Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich)

Preparation

This classic German dessert is unlike any other, and well worth the bit of extra time it takes to make and assemble. There are three key parts to this dessert: a lightly sweetened, enriched yeasted ‘cake’ (it’s closer to brioche than a sponge cake), a crunchy, honey-glazed almond topping, and a pastry cream filling that’s lightened and stabilized by whipped cream with gelatin. Use the tip of a sharp, long knife (serrated or regular blade) to break through the crunchy topping and then cut straight down for clean slices.

*This recipe originally ran stateside on HexClad.com.

1. Make cake. Lightly butter bottom and sides of a HexClad Hybrid Round Cake Pan - 9” round (23 cm round) and a large mixing bowl; set both aside. 

2. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine ½ cup/120 ml warm water and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top and let stand until foamy, about 7-10 minutes.

3. Add remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir well to combine and then add the flour. Use a rubber spatula to mix, creating a soft and sticky dough, similar to a thick cake batter. Dust the dough with an additional tablespoon of flour and then gently mix into the dough to create a slightly smoother texture. The dough will remain quite sticky. Resist the urge to add any more flour. 

4. Use a rubber spatula to transfer dough to prepared bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until puffed and almost doubled in size, about 1 - 1 ½ hours. 

5. Meanwhile, make cream. In a HexClad 2QT/2 L Hybrid Saucepan, combine granulated sugar and cornstarch. Whisk to combine, then add milk and egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl, pushing with a spatula to force through strainer. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against surface, and refrigerate until cold and fully set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

6. When dough is nearly risen, make almond topping. In a HexClad 1QT/1 L Hybrid Saucepan over medium, combine sugar, honey and butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in almonds until evenly coated. Set aside until slightly cooled but still fluid, 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Gently press down on risen cake dough to remove any large air bubbles (dough should be about half the height ), then transfer to buttered cake pan, pressing to fill pan with dough. Spoon topping evenly to cover dough, using fingers to break up any large clumps of topping. Cover and let rise until puffed and just about doubled and pan is at least half full, 20 to 30 minutes.

8. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin spatula around cake to loosen sides, then slide cake onto a rack, almond-side up to cool completely.  

9. Meanwhile, remove pastry cream from refrigerator. Beat with an electric mixer on medium until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

10. In a large bowl, combine heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar. Beat on medium (no need to clean off beaters) until sugar dissolves and cream begins to thicken. 

11. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon of cold water in a small dish. Let stand until gelatin has absorbed water, then microwave for 30 seconds until warm and liquid, stirring to ensure gelatin is fully dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly. 

12. While beating, slowly pour in gelatin into the whipped cream and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into pastry cream in two batches until well-combined and no streaks remain.
    

13. Place cake on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, split cake in half crosswise. Place bottom layer on a cake plate. Spread cream mixture over top, leaving a ¼-inch/0.6-cm border. Add top layer and gently press to secure it so cake doesn’t slide. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill and set cake and then slice with a sharp knife. 

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

Make the pastry cream up to 3 days in advance with a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface and a second piece covering the bowl. 

NOTES

This cake tastes best the day it’s baked but the topping will retain its crunch for up to 2 days. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against cut edges of the cake to prevent it from drying out in the refrigerator.

Let leftover cake stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving to allow the cake to regain its fluffy texture. The gelatin will prevent the filling from melting and squishing out the sides when sliced. 

Take a moment to evenly spread the almonds over the cake before baking. If they are clumped too heavily in the center of the cake, it may prevent it from rising properly and fully baking through.