Pain d Epice - French Celebration Honey Cake

Pan d'épice au miel a l'ancienne - Celebration Honey Cake

500 gram cake - Dijon, France

The bread that is filled with honey

A honey of a cake! It’s not like the cake you had at your 5th birthday. In fact I would wager a guess that you wouldn’t even call this a cake. But it is. Sort of.

This cake is shaped like a bread. It looks like it is cut from a larger “cake”, made in loaves. Topped with sugar “pieces” that look like nuts and on the sides you can see the open cells.

This French spice bread is made with rye flour soaked in honey and spices. It has a long history in France with many variations and stories.

Pain d’épices origins appear to have its roots from a Chinese honey cake with aromatic plants that was brought to Europe by the Crusaders. And the Pain d’épices is the origins of the gingerbread.

If you think of gingerbread houses, made with gingerbread (and not made with graham crackers) you can start to understand the inherent build of this bread. It has structure!

The combination of the rye flour soaked in honey makes for a dense and chewy bite. Toast it and slather it in butter and you have a meal fit for the King of France.

I like to cut my slice from the toaster into four pieces for easier eating. This is when you realize that it’s not like other bread. The honey and the rye mix create a bond that is hard to cut through.

When warm with butter it’s a pure treat. It’s like a cookie without the crumbly interior. It’s like honey without the gooey sticky mess. It’s like a cracker. It’s soft and gentle.

It is one of my all-time favorite treats in the winter holidays. We have just a few left and usually don’t get more than a few in the first place. It’s a pretty eclectic kind of treat here in this country, but to me I love it.

Classic celebration cake from Apidis in Dijon, France. Only available during the holidays, don't miss out on this classic cake. Made with the classic rye flour, and ladened with honey! Slice and toast, and cover with butter - the perfect seasonal breakfast treat.

ingredients: rye flour, honey (15%), glucos-frustose syrup, sugar, leavening (sodium carbonate), natural flavors, spices. No coloring or preservatives. May contain traces of nuts, milk and wheat.