Description
A classic German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) featuring a soft, lightly sweet yeast cake layered with airy vanilla cream and topped with a golden, caramelized honey-almond crust.
Ingredients
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1⅔ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup whole milk (for cake)
¼ cup unsalted butter (for cake)
2½ tablespoons honey (for cake)
2 large eggs
2½ cups bread flour
2 teaspoons yeast
¼ teaspoon salt (for cake)
¼ cup unsalted butter (for topping)
2½ tablespoons honey (for topping)
2 tablespoons sugar
1¼ cups sliced almonds
Instructions
- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together. Add egg yolks and whisk until smooth, then gradually whisk in milk.
- Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and gently bubbling. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
- Strain custard into a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until fully chilled.
- Warm milk and butter for the cake until butter melts. Cool until lukewarm.
- Combine milk mixture with honey, eggs, flour, yeast, and salt. Knead until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size.
- For the topping, heat butter, honey, and sugar until bubbling. Stir in sliced almonds and set aside to cool slightly.
- Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Press dough evenly into the pan.
- Spread almond topping over the dough. Cover and let rise again until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
- Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Loosen custard and gently fold in whipped cream.
- Slice cake horizontally, spread cream filling on bottom layer, and replace top.
- Chill briefly before slicing and serving.
Notes
Bread flour gives the cake better structure and chew.
Chilling the cake makes slicing cleaner.
Do not overcook the almond topping to avoid bitterness.
Best served slightly chilled or just below room temperature.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
