German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich)

Instructions

HEAT MILK AND BUTTER: To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, lemon zest and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment fitted. Heat the milk and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter is just melted. Remove from the heat and cool for 2-3 minutes before pouring into the bowl with the other ingredients.
KNEAD DOUGH: Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is soft and supple, then shape the dough into a ball, cover with a cling film or plastic wrap and return to the bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
MAKE FILLING: Meanwhile, make the filling by whisking 100ml of the milk with the cornstarch, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Heat the remaining milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the pan's sides.
COOL FILLING: Pour the milk and cornstarch mixture into the hot milk and whisk constantly until thickened, taking care not to let the mixture boil. Scrape back into the bowl, press a piece of cling film or plastic wrap directly onto the surface and set aside to cool completely at room temperature.
HEAT OVEN AND ROLL OUT DOUGH: When the dough has risen, heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4. Line the base with parchment paper and grease the sides of a 26cm (10 in.) round springform pan, then roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 26cm in diameter and lift into the pan. Cover and allow to rise a further 15 minutes.
PREPARE TOPPING: While the dough rises for the second time, prepare the honey-almond topping by combining the butter, cream, sugar and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 2 minutes. Stir through the almonds and remove from the heat.
BAKE: Spread the almond mixture evenly across the dough, then bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Allow to cool in the cake pan for 5 minutes, then loosen the cake edges with a small sharp knife and remove the side of the pan. Let the cake cool completely.
CUT: When the dough is completely cool, use a serrated knife to cut evenly through the middle, setting aside the top layer. Place the bottom of the cake onto a serving plate and replace the ring of the cake pan around it.
ADD FILLING: Use an electric beater to whisk the custard filling until completely smooth, then spread over the bottom layer of the cake and transfer to the fridge for at least one hour to set.
SERVE: Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to cut the top of the cake into 8 even slices (you can even use a pizza roller here!) Place the slices on top when the cake has been in the fridge for half an hour. Serve chilled. Guten Appetit!

Notes

Imperial and cup measurements are approximate. I recommend an inexpensive digital kitchen scale like the one below for the best and most accurate results.

German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich)

Ingredients

for the dough:

FOR THE FILLING:

FOR THE HONEY-ALMOND TOPPING:

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition