Is there such a thing a Dutch 50th birthday cake? I'm told it's a tradition in Holland.?

Answer 1

Yes, in parts of the Netherlands a special cake is made in the shape of Abraham or Sara, it is made of ginger bread or of Speculaas, (a spicy cookie dough) and sometimes decorated.
It is a fairly local tradition, that is in use in many different parts of the country, (each area where it is tradition will have a different shape or taste.)
According the text in the link it used to be made out of bread dough.

Here is one recipe (in Dutch) with description and photo:
http://www.familiekorswagen.nl/recept.htm

Answer 2

Yes, for men it's called an Abraham and for women a Sarah. It's a flat and crunchy cake, like a huge cookie. If you can not buy such thing where you live, you will have to bake one yourself:

Ingredients for 1 Abraham or Sarah (40 cm tall)

600 gram flour
2 tea spoons baking powder
300 gram brown sugar
3 spoons of speculaas (ask Dutch shop)
salt
300 gram butter
0.05 liter milk
250 gram almond paste
50 gram chopped walnuts
almonds (no skin)
1 egg
2 green bits of sugar coated fruit
Glacing



Shift flour with the baking powder, the brown sugar, the speculaas an dsome salt.

Cut the butter through the flour, add the milk.

Kneed it all well into a dough.

Leave the dough overnight, at a cool place (not fridge)

Design your Abraham or Sarah on a sheet of thin paper, 40 cm tall and 15 cm wide.

Roll half your dough into a sheet, place your design on top and use a sharp knife to cut the dough according to your design.

Place your Abraham carefully on a sheet of greesed baking paper.

Spread the almond paste all over your Abraham, do not touch the sides (1cm). Spread the nuts over the paste

Now cut a second Abraham and place it on top of the first, push the 1cm edge to connect the 1st and 2nd layer.

Decoration: place some almond at the neck (neckless), and put one almond for the nose. You can also give buttons or a belt.

Stir the egg in a cup, spread this over your Abraham.

Place all (including the baking paper) into a pre-heated oven 200 °C / 50 min.

When still hot, dip the bit of sugar coated fruit in some water and stick it as eyes. Use some glacing to paint a mouth and some decoration.

Leave it to cool off before serving.

Traditional design Abraham:
http://www.stichtingtoverbal.nl/img/abraham.jpg

You can give Sarah a skirt and apron

Good luck

Answer 3

Dutch Birthday Traditions

Answer 4

Great recipe, thanks. Am happy I found this.