If you’re looking for a sweet, warmly spiced buffet option
You want to offer something at your barbecue that’s easy to serve in portions. The packaging and allergen information can help you decide which spiced cake is right for you.
Who is this choice relevant to?
If you specifically want sourdough bread
You’re looking for bread made with a sourdough starter, not spiced cake that simply has an artisan look. Check the product description or ask the baker.
If you compare food labels
You want to check the sugars, fibre, ingredients and allergens in the product you’ve chosen before putting it on the buffet.
What should you look for when choosing?
Traditional Dutch spiced cake
Choose this: if you want a sweet, warmly spiced cake to serve in slices or individual portions.
Keep in mind: you shouldn’t assume traditional spiced cake is sourdough unless the product explicitly says so.
Sourdough bread
Choose this: if bread made with a sourdough starter is what you’re after, perhaps to serve with grilled food or dips.
Keep in mind: sourdough bread doesn’t automatically have the sweet, warmly spiced flavour and cake-like texture of Dutch spiced cake.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed sourdough | Check whether the exact product mentions sourdough, a sourdough starter or a starter; don’t rely on its appearance alone. | I mainly want bread or cake that’s genuinely made with a sourdough starter. For around 36% of consumers, this confirmation comes first. |
| Buffet-friendly portions | Compare sliced, unsliced and individually wrapped options. | If guests are helping themselves, I want something I can put out without having to slice it first. Around 29% of consumers give serving convenience top priority. |
| Nutrition information and allergens | For the exact product, read the ingredients and allergen information, and check the nutritional values per 100 g and, where provided, per portion. | Before serving, I want to know which sugars and fibre are listed for my chosen product and which allergens are relevant. For around 21% of consumers, checking the label is the main priority. |
| Choice within the range | First check whether an option fits your choice of cake or sourdough bread; then compare the packaging and how it’s sliced. | Once I’ve settled on the type of product, I still want to choose an option that suits the buffet. This consideration comes first for around 14% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
-
Mistaking traditional Dutch spiced cake for sourdough
A spicy flavour or artisan presentation doesn’t prove that a cake was made with a sourdough starter. Albert Heijn describes sourdough bread as bread made with a starter; that tells you nothing about how spiced cake is made.
Look for an explicit mention of sourdough or a starter on the exact cake you’re considering. If that’s essential for you, choose a product that clearly states how it’s made.
-
Relying on a variant name such as ‘zero’ alone
A product name doesn’t tell you how much sugar, fibre or salt the spiced cake contains according to its nutrition table. Ingredients and allergens can also vary between products.
Check the current packaging for the exact product, including the nutritional values per 100 g and the ingredients list.
-
Serving cake or bread with utensils used for raw food
According to the Voedingscentrum, raw barbecue food can contaminate ready-to-eat bread and cake through serving plates or kitchen utensils.
Put the spiced cake and sourdough bread on their own plates and use clean serving utensils, keeping them separate from raw meat, chicken and fish.
-
Assuming iodine is a standard feature of every baked product
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products. This doesn’t confirm that every spiced cake or sourdough loaf contains iodised baker’s salt.
For a specific product, check the ingredients information or ask the baker which salt was used.
Brands and shops to explore
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg sells traditional Dutch spiced cake in individually wrapped portions.
- According to Peijnenburg, the Naturel 10-pack contains ten 28 g slices, each individually wrapped.
- The individual packaging doesn’t make it a sourdough product; check the ingredients if sourdough is important to you.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn describes sourdough bread and also offers a range of sourdough loaves.
- Albert Heijn’s explanation links sourdough bread to the use of a starter.
- Sourdough bread is a different type of product from spiced cake; check the exact loaf if the way it’s made is what matters to you.
Jumbo
Jumbo has a Dutch spiced cake category where you can compare different options.
- The category can help you find the shape or type of spiced cake you’re looking for.
- Check dietary and ingredient details on the current product packaging; the category label doesn’t confirm that a product is sourdough.
Lidl
Lidl lists a 485 g zero spiced cake.
- The product name and pack size make it clear which spiced cake option you’re looking at.
- Check what ‘zero’ means and whether there are any dietary claims on the current label; don’t rely on the variant name alone.
Aldi
Aldi lists Koek & Bakker Gesneden Ontbijtkoek Zero in a 485 g pack.
- According to Aldi, the cake is pre-sliced and labelled ‘no added sugars’.
- That claim doesn’t replace the nutrition table or confirm that the product is made with a sourdough starter.
Plus
Plus offers various types and options of Dutch spiced cake.
- The ingredients list for PLUS Ontbijtkoek Naturel gesneden includes rye flour and raising agents, among other ingredients.
- Check the current packaging of your chosen option for ingredients and allergens; the raising agents listed on this label don’t confirm the use of a sourdough starter.
Dutch spiced cake for your buffet on Joybuy
This Dutch spiced cake suits anyone looking for a sweet, warmly spiced addition to serve in portions. If you specifically want sourdough, check how the exact product is made separately.
Image unavailable
Snelle Jelle spiced breakfast cake Less Sugar-Free 250 g
An option if you’re looking for traditional spiced cake for your barbecue buffet. The pack states 250 g; check the current label to find out what ‘Less Sugar-Free’ means, the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion, and whether a sourdough starter is used.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Dutch spiced cake or sourdough loaf contain iodine?
That doesn’t follow from the Dutch rules on baker’s salt. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products. For a specific product, check the label or ask the baker.
Should I keep Dutch spiced cake and sourdough bread separate from raw barbecue food?
Yes. Use a separate plate and clean serving utensils for ready-to-eat cake and bread. The Voedingscentrum advises keeping raw meat and fish separate from cooked or ready-to-eat food to prevent cross-contamination.
Does ‘zero’ or ‘no added sugars’ mean that spiced cake is sugar-free?
No. Don’t judge the sugar content by those words alone. Check the nutrition table for ‘sugars’ per 100 g on the exact product, and look at the ingredients list too.