Nothing says Dutch cuisine like Eierkoeken, the delicate, airy sponge cakes that melt in your mouth. These delicious treats are light and fluffy, with a hint of vanilla and a smattering of sugar. Enjoyed for centuries as a dessert or afternoon snack, Eierkoeken offers a sweet burst of flavor that pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
History of the Dutch Eierkoek
Eierkoeken are large, sweet, soft, and airy round cakes. Their diameter are 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm); they're pretty large. The bottom of the cookie is flat, but the top has risen and rounded. And they've got a golden color. Egg cakes used to be eaten at Easter. Not very special when you consider that everything revolves around eggs at Easter. A real delicacy with a lick of butter and some sugar or jam. And they're very popular in the Netherlands, with good reason.
Egg cakes were/are made initially with ammonium carbonate. This gave them their characteristic airiness. You could also recognize that baking method by the hint of ammonia that escaped from the egg cake. But ammonium carbonate is not regularly available. So we use baking powder instead. Readily available, and it works very well for this recipe.
Delightful & Airy Eierkoeken (Dutch Sponge Cookies): The Perfect Sweet Treat!
And after all this reading, do you feel like a nice light snack that melts on your tongue? Then you've found the recipe you're looking for! If I make these egg cookies, they will be gone the next day. Cookie Monster lives in my house, it seems.
That doesn't matter because, with this recipe for making eierkoeken, you have a delicious light and airy snack in no time. And these cookies are best freshly baked (so Cookie Monster guessed that right). A top recipe that you can make quickly and easily. So grab your kitchen apron and get started!
And if you want to do some more baking. These Sablé cookies, Jelly Cookies and coconut caramel cookies are all easy and delicious.
What do you need for Dutch Eierkoeken?
To prepare this Eierkoeken (Dutch Sponge Cookies), you require the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Eggs - The basis of the eierkoeken. You use both whole eggs and egg yolk. You beat the eggs well, so a lot of air is incorporated, and the advantage is that eggs can retain the air very well. Very important for this cookie.
- Sugar - For sweetening the cakes. Use refined caster sugar so that it has a chance to dissolve properly in the batter.
- Lemon - Give a fresh taste accent to the egg cakes.
- Salt - Balances the flavor in the cookies.
- Flour - Use regular all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder - Causes the egg cakes to rise, making them airy. If you want to know more about baking powder and possible substitutes, you will find a blog about baking powder and soda here.
- Milk - Gives a creamy taste and thins the batter to the desired thickness.
How to prepare Dutch Egg Cakes
You can find a printable recipe with a detailed description at the bottom of this blog.
- Put the eggs, yolk, caster sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl and beat with the mixer on medium/high speed for 5 minutes (not shorter because this is important.
- Sift the flour over the batter so that there are no lumps.
- Gently fold the flour into the batter to keep it airy. Now also mix the milk with a spatula through the batter. The batter should be a little runny, but should spread only a little. Let rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Using an ice cream scoop, place a heap of batter on a parchment-lined baking sheet. About 4 per baking tray because the cookies rise and spread a bit in the oven (otherwise, they stick together). So keep enough space between the cookies. Bake them in a preheated oven at 390 °F (ca. 199 °C) for 10 minutes. Let the eierkoeken cool on the baking paper and then carefully remove them.
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Eierkoeken (Dutch Sponge Cookies)
Equipment
Ingredients
2 eggs size L
1 egg yolks size L- ⅞ cup caster sugar fine
½ lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup milk + 1 tablespoon
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
390 °F or 
350 °F - Line a baking tray with paper.
- Place the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl and mix on medium speed until very fluffy, at least 5 minutes.2 eggs, 1 egg yolks, ⅞ cup caster sugar, ½ lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Mix the flour with the baking powder and sift it over the batter. Then gently mix it into the batter.2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Now also pour in the milk and stir it carefully through the batter (so that you retain as much air as possible).⅓ cup milk
- Place the bowl in the fridge and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide four heaps of batter on the baking paper with an ice cream scoop. Make sure there is enough distance between the batter because it will spread. Bake the egg cakes for 10 minutes. The edges should be golden yellow, and the inside of the cake may still be light yellow.
- Let cool on the parchment paper and carefully remove.
Notes
- Room temperature - Put in an airtight container or wrap in plastic and store for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator - Do not store the egg cakes in the fridge.
- Freezer - Put in a freezer box or bag, these treats will keep for up to 1 month. TIP Pack the cakes individually, so you can quickly defrost them per cookie.
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