Description
The German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) is a rich, sweet dessert made of a soft, yeasty dough, filled with a creamy custard or vanilla pudding, and topped with a crunchy honey-almond topping. It’s a perfect cake for special occasions or as a delicious treat to enjoy with coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Dough:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (for brushing)
- For the Almond Honey Topping:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- For the Filling:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, salt, and yeast mixture, and knead until the dough comes together. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, prepare the almond honey topping. In a saucepan, melt butter, honey, and cream together over low heat. Stir in the sliced almonds and set aside to cool.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface to fit a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Press the dough into the pan and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the dough with heavy cream and then spread the almond honey topping evenly over the dough.
- Bake the dough for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let it cool completely in the pan.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the filling. In a saucepan, heat the milk and sugar over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Gradually add some hot milk to the egg mixture to temper it, then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let the custard cool to room temperature.
- Once the cake is completely cool, slice it in half horizontally. Spread the cooled custard filling on the bottom half of the cake and place the top half on top. Press gently to sandwich the layers together.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- For a richer filling, you can substitute some of the milk with heavy cream.
- Make sure the custard has cooled completely before spreading it on the cake to avoid melting the dough.
- The honey-almond topping is sweet and sticky, so be sure to let it cool to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: German cake, Bee Sting Cake, Bienenstich, honey almond cake, custard-filled cake