This lovely gingerbread-like loaf is easy to make and with a delicious combination of spice flavors and soft, sticky texture.
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT45M
Total time: PT60M
Rating
4.72 stars (7 reviews)
Keywords
gingerbread flavor, gingerbread loaf, spice cake
Ingredients
1 cup rye flour
1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour)
1/2 cup brown sugar (eg soft brown (use a fine sugar))
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup milk ((recommend whole/full fat))
Categories
Breakfast
Snack
Cuisine
Dutch
Steps
Lightly butter a 9 x 5in (22.5 x 12.5cm) loaf pan. Line the pan with parchment as a "sling", meaning cut a piece that's the width of the long side of the pan and line through the long sides and bottom with the paper hanging over each side. Fold the paper back over the top edges slightly and stick the paper against the sides of the pan with the butter so that the paper stays in place well.
Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.
If the honey has any crystallization, warm it gently in bursts in the microwave in a microwavable bowl - warm around 10 - 15 seconds at a time, stir well and repeat if needed so crystals dissolve into the rest of the honey. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients - rye flour, all purpose/plain flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, coriander and cloves. Whisk them together so everything is well distributed and there aren't any clumps or lumps.
Add the honey, molasses and milk and mix so everything is well mixed, but take care not to over-mix. You want everything well distributed and mixed so there aren't lumps but you don't want to lose the air bubbles that might be forming as the baking powder is activated.
Pour the mixture into the lined loaf pan and smooth the top, as needed. Clean off any drips, if there are any, then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for around 45 - 50 minutes until golden brown, the top springs back when you touch it and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Sit the pan on a cooling rack for around 10 minutes to cool before using the parchment paper to remove the loaf from the tin. If the ends are a little stuck, carefully use a knife to loosen the loaf and try again. Peel off the parchment paper and either leave whole until ready to use, or slice. It will have a slight crisp top on the first day, but otherwise it will be slightly sticky. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 137 kcal
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
Cholesterol: 2 mg
Sodium: 48 mg
Sugar: 20 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
Reviews
Kitty on 2026-08-31 (4 stars): I've missed ontbijtkoek since leaving the Netherlands, so am glad to have found this recipe with ingredients I can easily find in the uk. I found the cardamom a little over powering the first time round, so didn't include in the second time around. I used a combination of honey, molasses in sugar form and a spoonful of black treacle, which worked quite nicely.
A note for people using the metric measurements - it should be 15ml of baking powder, not 45ml!
A note to the creator we do also use tbsp and tsp in Europe.
A really delicious recipe, thank you for sharing it!
Lydia on 2025-11-15 (4 stars): This came out so lovely! My family always had 'peperkoek' with peanut butter on it, fantastic! I have to travel quite a distance to get to the Dutch store so making it in between trips is a great solution for me. I'm going to experiment with the spuces a bit as I found one in particular rather overpowering, I just dont know which one it was.
Thank you for this recipe.
Corey on 2025-09-17 (5 stars): This cake turned perfect! It is so much better on day 2, when the honey/molasses makes the top and edges sticky. I did take it out of the oven a bit too soon, which caused the top to cave in, but it still tastes just as good. This paired perfectly with the Hachee I made.
Shona McGaughran on 2025-02-15 (5 stars): We make this all the time, it's so delicious and a really forgiving recipe.
Dominic Prís on 2024-09-12 (5 stars): Hi Caroline,
I have always loved Ontbijkoek but could never get it in Ireland. I came across your recipe and have the koek in the over right now. I have found the OBK in Alsace on the French-German border also. It kept me going on a very long cycle one summer.
Thank you for posting your recipe and I will post it on twitter with pics of my efforts. As an added extra I put crystalised ginger on the top - we used to have a similar but slightly richer cake called Jamaica Ginger Cake. All the best, Dom.
Casey on 2024-01-09 (5 stars): OOH how yummy and moist this was! It went perfect with coffee.
Kathleen on 2023-12-22 (5 stars): This spice cake looks and tastes delightful. The flavors are perfect, and I love that I can eat it for breakfast! Yum!
