This bee sting cake, also known as bienenstich, is a traditional German cake consisting of a yeasted cake filled with custard cream and topped with crunchy honey-caramelized almonds. The name comes from a tale about German bakers in the 15th century who protected their town by throwing beehives at their enemies. They then baked this honey-laced cake in celebration of their victory. Some versions of this German Bee Sting Cake uses a sponge dough, but I’m a fan of the yeasted version because it balances out the sweetness you get from the topping. This cake is a classic for a reason and absolutely worth the effort. Give it a try!
Related: Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Cake
ingredients
Cake:
Almond Topping:
Filling:
directions
This recipe has an hour and a half proofing time.
Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), add flour, yeast, sugar, milk, butter and egg. Knead for 2-3 minutes on low until the dough comes together and slightly loosens from the sides of the bowl.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough proof for 1 hour until it has slightly puffed up.
Place the dough into the springform pan and flatten it out carefully until it covers the bottom. Cover again and let rest for another 30 minutes.
About 10 mins into the dough’s proofing time, start to prepare the almond topping. In a saucepan, melt butter, honey, sugar, cream and salt together over medium heat.
Simmer for 4-5 minutes until it darkens slightly in colour.
Turn off the heat and stir in the almonds. Set mixture aside and allow to cool slightly. If the topping is too hot, the almonds will sink to the bottom of the cake.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. When the dough is ready, dollop the almond topping on top and spread it out with a spoon so it covers the top of the cake.
Place the pan on a baking sheet, to catch any drips, and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Finish the cake with a quick broil until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
When the cake comes out of the oven, carefully run a knife along the edges to prevent the topping from sticking. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Once slightly cooled, remove the sides of the pan and allow to cool completely.
As the cake cools, prepare the filling. Whip heavy cream and pudding mix together quickly. Beat in the milk until the mixture is smooth and forms stiff peaks. You want the filling to be stable enough to support the weight of the top cake layer.
Once the cake has cooled, use a large serrated knife to slice the cake in half crosswise. Divide the top layer of the cake into 8 – 12 slices.
Dollop the filling on top of the bottom layer of the cake and spread it out to the edges. Carefully place the top layer of cake back on top. Best served the same day it’s baked. If you need to store it in the fridge, let it come up to room temperature before serving.
