Dutch Butter Cake in the air fryer is one of those cakes that prove a few ingredients can deliver big flavour. In the Netherlands it is called boterkoek, and it consists of little more than butter, sugar, flour, egg and vanilla. There is neither baking powder nor yeast in the dough, so the result is a dense, moist cake with a golden top, a scored diamond pattern and a centre that is still slightly soft.
Advertisement: The page displays ads and contains advertising links (affiliate links). See our advertisers here.
The cake has nothing to do with the Danish butter cake (smørkage) made from yeast dough, and it is softer than shortbread. The dough is stirred together with a wooden spoon, pressed into a small springform and baked at 160 °C. Afterwards it has to cool completely before you cut it into small pieces to go with your coffee.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love Dutch Butter Cake in the air fryer
I love boterkoek because it is so straightforward. Nothing needs to be whipped up full of air, and there is no rising time. Soft butter is stirred together with sugar and vanilla sugar, and once the egg, flour and a pinch of salt are stirred in, the dough is pressed into the springform with lightly dampened fingers. A coat of beaten egg and a diamond pattern scored with a fork give the cake the glossy, golden surface it is known for.
The flavour is pure and simple: butter and vanilla in a texture somewhere between a biscuit and a cake. The edge turns firm, the centre stays soft, and the cake is very filling. That is why it is cut into 12 small pieces, which is plenty for four people.
The difference between an air fryer and an oven
An 18 cm springform takes up next to nothing in a large oven, and that is a lot of heat to spend on a small cake. In the air fryer the springform sits close to the heat, and the circulating air quickly gives the brushed surface its colour. On the other hand, you need to turn the springform half a turn after about 12 minutes so the top turns an even golden colour. Also check that the springform can sit flat in the basket before you get started.
My kitchen test of Dutch Butter Cake
I have baked boterkoek in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 160 °C, and the fairly low temperature is the whole point: The butter-rich dough has to bake through without the brushed top getting too dark. There are heating elements both above and below the basket, so the base gets heat at the same time as the top, but I still turn the springform half a turn along the way. My cakes have been ready after 22-25 minutes, when the surface is golden and the centre still gives a little when pressed lightly.
The hardest part is actually the waiting. The cake is soft and fragile when it comes out, and it only firms up as it cools. I leave it in the springform on a wire rack for at least 60 minutes. With about 15 minutes of preparation, that makes around 100 minutes from start to first piece, but the air fryer only works for 25 of them.
Lay a folded strip of baking paper under the springform before you place it in the basket. That works as a lifting strap, so the hot springform comes up easily and safely again.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is baking the cake for too long. It needs to come out while the centre is still slightly soft, because if it is baked completely firm, it ends up dry and crisp like shortbread. If the top darkens quickly, turn the temperature down to 150 °C for the last 10 minutes. The second mistake is whipping the butter and sugar until fluffy, as you would for a sponge cake. Here the mixture should only be stirred until soft and even, and the flour is stirred in just until the dough has come together. The third mistake is impatience: If you cut into the cake while it is warm, the pieces fall apart. Let it cool completely in the springform, loosen the edge with a knife, and only then take off the ring.
How to serve Dutch Butter Cake
Boterkoek tastes best at room temperature and is cut into small pieces. Here are my best suggestions for serving and variations:
- With afternoon coffee or a cup of tea, just like in the Netherlands
- With fresh berries or a spoonful of tart compote that cuts through the rich butter flavour
- With finely grated lemon zest in the dough or an almond on each diamond before baking
- As a filled version with a thin layer of marzipan between two layers of dough
Storage and reheating
Dutch Butter Cake keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. It should not be reheated, but served as it is. You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months – preferably cut into pieces, so you can take a few out at a time. Let the cake thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Dutch Butter Cake in the air fryer is easy baking with a big payoff: a few ingredients, a small springform and a cake that keeps for several days. Remember the soft centre and the patience during cooling, and your boterkoek will taste the way it should.
FAQ
Dutch Butter Cake, boterkoek, is a dense cake of butter, sugar, flour, egg and vanilla with no raising agent at all. Danish butter cake is baked from yeast dough with a sweet butter filling (remonce) and custard, so the two cakes only share the name.
The cake should be dense and moist, not airy. That is why neither baking powder nor yeast is used, and the dough is only just mixed together so that no air gets into it.
Yes. If an 18 cm springform cannot sit flat in the basket, you can divide the dough between two smaller tins and bake them in two batches. Keep an eye on the colour from about 18 minutes.
Recipe
Dutch Butter Cake in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
Does the recipe fit my Airfryer?
If you’re unsure, you can always reduce by one serving in the recipe, or click the 0.5x button.
You can also Ask the AI Chef
It’s easy! Just press the Ask the AI Chef button you see at the bottom.
Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Springform pan - 18 cm
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 1 Pastry brush
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Knife
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Line the base of an 18 cm springform with baking paper. Check that the springform can sit flat in the air fryer basket.
- Lightly beat 1 pcs egg with a fork in a small bowl, and set aside 1 tbsp of the egg for brushing.
- Stir 150 g butter, 125 g sugar and 2 tsp vanilla sugar together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until the mixture is soft and smooth. Do not beat air into it – the cake should be dense.
- Press the dough into the springform with lightly dampened fingers so the layer is the same thickness all the way to the edge, and smooth the surface.
- Brush the surface with the egg you set aside. Score a diamond pattern with a fork: first draw parallel lines in one direction, then diagonally across them.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Place the springform in the basket and bake the cake at 160 °C for 22-25 minutes. Turn the springform half a turn after about 12 minutes so the surface turns an even golden colour.
- Check the cake: the surface should be golden and the edge slightly darker, while the centre still gives a little when pressed lightly. If it is too pale, bake it for another 2-3 minutes at 160 °C.
Serving
- Carefully lift the springform out of the basket, place it on a wire rack, and let the cake cool completely in the springform for at least 60 minutes. It is soft and fragile while it is warm, and it firms up as it cools.
- Loosen the edge with a knife, remove the ring of the springform, and cut the cake into 12 small pieces.
- Serve the pieces at room temperature with coffee or tea.
Our notes for the recipe
Take the cake out while the centre is still slightly soft. It firms up as it cools, and if it is baked completely firm it becomes dry and crisp like shortbread. If the surface darkens quickly in your air fryer, turn the temperature down to 150 °C for the last 10 minutes. A folded strip of baking paper under the springform works as a lifting strap, so you can easily lift the hot springform out of the basket. No raising agent:
Dutch Butter Cake (boterkoek) should be dense and moist, so neither baking powder nor yeast is used, and the dough is only just mixed together. It has nothing to do with the Danish butter cake (smørkage) made from yeast dough. Variation:
Stir finely grated lemon zest into the dough, or place an almond on each diamond before baking. For a filled version, press half of the dough into the springform, cover it with a thin layer of marzipan and then with the rest of the dough. Serving:
The cake is filling, so it is cut into 12 small pieces – count on 3 pieces per serving. It tastes best at room temperature with coffee or tea. Portion size:
Check that the 18 cm springform can sit flat in the basket before you start. If you have a narrow basket, you can divide the dough between two smaller tins and bake them in two batches – in that case, keep an eye on the colour from about 18 minutes.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
Easily share the recipe with others:
Via email or on Facebook
Open the recipe on your phone
Scan the QR code with your phone and get the recipe directly on your mobile while you cook.
Author
Airfryerkogebogen.dk
