For simple yet wonderful baking recipes, look no further than Chadaika or Belonika. This one comes from the latter :) A very easy-to-make, deeply aromatic gingerbread-style cake - it fills the whole house with the scent of Christmas. Don’t be put off by the large amount of honey: the cake turns out not overly sweet. It’s best to bake plenty at once, in various shapes. This cake keeps well for a long time.
You can bake it as small loaves or in the traditional long loaf form.
For the spice mix:
- 10 cloves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns (white, pink, or green are more aromatic)
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 2–3 star anise pods (or 1/2 tsp anise seeds)
- a little nutmeg
For the batter:
- 700 g honey
- 500 g flour
- 100 g sugar (150 g if you prefer sweeter)
- 200 ml milk
- 4 eggs
- zest of 1 orange (or 2 mandarins)
- 20 g baking powder
- a pinch of salt
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the honey with the sugar until liquid. Grind all the spices in a blender or coffee grinder into a powder.
Mix the flour with 2 tsp of the spice blend (I like a more spiced version, so I add 3 tsp) and the baking powder. Add the citrus zest.
Separately, beat the eggs with the milk, then gradually fold into the flour mixture while stirring. Add the melted honey-sugar mixture and mix until smooth, with no lumps.
Grease baking tins with butter and dust with flour. Pour in the spiced batter to 2/3 full, leaving room to rise.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F). Bake large loaves for 45 minutes, small ones for 35 minutes, reducing the temperature almost immediately to 180 °C (355 °F). After 10 minutes of baking, make a lengthwise cut with a knife along the center of each loaf, from end to end — this is essential.
For the spice mix:
- 10 cloves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns (white, pink, or green are more aromatic)
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 2–3 star anise pods (or 1/2 tsp anise seeds)
- a little nutmeg
For the batter:
- 700 g honey
- 500 g flour
- 100 g sugar (150 g if you prefer sweeter)
- 200 ml milk
- 4 eggs
- zest of 1 orange (or 2 mandarins)
- 20 g baking powder
- a pinch of salt
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the honey with the sugar until liquid. Grind all the spices in a blender or coffee grinder into a powder.
Mix the flour with 2 tsp of the spice blend (I like a more spiced version, so I add 3 tsp) and the baking powder. Add the citrus zest.
Separately, beat the eggs with the milk, then gradually fold into the flour mixture while stirring. Add the melted honey-sugar mixture and mix until smooth, with no lumps.
Grease baking tins with butter and dust with flour. Pour in the spiced batter to 2/3 full, leaving room to rise.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F). Bake large loaves for 45 minutes, small ones for 35 minutes, reducing the temperature almost immediately to 180 °C (355 °F). After 10 minutes of baking, make a lengthwise cut with a knife along the center of each loaf, from end to end — this is essential.
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