Ontbijtkoek: A Palm Sugar Spice Cake With Dutch Roots and an Indonesian Kitchen
Palm sugar goes in twice, in two separate portions. The four eggs are split, with the yolks beaten with sugar and the whites whipped plain. Spice comes from a commercial spekoek mix with extra cinnamon. Keep those three ideas straight and the rest of the method follows.
Ontbijtkoek is a spiced cake also known in Indonesia as bolu rempah Belanda. An Indonesian news feature from detikJatim describes it as a Dutch spice cake that has endured in Indonesia, and the version here is very much an Indonesian home bake. It uses palm sugar, softened margarine, full-cream milk powder, and a ready-made spekoek spice mix boosted with more cinnamon. It is baked in a fluted Bundt pan with sliced almonds scattered over the batter.
The texture comes from the method as much as the spices. Margarine is creamed with palm sugar, and yolks are beaten with more palm sugar and a little white sugar. Egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks with nothing added and folded in gradually at the end. The cake is ring-shaped, with a browned surface and an almond topping.
If you are exploring the baking and cooking of the archipelago more widely, see our Indonesia country page.
Which Version This Is: One Cook's Modified Batch
The recipe here follows a written recipe by Indonesian writer Maria G Soemitro, published on her own site under the title "Ontbijtkoek / Bolu Rempah Belanda." In it, she explains that she modified a recipe by Fatmah Bahalwan. This article follows Maria's modified batch as she wrote it. Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe as a whole. Fatmah Bahalwan's own recipe was not consulted, so nothing here should be read as a description of that version.
Maria's recipe offers more than one way to prepare the pan. This article takes her Bundt-pan route: the pan is greased with margarine and dusted with flour, with no paper lining. The margarine and flour for the pan are separate from the amounts that go into the batter, and they are not measured.
Some things are not given in the recipe, and this article does not fill them in: the size of the Bundt pan, the weight of the finished cake, the number of servings or slices, the egg size, the exact blend inside the commercial spice mix, and a total working time. The oven temperature, baking time, and resting time below are the ones the recipe gives.
Ingredients: Five Groups Plus the Pan
The batter is built from five groups: margarine and palm sugar (A), yolks and sugars (B), dry ingredients (C), plain egg whites (D), and the almond topping (E). The pan needs its own small amounts of margarine and flour.
Choosing Palm Sugar, Spice Mix and Milk Powder
Palm sugar. Use palm sugar for both portions: 130 g for the margarine and 100 g for the yolks.
Spekoek spice mix. The spice in this cake comes from a commercial mix sold for spekoek, plus an extra tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Use a ready-ground mix sold for spekoek or spekkoek.
Milk powder. Use full-cream milk powder, measured at 30 g. It goes into the dry mix as a powder. No liquid milk is added to this batter.
Fat and nuts. The batter uses softened margarine only, with no melted butter or oil. The topping is sliced almonds; other nuts are not part of this version.
Equipment
- Bundt pan (fluted ring pan with a central tube)
- Oven
- Kitchen scale and measuring spoons
- Several mixing bowls, including a separate clean bowl for the egg whites
- Sieve
- Electric mixer or whisk
- Spatula
- Bamboo skewer
- Wire rack
- Knife for slicing
Method: Pan, Dry Mix, Two Batters, Whites, Bake
Steps 1–3 prepare the pan and oven. Steps 4–11 make the dry mix. Steps 12–14 make the margarine and palm sugar mixture (A). Steps 15–20 separate the eggs and make the yolk mixture (B). Step 21 whips the whites (D). Steps 22–27 bring everything together. Steps 28–36 fill, bake, check, unmold and slice.
Checkpoints: Where This Cake Is Easy to Get Wrong
Check the ingredient groups before and during mixing.
| Where it goes wrong | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Too many eggs | The recipe lists four yolks and four whites | These come from four whole eggs. Separate four, don't buy eight |
| Palm sugar in one lump | There are two palm sugar amounts | Weigh 130 g for the margarine and 100 g for the yolks into separate bowls before you start |
| Sugar in the whites | Only the yolks get white sugar | Add the 4 tbsp white sugar in step 19 and whip the whites plain |
| Margarine turned liquid | Mixture A is creamed, not melted | Use softened margarine and keep it soft |
| A watery puddle under the whipped whites | Loose liquid white sometimes collects below the foam | Fold in only the whipped foam and leave the liquid in the bowl |
| Pan and batter amounts confused | Greasing margarine and dusting flour are extra | Keep the 250 g margarine and 200 g flour for the batter; use a little more of each for the pan |
| Is it done? | Color, aroma and skewer together | Look for a browned, fragrant cake and a skewer that comes out clean, then rest 10–15 minutes before unmolding |
Beside the Dutch Versions: How This Bake Differs
Ontbijtkoek is not a single fixed formula. Dutch recipes such as the one by Rudolph van Veen on 24Kitchen and the version on Laura's Bakery are built on their own, quite different ingredient lists, pan sizes and baking times. None of their quantities, pans or times are borrowed here.
What marks this version is its choice of everyday Indonesian baking staples. Palm sugar provides the brown sweetness, softened margarine is creamed instead of melted, full-cream milk powder goes in dry, and a ready-made spekoek spice mix is used with extra cinnamon. The eggs are separated, and the plain whipped whites are folded in gradually. The fluted Bundt pan gives the cake its ring shape, and sliced almonds top the batter before baking.
The detikJatim feature frames ontbijtkoek as a Dutch spice cake that has stayed on in Indonesia. This article does not go beyond that framing to assign an exact origin or date to the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many eggs do I need?
Four whole eggs. Separate them into four yolks, which go into the yolk mixture with the sugars, and four whites, which are whipped plain. The recipe lists yolks and whites separately, but it is not eight eggs.
Where does the white sugar go?
Only into the yolks, together with the 100 g palm sugar. The whites are whipped to stiff peaks with no sugar and no cream of tartar.
How much milk powder, and can I use liquid milk?
30 g full-cream milk powder, mixed with the other dry ingredients. This version adds no liquid milk, so swapping in milk would change the batter beyond what the recipe describes.
What size Bundt pan, and how many slices does it make?
The recipe does not give a pan size, a yield or a slice count, and this article does not guess them. It gives only the oven temperature (170°C), a baking time of about 45 minutes, and the checks for doneness: browned, fragrant, and a skewer that comes out clean.
Can I make my own spice mix?
The recipe uses a commercial spekoek spice mix plus an extra tablespoon of ground cinnamon, and gives no homemade blend or proportions. For this version, use a ready-made mix.
Is this the same as Fatmah Bahalwan's recipe?
Maria G Soemitro describes her recipe as a modification of one by Fatmah Bahalwan. This article follows Maria's modified batch; Fatmah Bahalwan's own recipe was not consulted, so the two are not compared here.
Can I line the pan with baking paper instead?
This article follows the greased-and-floured Bundt pan route, with no paper lining. Grease the pan with a little margarine, dust it with a little flour, and tip out the excess.
Sources
- Maria G Soemitro, "Ontbijtkoek / Bolu Rempah Belanda." The adopted recipe: the author's own modified batch, which she describes as a modification of a recipe by Fatmah Bahalwan. Used for all ingredients and amounts (groups A–E and the pan preparation), the greased-and-floured Bundt pan, baking at 170°C for about 45 minutes, the skewer check, and the 10–15 minute rest before unmolding. Pan size, yield, servings and total time are not given. https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2020/03/ontbijtkoek-bolu-rempah-belanda_31.html
- Eka Fitria Lusiana, "Ontbijtkoek, Kue Rempah Khas Belanda yang Tetap Bertahan di Indonesia," detikJatim. Used for context on ontbijtkoek in Indonesia and its modern adaptation there. Its ingredient amounts are not used. https://www.detik.com/jatim/kuliner/d-8233565/ontbijtkoek-kue-rempah-khas-belanda-yang-tetap-bertahan-di-indonesia
- Rudolph van Veen, "Ontbijtkoek," 24Kitchen. Used only to show that a different Dutch formula exists. No quantities, baking time or pan size are borrowed. https://www.24kitchen.nl/recepten/ontbijtkoek
- Laura's Bakery, "Ontbijtkoek recept." Used only to show that another modern Dutch version exists. No quantities, pan size, yield or history are borrowed. https://www.laurasbakery.nl/ontbijtkoek-recept/
