Breudher (Eurasian Nutmeg Yeast Cake)

Nov 7, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Quick breads Vanilla: Extract Medium

Breudher is a tall, golden, brioche-like yeast cake enriched with butter, eggs and yolks and fragrant with freshly grated nutmeg. Baked in a fluted ring mould and dotted with raisins, it is sliced and eaten buttered, often with Edam cheese, at Christmas. Makes 14 servings in about 7 hr 15 min.

Prep 35 min

Cook 45 min

Cooling 2 hr 10 min

Total 7 hr 15 min

Servings 14

Ingredients

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servings

½ cup (120 ml)whole milk, warmed to 100°F (38°C)
¼ oz (7 g)instant yeast
4 cups (500 g)bread flour
⅔ cup (120 g)caster sugar
¾ tsp (5 g)salt
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground nutmeg, freshly grated
4 (200 g)eggs, room temperature
2 (36 g)egg yolks, room temperature
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract
⅔ cup (150 g)unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces, for the dough
14 tbsp (120 g)raisins, or sultanas
1 ½ tbsp (20 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the for the mould

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Instructions

Stir the instant yeast into the warm whole milk. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the bread flour, caster sugar, salt and ground nutmeg.
Add the yeast milk, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix with the dough hook on low until a soft, sticky dough forms, then knead on medium until smooth and stretchy, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the 150 g softened butter a few pieces at a time, letting each addition disappear before adding more, then knead until the dough is glossy, elastic and pulls away from the bowl, 8 to 10 minutes more.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Brush the inside of the fluted mould thoroughly with the 20 g softened butter, getting into every groove. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, press it flat, scatter over the raisins and knead briefly to distribute them.
Shape the dough into a thick rope, lay it in the mould, and pinch the ends together. Cover and let rise until the dough reaches about 3/4 inch (2 cm) below the rim, 60 to 75 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for the last 30 minutes of this rise.
Bake until deep golden brown, the cake sounds hollow when tapped and an instant-read thermometer reads 190°F (88°C) in the thickest part, 40 to 45 minutes; cover loosely with foil after 20 minutes if the top is darkening too fast.
Cool in the mould for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours, before slicing.

Tips

Serve slices spread with butter, or the Burgher way, with a thin slice of Edam cheese on top.
The dough is soft and rich; resist adding extra flour while kneading, as the butter will firm it up as it rises.
Day-old breudher toasts beautifully and makes an excellent bread pudding.
Good with milky black tea or coffee.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make breudher (eurasian nutmeg yeast cake)?

Plan on 35 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, plus 5 hours 55 minutes to rise and rest. The recipe makes 14 servings.

How should I store breudher (eurasian nutmeg yeast cake)?

Keep wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze sliced and wrapped for up to 2 months; toast from frozen.

Can I make breudher (eurasian nutmeg yeast cake) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

A Dutch Burgher yeast cake from Sri Lanka that Eurasian families in Singapore (who call it bleuda) and Malacca also bake for Christmas, it is a rich butter-and-egg dough scented with nutmeg, studded with raisins and baked in a fluted mould. Serve it with milky black tea or coffee.

Variations

Brandy-soaked raisins: soak the raisins in 30 ml (2 tbsp) brandy for 1 hour and drain before kneading in; times unchanged.
Spiced breudher: add 1 tsp (2 g) ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) ground cloves with the nutmeg; times unchanged.
Two small cakes: divide the dough between two 5-cup (1.2 L) fluted moulds, proof 45 to 60 minutes, and bake 28 to 32 minutes.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 14 servings this recipe makes.

278 Calories / serving

13.5g Fat

33.8g Carbs

6.3g Protein

16.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (14 servings): ~3892 cal · 189g fat · 473g carbs · 88g protein · 224g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.