Bienenstich (German Bee Sting Cake) Recipe

Of all the traditional German desserts you should try before you die, Bienenstich should be pretty high on that list. Bienenstich, AKA German bee sting cake, is inherently unique thanks to its yeasted-cake base, which makes it a little bit different from rich butter cakes or light sponge cakes. German bee sting cake is also easily recognizable thanks to its luscious custard layer and honey-laced almond topping (my personal favorite element!). The cake itself is not very sweet; it's more like a brioche dough, but the topping is the perfect amount of sweet and crunchy, and it brings all the flavors together and serves as a nice contrast for the tender cake and the creamy custard.

Although the idea of making a yeasted, dough-based cake might intimidate some home bakers, I can assure you that it's really not as difficult as it may seem. In my Bienenstich (German bee sting cake) recipe, all three distinct elements — the dough base, custardy pudding layer, and honey-almond topping — come together quite easily, so long as you have a stand mixer to do the heavy lifting. Much of the prep work is passive, and just involves waiting for the dough to rise, and much of the cake relies on pantry and refrigerator staples to get the job done. The final cake is absolutely worth any extra labor, and of all the unique cake types from around the world, this is one I would gladly return to time and time again.

For the dough portion of the cake, you'll need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, kosher salt, warm milk, eggs, and softened unsalted butter (along with some cooking spray to grease the cake pans). Next, to make the almond topping, grab honey, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and sliced almonds. Finally, for that pudding layer, you'll need whole milk, a package of instant vanilla pudding mix, vanilla, and heavy cream.

To start the dough, add the flour, ¼ cup sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Mix briefly to combine.

Add the warm milk, eggs, and 8 tablespoons softened butter to the bowl, then mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Continue kneading on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. If the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then continue pressing it into place. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start the almond topping. Add the honey, 5 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, and ¼ cup heavy cream to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the butter has melted and the sugar begins to dissolve.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sliced almonds until they are completely coated. Set the topping aside to cool slightly.

While it's still warm, spoon the almond topping evenly over the risen dough and gently spread the almonds across the surface.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and baked through. If the almonds begin browning too quickly, loosely cover the top with foil during the final few minutes of baking. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing the sides of the springform pan.

While the cake cools, prepare the pudding filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the cold milk, instant vanilla pudding mix, and vanilla extract for about 2 minutes. Let the pudding mixture stand for 5 minutes to thicken.

In a separate large bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the thickened pudding mixture until it is smooth and fluffy.

Use a sharp serrated knife to carefully slice the cooled cake horizontally into two even layers.

Place the bottom cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand and spread the pudding filling evenly over the top.

Carefully place the top of the cake back over the filling. Chill the assembled cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set, then cut and serve.

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While bee sting cake may have several moving parts, many of the elements can be prepared in advance. To start, you can make the honey-almond topping upwards of two days in advance; just leave it to sit in an airtight container at room temperature in the meantime. If you find that the almonds are a bit too stiff when it comes time to spread them on the cake, a quick zap in the microwave (about 20 seconds) should make them much easier to work with. Meanwhile, you can prepare the pudding filling a day in advance, and you'll want to keep it stored in the refrigerator till you're ready to use it. 

The dough also has great make-ahead potential. Fully form the dough up until the initial rise, then transfer it to the fridge to slow-rise overnight (about 8 hours) or for upwards of 24 hours. The dough will be quite cold and a bit stiff straight from the fridge, so let it sit for about 30 minutes to an hour before trying to press it into the pan. After you press it into the pan, be sure to allow it the second rise time before baking.

If you'd prefer to bake the cake completely, it's best to add the filling right before you serve it. Allow the cake to fully cool after it bakes, then store it covered and at room temperature. I don't recommend filling the cake more than a day in advance as the pudding will soften the cake a bit too much.

It's not always easy getting those perfectly clean, even cake layers or slices, and I'll admit that the crunchy-sticky almond topping and creamy pudding layer only add to the challenge in this recipe. That said, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind to make the process a bit easier. To start, don't skip the 1-hour chilling period before you slice and serve the cake. This period allows the pudding filling to firm up a bit, meaning you won't be dealing with a super-goopy mess when trying to cut even slices. Use a serrated knife and cut in a sawing motion as you go down (as opposed to pressing the knife straight down), as this will help cut through the dough, keep that almond topping from cracking, and prevent the custard from squishing out.

Another useful tip for cutting Bienenstich, in particular, is to cut the top layer, AKA the one with the almond topping, into an even 10 or 12 pieces (depending on how many cake slices you want to have) before placing it onto the pudding. This way, you won't have to cut through the crunchy topping once the cake is assembled, meaning you'll have less pudding seepage and all-around more uniform slices.

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