Classic Pain d'Épices French Honey Spice Loaf

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Quick breads Easy

Classic Pain d'Épices French Honey Spice Loaf

A dense, moist honey loaf scented with cinnamon, ginger, anise and cloves, studded with candied orange peel. It slices well and improves after a day. Makes 10 slices in about 1 hr 15 min.

Prep 20 min

Cook 55 min

Total 1 hr 15 min

Yield 10 slices

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

2 cups (250 g)all-purpose flour
½ cup (60 g)rye flour
1 ½ tsp (6 g)baking powder
½ tsp (3 g)baking soda
1 ½ tsp (4 g)ground cinnamon
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground ginger
½ tsp (1 g)ground anise
½ tsp (1 g)ground cloves
¼ tsp (2 g)salt
14 tbsp (300 g)honey
4 tbsp (50 g)brown sugar
½ cup (120 ml)whole milk
3 ½ tbsp (50 g)unsalted butter, melted
1 (50 g)egg
2 ½ tsp (5 g)orange zest
2 oz (60 g)candied orange peel, finely diced

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Butter a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment.
Whisk both flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together.
Warm the honey, brown sugar and milk in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Cool 5 minutes.
Whisk in the melted butter, egg and orange zest.
Pour the honey mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just smooth. Fold in the candied peel.
Scrape into the pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top is deep brown.
Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Wrap and rest a day for best flavor and slice.

Tips

Wrap and rest the loaf a day; the flavor deepens.
Strongly flavored honey like chestnut or buckwheat gives a more traditional taste.
Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too fast.
Good with hot tea.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make classic pain d'épices french honey spice loaf?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 55 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 10 slices.

How should I store classic pain d'épices french honey spice loaf?

Wrap tightly. Keeps at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Can I make classic pain d'épices french honey spice loaf ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Serve it with hot tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 10 servings this recipe makes.

296 Calories / serving

5.3g Fat

59.2g Carbs

4.4g Protein

34.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (10 servings): ~2960 cal · 53g fat · 592g carbs · 44g protein · 345g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.