This traditional Dutch butter cake, also known as “boterkoek,” is packed with butter—like, a lot of it, making up more than a third of the recipe. This abundance of butter gives the cake a rich, tender texture and that beautiful shiny, golden crust we all love.

This recipe comes straight from Marit in the Netherlands. For her, boterkoek sparks feelings of learning to bake as a kid, standing on a stool next to her mom so she could reach the countertop. Marit recalls boterkoek being one of the first things she mastered on her own. She’d make it with pride and share it with friends.

The process of making this cake is really simple, especially for non-bakers. You just mix together sugar, flour, butter, salt, egg yolk and lemon zest. Let the dough chill overnight, then press it into a pan and bake until it’s nice and flaky. The hardest part is trying not to devour it fresh from the oven!

This cake is all about the butter and lemon! It’s like a mix between a cookie and a cake. There’s a bit of a crumbly texture, but the center stays soft, not overly crumbly. Surprisingly, my baking experiment turned out pretty well. I was a bit nervous at first, thinking I might have taken on too much, but it actually turned out quite nice.

Boterkoek deserves a spot in your recipe rotation. It’s a classic, straightforward treat that just tastes amazing. This buttery Dutch delight will win you over.