Usher in Christmas cheers with this Pain d’Epices recipe

Christmas can never be complete without the perfect cake on the table. this year, take a cue from Chef Sanna Gugnai from Revenir and whip up the delicious Parisian fare - Pain d'Epices.

Ingredients:

• Eggs 70 gm

• Cream 70 gm

• Honey 157.5 gm

• Christmas spice 2.5 gm

• Oil 77.5gm

• Salt 1.5gm

• Flour 157.5 gm

• Baking powder 4 gm

• Lemon zest 4 gm

• Orange zest 3 gm

Christmas Spice

• Cinnamon powder 20 gm

• Fennel 7 gm

• Green cardamom 5 gm

• Ginger powder 5 gm

• Star anise 4 gm

• Nutmeg 2 gm

• Cloves 1 gm

Method:

• Zest the orange and lemons using a grater.

• Mix eggs, heavy cream, honey and spices.

• Add the grapeseed oil in a drizzle.

• Once everything is well combined, add the flour, baking powder and salt, previously sieved together. Finish with the citrus zest.

• Preheat the oven to 160°C.

• Make a softened butter.

• Using a brush, coat the entire cake tin with a very thin layer of butter.

• Then line the mould with flour

• Pour the gingerbread mixture into the mould.

• Place softened butter in a paper cone and make a line of butter on top of the cake.

• Bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour depending on your oven.

• When it comes out of the oven, generously soak the gingerbread with the citrus juice (without drowning it).

• Unmold immediately after soaking, and let cool on a rack. Once cooled, you can cover it with cling film and store in the fridge or frozen.

• Spread the gingerbread with store-bought or homemade orange jam. Finally, decorate it with a few star anise, cinnamon sticks and candied orange peel as per your choice.