Piernik Polish Gingerbread Cake Recipe With Semolina Custard Filling (2024)

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Piernik Polish Gingerbread Cake Recipe With Semolina Custard Filling (1)

Today I want to share with you a very special recipe. It’s been in my family for at least 100 years. My great grandmother used to bake it every Sunday. Her name was Babcia Gienia and I remember visiting her- she passed away when I was 8 years old. Her traditional Polish gingerbread cake recipe is unique and I am pretty sure you won’t find anything similar on the Internet.

It’s a combination of Polish piernik cake, a custard, and a pink frosting that tastes delicious altogether!

My grandma who is 82 years old still bakes this cake from time to time. Even though I make it myself as well, it’s always taste better when she does it!

This traditional Polish miodownik is perfect to serve during wintertime. At the end of the day, a gingerbread cake is specific to Christmas!

Things To Know About Traditional Polish Gingerbread Cake

Polish Piernik Cake Is Hard Right After Baking.

Because Polish piernik cake is made of honey, it’s hard at first. It takes about a week for it to get soft without putting any custard inside.

This traditional Polish gingebread cake recipe should be used at least 2 days before you want to serve a cake. Piernik with custard inside will get soft faster.

Gingerbread Cake Dough Can Be Keep In The Fridge For Up To 6 Weeks.

Polish housewives used to make a gingerbread cake at the end of November (!). They bake it a week before Christmas, then put the filling inside 3-4 days before Christmas Eve.

This Polish Gingerbread Cake Is Big.

It will be quite heavy, you will get about 30 servings from this Polish gingerbread cake recipe.

Are There Any Other Polish Gingerbread Recipes?

Yes!

Piernik Traditional Polish Gingerbread Cake Recipe With Semolina Custard Filling

Yield: 40 servings

Piernik Traditional Polish Gingerbread Cake Recipe With Semolina Custard Filling

This is a very special recipe. It's been in my family for at least 100 years. My great grandmother used to bake it every Sunday. Her name was Babcia Gienia and I remember visiting her- she passed away when I was 8 years old. Her traditional Polish gingerbread cake recipe is unique and I am pretty sure you won't find anything similar on the Internet.

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake Dough

1 cup of honey (1 small jar/310ml)
8 cups of flour (1kg)
1 cup of butter (200g)
1 cup of sugar (200g)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon ofgingerbread spice mix
1 teaspoon of cocoa

Semolina Custard

4 cups of milk (1 liter)
19 heaped tbsps of sugar
7heaped tbsps of semolina
2 cups of butter (400g)

Pink Frosting

8heaped tbsps of powdered sugar
fresh juice of one lemon
1 tbsp of butter
2 tbsps of raspberry syrup

Other

1 jar (12oz) of plum butter (powidło śliwkowe)

Instructions

Gingerbread Cake Dough

Slowly heat the honey, sugar, and butter in the pot. Add cocoa.
Cool off the mixture.
Add the remaining ingredients and form a dough.
Place the dough in the fridge for at least one hour (the longer the dough will be in the fridge, the better. It can stay there for up to 6 weeks).
Divide the cold dough into 4 pieces.
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 338°F.
Roll out each piece of the dough and bake it in the 9x13" cake pan separately for 15-20 minutes.

Semolina Custard

Heat the milk and sugar in the pot. When it's nearly boiling, add the semolina and stir until you get the smooth consistency. Cool the mixture off.
Cream the butter until it gets fluffy and pale yellow.
Gradually, start adding the cold semolina custard, still mixing (1 tbsp each time).

Pink Frosting

Mix all the ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.

Making Of The Gingerbread Cake

Divide the semolina custard into 2 parts.
Spread one part of semolina custard on the first cake.
Cover it with the second cake.
Spread the plum butter (powidło) on the top.
Cover it with the third cake.
Spread the second part of the semolina custard on the top.
Cover it with the fourth cake.
Put the pink frosting on top of the gingerbread cake.

Notes

The gingerbread dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 6 weeks. It's believed that the longer it's there, the better it will taste.
The gingerbread cakes will be hard at first. It will take 1-2 days until they will be soft and ready to eat.