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I've become totally smitten with this Bee Sting Cake from Germany! It brings together fluffy yeast cake stuffed with creamy vanilla custard and topped with a crunchy, caramelized honey-almond layer. Whenever I stopped by German bakeries, this treat always grabbed my attention, and now I enjoy baking it at home to match their traditional afternoon treat time.
Why This Sweet Treat Stands Out
Imagine sinking your teeth into feathery-soft cake stuffed with velvety vanilla cream and finished with amber honey-coated almonds. It's simply dessert magic! What I love most is how each component brings its own character to create something truly memorable. This showstopper always impresses everyone when I'm having friends over for coffee or marking a special occasion.
Your Ingredient List
- Optional Add-Ins: A bit of lemon zest (for a fresh twist) or a dusting of powdered sugar (for extra sweetness).
- Honey Almond Topping: A blend of butter, honey, sugar, and sliced almonds, browned into a delicious crunchy coating.
- Vanilla Cream Filling: Combined whipped heavy cream, sugar, and creamy vanilla pastry cream (in a pinch, packaged vanilla pudding can work too).
- Yeast Dough: Created with all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, lukewarm milk (105-110°F), room temperature butter, sugar, and a touch of salt for a perfectly tender foundation.
Baking Steps
- Put It All Together
- Cut your cake in half that amazing filling goes inside and place the almond-coated portion back on top. Let it chill thoroughly before you serve for perfect texture.
- Whip Up the Filling
- Whip your cream until soft peaks form then gently mix it with your cooled vanilla custard for an incredibly luscious filling.
- Shape and Bake
- Flatten your dough into a springform pan drop on that tasty almond mixture and bake until it turns golden. Cool it entirely no shortcuts here!
- Make That Amazing Topping
- Heat butter and combine with sugar honey and almonds until everything's evenly glazed and shiny. Cool it slightly so it won't run off.
- Create Your Dough
- Combine lukewarm milk sugar and yeast and wait for bubbles about 5 minutes. Add in your flour butter egg and salt then work it until smooth. Let it puff up until it's twice as big.
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Helpful Baking Secrets
Check that your milk feels just barely warm on your wrist for happy yeast but not so hot you'll kill it. Don't rush the cooling process before adding the filling it'll make a huge difference. Feeling creative? Try adding some lemon peel to your cream or switch out almonds for crumbled cookies if you're dealing with nut allergies. Each little change makes it uniquely yours!
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Where does the name Bee Sting Cake come from?
The name "Bienenstich" translates to bee sting, possibly inspired by the honey topping or the almond slices that look like bee stingers.
- → Can I prep this cake early?
Of course! Bake the cake and make the filling the day before. Store the cake at room temp and refrigerate the filling. Put it all together a few hours before enjoying.
- → How do I know the yeast is working?
If the yeast forms bubbles and froth after 5-10 minutes in warm milk, it's good to go. No bubbles? The milk could be too hot, cold, or the yeast might be expired.
- → Why is my topping sliding off?
When adding the topping, press it lightly into the cake before baking. Also, don't use too much or it might weigh down the dough.
- → How do I store leftover cake?
Keep the finished cake in the fridge, and it'll stay tasty for up to 2 days. The creamy filling helps keep it moist.