Tomek's mom gingerbread w/whole spelt

There has to be gingerbread in every Polish home for the Holidays, prepared days ahead. This is an old family recipe...to be completed just before Christmas.

Recipe adapted from Tomek's Mom
time: 30min preparation + 1hr10min baking + a couple of days to get better

ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups (500 g) regular flour OR
• 2 cups (240 g) whole spelt flour and 
• 1 1/3 cups (200 g) regular flour
• 1 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger in powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, room temperature; I used almond milk
• 1 2/3 stick (200 g) butter
• 3/4 cup (250 g) honey
• 3 eggs, room temperature, yolks separated from whites
• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

custard filling (about 2 cups)
plum preserves (about 1/2 - 1 cup) 

instructions

1. In medium saucepan, bring to boil butter and honey on medium/high, stirring to dissolve. Take it off the heat, let it cool for about 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile...preheat oven to 150C/320F (fan forced function). Butter and line with parchment paper a 28cm (10inch) round spring form. 
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour(s), spices, baking soda and salt. In a bowl of your standing mixer equipped with a whisk attachment, beat yolks with sugar till pale and fluffy (5 minutes). With the mixer set on low speed, slowly pour in cooled butter/honey mixture. Pour in milk. Change attachment to paddle, add flour mix. Blend it just till combined. 
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites till soft peek forms. Using a rubber spatula, slowly and gently fold in beaten whites into the batter. Pour it all into the prepared form. 
5. Set in the hot oven for 1h 25min. Insert the toothpick in the middle, if it comes dry - ready. Let the cake cool completely (in or out of the form). 
6. Wrap it with parchment paper, then in aluminum foil. Set it in a cool place (not fridge) for a couple of days to absorb moisture and intensify in tastes. Slice cake in 5 layers (horizontally). The day before serving, apply pastry filling and plum preserves interchangeably between the layers. Keep the gingerbread cool.

notes

• the cake has all the right Holiday flavors, but when it's layered with the custard (pastry) filling, it turns into a dream cake;
• the original, handwritten recipe, got in my hands about 5-6 years ago; Tomek is my brother in law;
• I've been making the cake ever since, every year for Christmas;
• first couple of times, I made a big mess and didn't really know what I was doing... just following the recipe;
• last year, I improved the making somewhat and wrote it down (thank you, blog!);
• this year...smooth sailing;
• when slicing the cake, a cotton tread won't work; the cake is too dense, the thread will brake; a special wire tool works well together with an extra pair of hands to hold the cake;
• the is the only Christmas cake without any fruits or nuts; I wanted to keep things simple (kids appreciate it) and original.