An egg cake isn’t automatically a lower-sugar choice than rusks with aniseed sprinkles. Albert Heijn lists 31 g of sugars per 100 g for both its regular and wholemeal egg cakes. With rusks and aniseed sprinkles, the topping counts too: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, 15 g of aniseed sprinkles contains an average of 11.9 g of sugar. So compare egg cakes per 100 g, and when assessing this traditional treat, consider the base, the topping and the amount served together.
If you’re serving rusks with aniseed sprinkles or a matching treat, don’t look at just the cake or rusk. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, 15 g of aniseed sprinkles contains an average of 11.9 g of sugar, so the amount of topping you use matters too.
A wholemeal option may contain more fibre without containing less sugar. Albert Heijn lists 31 g of sugars per 100 g for both its regular and wholemeal egg cakes, while their fibre content is 1.4 g and 3.5 g per 100 g respectively.
If the ingredients in a packaged egg cake don’t suit your needs, you could try baking your own. The nutritional values will depend on the ingredients you use and how many cakes you make.
Decide whether your priority is reducing the sugar in the whole treat, finding a wholemeal egg cake or choosing the ingredients yourself. Then compare packaged egg cakes on the same basis: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, nutritional values per 100 g are more useful for this than serving sizes, which can vary between manufacturers.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars in the treat | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g for egg cakes, and check how much aniseed sprinkles you serve. Check added sugars separately if they’re listed. | If I want to serve less sugar, I need to know what both the base and the topping contribute. For around 50% of consumers, demonstrably lower sugar is the priority. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Compare both fibre and sugars per 100 g; the wholemeal label alone doesn’t mean a product is lower in sugar. | If you want a wholemeal egg cake, the grain base may matter more to you than reducing sugar. For around 30% of consumers, fibre and wholemeal ingredients are the deciding factors. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information. If you’re baking your own, calculate the nutritional values based on the quantities used and the actual number of cakes you make. | If certain ingredients aren’t suitable, I want to know exactly what’s in the cake or be able to choose the ingredients myself. For around 20% of consumers, checking the ingredients is the main priority. |
According to their product information, Albert Heijn’s regular and wholemeal egg cakes both contain 31 g of sugars per 100 g. The wholemeal option does contain more fibre.
Choose wholemeal for the grain base or higher fibre content, but compare ‘of which sugars’ separately if reducing sugar is your goal.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, 15 g of aniseed sprinkles contains an average of 11.9 g of sugar. Changing only the base therefore doesn’t give you the full picture of the treat you’re serving.
Check how much topping you actually use, and consider the base and sprinkles together.
A smaller serving may look like the better option than a larger one, even when the composition per 100 g tells a different story. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g, as manufacturers decide their own serving sizes.
Read the nutrition table per 100 g, then check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging.
The nutritional values of homemade egg cakes change according to the recipe, quantities and final serving size. So a recipe description alone won’t tell you exactly what’s in your cake.
Make a note of what you use and calculate the nutritional values for the actual number of cakes you make.
Baking your own also takes time and baking equipment.
Albert Heijn’s regular and wholemeal egg cakes show why you should compare sugars and fibre separately.
Jumbo’s wholemeal egg cakes give you another product to compare on a per-100 g basis.
Bolletje makes both rusks and crisp egg cakes, two different products for this occasion.
ALDI lists Heerlijck Banket free-range egg cakes in a pack of 12, weighing 360 g.
No. Albert Heijn lists 31 g of sugars per 100 g for both its regular and wholemeal egg cakes. The wholemeal option does contain 3.5 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 1.4 g for the regular version. Compare both nutritional values if they matter to your choice.
Because the topping is part of the treat you serve. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, 15 g of aniseed sprinkles contains an average of 11.9 g of sugar. So check how much you use, not just the base.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends this basis because manufacturers decide for themselves how large a stated serving is. Then check how much you actually serve.
Read the allergen information for the specific egg cake on the current packaging. The product information for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo options discussed here lists, among others, egg, wheat or cereals containing gluten, milk and soya. Don’t assume every egg cake has the same ingredients.
