Dutch cuisine is made by the traditions and practices of the Netherlands. The country's cuisine is moulded by its location in the fertile North Sea river delta of the European Plain, which has given rise to fishing, cultivation (for crops and domesticated animals), sea trading, and the spice trade. Carnival Cake, also known as Dutch Carnival Cake, is a classic Dutch dessert that resembles a gingerbread cake. The cake is enriched with rock candy and made with a variety of ingredients, including freshly harvested rye flour and freshly harvested honey from the Betuwe region. The Carnival Cake has a long history that has faded into obscurity over time. The Carnival Cake, on the other hand, has been added to the list of the Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, a country-wide institution comparable to UNESCO, allowing the custom to continue. The original Dutch Carnival cake is now available all year, thanks to this practice. Dutch cakes and pastries are very famous. They are adequately sweet and moist and are nothing less than comfort food.
Here are some types of Dutch cakes and pastries that are worth trying-
Bolo di Wortel
The bolo di wortel is a Curaçao-based traditional cake. Grated carrots, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, flour, sugar, and oil are commonly used in their preparation. The moderately moist, soft, and dense cake base is frosted with a combination of confectioners' sugar, margarine, cream cheese, vanilla, and chopped nuts after it has been prepared and cooked in cake pans or bundt pans. Pecans can be added to the batter or strewn on top of the frosting.
Arretje Nof
Arretje nof, or Dutch chocolate cake, is a popular dessert in the Netherlands. Surprisingly, this chocolate cake does not require baking; all it requires is a few hours in the refrigerator. Butter, biscuits, dark chocolate, sugar, eggs, and cocoa powder are commonly used to make the cake. The ingredients are simply melted into a sauce, then combined with the cookie pieces, placed into a cake pan, flattened, and chilled for several hours or overnight. The cake is cut into slices once it has a cold and solidified texture. This cake is extremely popular during the Christmas season.
Tompouce
It is a traditional Dutch pastry made of a thin puff pastry filled with cream and covered with a silky, pink icing layer. In most cases, the dessert is made in a rectangular shape. The icing in Amsterdam is customarily dyed vivid orange around King's Day to signify authentic Dutch colours. The dessert is thought to be named after a performing dwarf who went by the stage name Tom Pouce. This dessert is often served with afternoon tea or coffee, particularly during special occasions like birthdays.
Boterkoek
Boterkoek is a classic Dutch cake made of butter, flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. For additional taste, almond essence, almond shavings, and lemon zest can be added to the ingredients. Before baking till golden brown, the sticky dough is simply coated with beaten eggs and adorned with a criss-cross design on top. The cake is then sliced into thin slices or squares. In the Netherlands, this dense butter cake is generally served with a cup of coffee on the side.
Poffert
Poffert is a Groningen speciality cake made with flour, eggs, milk, and butter that is heavy, dense, and thick. It's usually loaded with dried fruits including raisins, apricots, and figs, as well as preserved ginger. The cake is designed to be eaten as a meal in and of itself, not as a dessert or a coffee cake. Despite the lack of sugar in the batter, the cake is occasionally served with sweet syrup or butter when sliced. Poffert, according to legend, tastes much better the next day.