germaneasy

Piernik (Polish gingerbread)

Name: Piernik (Polish gingerbread)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: german
Ingredients: 140 g Unsalted Butter; 300 g Clear Honey; 100 g Brown Sugar; 375 g 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; 200 g Plum Jam; 225 ml Double Cream; 140 g Dark Chocolate; 3 tablespoons Clear Honey

A classic Polish dessert from TheMealDB community kitchen — straightforward technique, real ingredients.

Updated April 25, 2026

min total

servings

5848

cal / serving

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Heads up: dietary tags are inferred from listed ingredients. If you have a medical allergy or intolerance, verify each ingredient against a label before cooking. This is not certified-allergen-safe content.

Origin

Categorized as Polish Dessert in TheMealDB. Original source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/piernik-polish-gingerbread

Ingredients

140 gUnsalted Butter
300 gClear Honey
100 gBrown Sugar
375 gSelf-raising Flour
3 tspGround Ginger
1 tspGround Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoonGround Clove
1/4 tspGround Nutmeg
1/4 tspPepper
3 LargeEgg
200 gPlum Jam
225 mlDouble Cream
140 gDark Chocolate
3 tablespoonsClear Honey

Instructions

01
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.
02
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.
03
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.