Predominant flavorings include spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg.

[5][6] They were typically sweetened with honey, as sugar was largely unavailable in Europe until the 1600s, and cooked over an open fire.

[6]) With the development of the sugar trade, spice cakes were still popular, and were coated in white icing on special occasions.

[7] French chefs hired by Charles II of England in the mid-1600s baked elaborate spice cakes coated in white icing.

During times of food rationing or to keep costs down, spice cakes lent themselves towards replacing expensive ingredients, such as eggs and butter, with more economical choices, such as pureed fruit.