Already five centuries ago, painter Jeroen Bosch had access to a rich cake locally known as Bossche Koek.

Famous bakeries in Den Bosch baked this delicious treat and for generations the recipe was a well-kept secret passed from father to son. Originally there were many types of Bossche Koek and every family had its own recipe.

Sadly, most of these well-kept secrets were lost. In modern times, however, the De Backer family still use the same traditional Bossche Koek recipe as their ancestors did centuries ago.

Family patriarch Jan de Backer used to place a pastry basket on his arm and sell his Bossche Koek to tourists, but when he died in 1988 he seemed to have taken the family recipe to his grave. A centuries-old tradition was supposedly lost forever. Thirteen years later, his four-year-old grandson Jules found it by sheer chance in a building situated along the Parade (at present called Café Cordes) in Den Bosch.

Now, after all these years, Jan de Backer’s original recipe is once again being made according to traditional methods. The recipe is now kept in a very safe place so it will never be lost again. Of course, the recipe is still a secret, but we can tell you which ingredients are used, in case you're a wannabe Joop Braakhekke (a famous Dutch chef).

Bossche Koek is baked in a wooden cake tin (like a small box), which keeps the cake fresh much longer. Ingredients: rye flour, glucose syrup, fructose syrup, water, local honey, preserved fruits, spices and leavening agents. Or you can just order a Bossche Koek online: www.bosschekoek.nl. Enjoy it with a thin layer of butter, as this brings out its delicious flavour.

The genuine Bossche Koek by Jan de Backer is available at various bakeries in the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch.