Piernik (Polish gingerbread)

Method9 steps · about 2 hr 5 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / gas 3. Grease a deep twenty-centimetre cake tin with the separate extra butter and line its base and sides with baking parchment.

   Uses Extra unsalted butter to grease the cake tin, as needed

2. 2

   Step 2: Warm only the batter butter (140g), three hundred grams batter honey and all the light brown sugar (100 g) in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted together. Take off the heat and let the mixture cool before adding eggs; hold the separate three tablespoons honey for the later glaze.

   Uses 140g Unsalted Butter · 300 g clear honey for batter · 100 g light brown sugar

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix all the self-raising flour (375g) with all the ground ginger (3 tsp), cinnamon (1 tsp), cloves (1/2 teaspoon), nutmeg (1/4 tsp) and ground pepper (¼ tsp) in a large bowl.

   Uses 375g Self-raising Flour · 3 tsp Ground Ginger · 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon · 1/2 teaspoon Ground Clove · 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg · ¼ tsp ground pepper

4. 4

   Step 4: When the actual honey-butter mixture is cool, whisk all three eggs into it. Pour this wet mixture over the actual mixed flour and spices and whisk just until smooth; avoid overmixing.

   Uses All cooled batter liquid · All prepared dry mixture · 3 large eggs

5. 5

   Step 5: Pour all the actual batter into the greased, lined cake tin. Bake for fifty to fifty-five minutes until risen and a skewer through the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for twenty minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing; the timer covers only the bake.

   Bake honey gingerbread before separate cooling · 55 minUses All prepared cake batter

6. 6

   Step 6: Use a serrated knife to cut the actual fully cooled cake horizontally into three layers. Share all the plum jam (200g) between the two bottom layers, reassemble the three layers and hold the filled cake ready for glazing.

   Uses The whole completely cooled cake · 200g Plum Jam

7. 7

   Step 7: Finely chop the dark chocolate (140 g). Warm all the cream (225ml), chopped chocolate and only the separate three tablespoons glaze honey over low-medium heat, stirring until melted, smooth and pourable. Put the actual layered cake on a wire rack over a parchment-lined tray, then pour all the prepared glaze over it, covering the top and sides.

   Uses The whole filled cake · 225ml Double Cream · 140 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped in step 7 · 3 tbsp clear honey for glaze

8. 8

   Step 8: Carefully transfer the actual glazed cake to a serving plate with a broad spatula and let the glaze set. Dust with a little optional edible gold powder if wanted.

   Uses The whole freshly glazed cake · A little edible gold powder, optional

9. 9

   Step 9: Slice the finished cake into ten portions to serve. Keep any iced leftovers refrigerated and enjoy within three days. Take only the portions being served out briefly to soften before eating.

   Uses The whole finished cake