Name: Piernik (Polish gingerbread)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 140g unsalted butter plus extra for greasing; 300g clear honey; 100g light brown sugar; 375g self-raising flour; 3 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cloves; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp ground pepper; 3 large eggs; 200g plum jam; 225ml double cream; 140g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped; 3 tbsp clear honey; edible gold powder (optional)

140g unsalted butter
plus extra for greasing
300g clear honey
100g light brown sugar
375g self-raising flour
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground pepper
3 large eggs

For the filling and glaze

200g plum jam
225ml double cream
140g dark chocolate
(70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
3 tbsp clear honey
edible gold powder
(optional)

Method

step 1
Heat 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 a medium heat until fully melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Put the flour and spices in a large bowl and mix everything together.
step 2
Once the liquid ingredients have cooled, whisk in the eggs. Pour over the dry ingredients, whisking them together to form a smooth batter – be careful not to overmix as this can lead to a dry cake. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 mins or until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
step 3
Once cooled, use a large serrated knife to slice the cake into 3 layers. Spread the jam across the 2 bottom cake layers, then reassemble the cake and set aside while you make the glaze. Put the cream, chocolate and honey in a medium pan and cook over a low-medium heat until the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth, pourable mixture. Put the cake on a wire rack set over a parchment-lined baking tray and pour over the glaze, making sure to cover the entire cake. Use a fish slice to carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate and allow the glaze to set. To decorate, dust with a little edible gold powder, if you like. Uniced, this cake will keep for up to 5 days. Once iced, enjoy within 3 days – just keep in the fridge, but remove before serving and eat at room temperature.