Piernik — a richly spiced Polish gingerbread cake layered with plum jam and coated in a glossy chocolate-honey glaze. Warm, festive and deeply aromatic with ginger and clove.
- 140g Unsalted Butter
- 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
- 200g Plum Jam
- 225ml Double Cream
- 140g Dark Chocolate
- 3 tablespoons Clear Honey
Video
Preparation
- 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. Put the honey, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until fully melted, then remove and allow to cool. Put the flour and spices in a large bowl and mix together.
- Once the liquid ingredients have cooled, whisk in the eggs, then pour over the dry ingredients and whisk together to a smooth batter, being careful not to overmix. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50–55 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, use a large serrated knife to slice the cake into 3 layers. Spread the jam across the 2 bottom layers, then reassemble and set aside while you make the glaze. Put the cream, chocolate and honey in a medium pan and cook over low-medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and pourable. Set the cake on a wire rack over a parchment-lined tray and pour over the glaze, covering the entire cake. Carefully transfer to a serving plate with a fish slice and allow the glaze to set. Uniced, the cake keeps for up to 5 days; once iced, enjoy within 3 days, kept in the fridge but served at room temperature.
