Snack

Piernik (Polish Gingerbread)

Name: Piernik (Polish Gingerbread)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 125 min
Total time: 150 min
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 140g unsalted butter; 300g clear honey; 100g brown sugar; 375g self-raising flour; 3 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground clove; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp pepper; 3 large egg, large; 200g plum jam; 225ml double cream; 140g dark chocolate; 3 tablespoons clear honey; baking parchment, for lining the cake tin and baking tray, as needed

A richly spiced Polish honey gingerbread cake layered with plum jam and finished with a smooth dark chocolate glaze.

2 hr 30 min
450 kcal
Vegetarian
Polish
Dessert
Cake

Mellowpan tip: Makes 12 servings, plenty to share.

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Ingredients

For 12 servings

Steps

Step 1:
Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
Step 2:
Put the honey, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan and cook over a medium heat until fully melted.
Step 3:
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Step 4:
Put the flour and spices in a large bowl and mix everything together.
Step 5:
Once the liquid ingredients have cooled, whisk in the eggs.
Step 6:
Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and whisk to form a smooth batter. Do not overmix, as this can lead to a dry cake.
Step 7:
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
50–55 min
Step 8:
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
20 min
Step 9:
Once cooled, use a large serrated knife to slice the cake into 3 layers.
Step 10:
Spread the jam across the 2 bottom cake layers, then reassemble the cake and set aside.
Step 11:
Put the cream, chocolate and honey in a medium pan and cook over a low-medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and pourable.
Step 12:
Put the cake on a wire rack set over a parchment-lined baking tray and pour over the glaze, covering the entire cake.
Step 13:
Use a fish slice to carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate and allow the glaze to set.
Step 14:
Dust with a little edible gold powder, if you like. Uniced, the cake will keep for up to 5 days. Once iced, keep refrigerated and enjoy within 3 days; remove before serving and eat at room temperature.