Tiel Carnival Cake (Tielse Kermiskoek)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Quick breads Easy

The real bakers keep their recipe secret, so this is our home take: a rye and wheat honey cake with warm spices, rested overnight and baked low. It slices thin and is spread with butter. Makes 1 loaf in about 9 hr 15 min.

Prep 20 min

Cook 55 min

Cooling 8 hr

Total 9 hr 15 min

Servings 12

Ingredients

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servings

2 cups (250 g)rye flour
¾ cup (100 g)all-purpose flour
14 tbsp (300 g)honey, warmed, for the cake
4 tbsp (50 g)light brown sugar
¼ cup (60 ml)whole milk, warmed
1 tsp (5 g)baking soda
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground cinnamon
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground ginger
¾ tsp (2 g)ground aniseed
½ tsp (1 g)ground cloves
¼ tsp (2 g)fine salt
1 tbsp (20 g)honey, warmed, for brushing, for the to finish

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Instructions

Warm the honey with the sugar and milk until just runny; do not boil. Cool 10 minutes.
Mix the rye flour, wheat flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a bowl.
Stir in the honey mixture until a thick, sticky batter forms. Cover and rest at room temperature 8 hours or overnight.
Heat the oven to 325 F (165 C). Grease and line a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan.
Spoon in the batter, level the top and bake 50 to 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
Brush the hot cake with the warm honey, cool 15 minutes in the pan and turn out.
Wrap and keep at least a day before slicing thin.

Tips

Resting the batter lets the rye soften and gives a fine crumb.
Slice thin and spread with butter, as is traditional.
For a shinier crust, brush with honey again after 10 minutes.
Good with coffee with butter.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make tiel carnival cake (tielse kermiskoek)?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 55 minutes of cooking, plus 8 hours to chill. The recipe makes 1 loaf (12 servings).

How should I store tiel carnival cake (tielse kermiskoek)?

Wrap tightly; keeps at room temperature up to 2 weeks and improves with time.

Can I make tiel carnival cake (tielse kermiskoek) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

The Tiel carnival cake is a dense honey and rye spice cake sold in Tiel only during the autumn fair, traditionally given as a gift. Serve it with coffee with butter.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

227 Calories / serving

4.3g Fat

42.5g Carbs

4.1g Protein

14.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~2724 cal · 52g fat · 510g carbs · 49g protein · 175g sugar

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