dutch spiced cake.
Not necessarily: according to PLUS, Peijnenburg Glutenvrij Ongesneden contains lupin and milk. If you have an allergy, always check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you choose.
Check the ingredients list on the exact product’s packaging for the type of salt used. Don’t rely solely on the product category or a general description of baker’s salt.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for your chosen version. PLUS recommends keeping Peijnenburg Glutenvrij Ongesneden in a cool, dark place; Jumbo advises storing a plain version in a cool, dry place.
