German Bienenstich — the classic cake with caramelised almonds and vanilla cream

Bienenstich (in German, “bee sting”) is one of the most beloved desserts of German cuisine. Legend says it got its name from an incident in which bees were attracted by the sweet honey layer on top of the cake. The result is a soft cake with a yeast-dough base, crowned with caramelised almonds and filled with vanilla cream — simple to prepare at home and perfect for the festive table.

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

• 500 g flour
• 80 g sugar
• 1 packet (7 g) dry yeast
• 250 ml lukewarm milk
• 80 g melted butter
• 1 egg
• a pinch of salt

For the almond topping:

• 150 g sliced almonds
• 100 g butter
• 100 g sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons milk
• a little vanilla

For the cream:

• 500 ml milk
• 80 g sugar
• 40 g corn starch (or 1 packet vanilla pudding mix)
• 200 ml whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION STEPS

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk with a spoonful of sugar and leave for 10 minutes until foamy. Mix the flour with the remaining sugar and the salt; add the yeast milk, the melted butter and the egg and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough becomes elastic. Cover and leave to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the dough in a round pan (26 cm) greased with butter or lined with baking paper.
3. For the almond topping: melt the butter with the sugar, honey and milk; let it boil gently for 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the almonds and vanilla, mix well and spread evenly over the dough.
4. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the surface turns golden. Leave to cool completely in the pan.
5. For the cream: mix the starch with a little cold milk. Boil the rest of the milk with the sugar, add the starch mixture, stirring constantly until the cream thickens. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, cover with plastic film touching the surface and leave to cool completely. Whip the cream until stiff and carefully fold it into the cooled cream.
6. Cut the cake horizontally in the middle, separating the base from the almond “lid”. Spread the base with the vanilla cream, place the lid on top and leave the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

TIME AND SERVINGS: Preparation 40 minutes + dough rising 60 minutes; baking 25–30 minutes; chilling in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Makes about 12 servings.