Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
This bee sting cake is the flavour explosion you will not want to miss out on! It’s got a caramelised, crunchy almond top. A thick layer of creamy, custard-like filling. And a fluffy, not-too-sweet, yeast-raised cake to hold it all together. Bienenstich is everything you want in a dessert: crunchy, creamy, and oh-so-satisfying. It's a staple in German food culture and an authentic treat that always brings a ton of excitement to the table!
Ingredients
Yeast Dough
- 150 millilitres milk
- 3 grams active dry yeast (1/2 pouch)
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 60 grams butter
- 325 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- Butter (for greasing the springform)
- All-purpose flour (to roll out yeast dough)
Pudding Cream Filling
- 400 millilitres milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (bean paste or pure vanilla extract)
- 26 grams cornstarch
- 80 grams granulated sugar
- 250 grams heavy whipping cream
- 7 grams gelatin (one pouch, to give the filling extra hold)
Almond Topping
- 60 grams unsalted butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 37 g granulated sugar
- 21 g honey
- 100 grams sliced almonds
- 50 grams heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make cake dough
-
Mix together luke warm milk, yeast and a tablespoon of the sugar and allow to sit until bubbly.
-
Melt the butter.
-
Sift together flour, remaining sugar and salt.
-
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and knead using the dough hooks (electric mixer recommended) for about 5 minutes on low, until you end up with a smooth dough.
-
Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour. The dough should have doubled in size.
Make the pudding
-
In the meantime, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the milk in a small bowl, warm the remaining milk for the pudding filling in a pot until boiling. Remove from heat.
-
Whisk together the reserved cold milk and vanilla with the cornstarch and sugar. Then gradually whisk it in with the milk, and return to heat to bring to a boil again, stirring constantly.
-
Transfer pudding to a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to avoid a skin from forming. Put in the fridge to cool.
Bake cake and almond topping
-
Grease a springform pan with some butter (I used a 22¾ cm diameter form), preheat your oven to 180℃.
-
Knead the dough on a floured surface and roll out to a circle to fit the bottom of your spring form. Transfer to the springform, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 15 more minutes.
-
For the almond topping, bring butter, cream, sugar and honey to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the almonds and distribute evenly onto the surface of the rolled out yeast dough.
-
Bake for 30 minutes until the almond top is golden. With the help of a straight-edge knife, cut away from the sides of the springform immediately before it cools. Allow the cake to cool completely.
-
While the cake is baking, bring NaN ml (120 ml) of water to a boil, then add in the gelatin powder and whisk until dissolved.
-
Whisk together with the pudding mixture.
-
Beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form, and fold in with the pudding-gelatin mixture (making sure it is not warm anymore.
-
Cut the cake into 2 layers (use a large serrated knife for this) and place the bottom layer on a cake platter. Secure a cake ring around it.
-
Spread the pudding whipped cream filling onto the bottom layer of the cake and transfer to the fridge for at least 1 hour to set up.
-
Meanwhile, cut the top layer into 12 slices. Immediately before serving, add the top layer pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
Excellent with a cup of Earl Grey or Assam tea.
Committed to this collection by the hand of Hunter.
