German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich Kuchen)

Slices of bee sting cake on a wooden board

4.96 from 21 votes

German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich Kuchen)

Bee sting cake is an iconic and very popular dessert cake in Germany. For a good reason! Imagine two layers of soft yeast bread filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with a layer of crunchy honey almonds. Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Learn how to make this delicious dessert to impress family and friends.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Rest & Chill7

Total Time8 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Servings: servings

Calories: 563kcal

Author: Sabine

Ingredients

Vanilla custard

5 large egg yolks
⅜ cup cornstarch
2 cups milk
½ cup granulated white sugar
2 bourbon vanilla beans*

Yeast dough

¾ cup lukewarm milk
¼ cup granulated white sugar
2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 large eggs
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

Almond topping

⅔ cup butter
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup granulated white sugar
2 tablespoon honey
1 ⅓ cups sliced almond
1 bourbon vanilla bean*

Whipped cream for pastry cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the vanilla custard

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together and set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk and sugar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat to medium and remove ½ cup (120 ml) of the simmering milk. Gradually add the ½ cup of hot milk to the egg yolks while stirring. Then slowly pour the tempered egg mixture into the simmering milk, stirring constantly.
Cook until the filling is thick and has the consistency of vanilla pudding, for about 2 minutes. Whisk continuously. Then stir in the vanilla and remove the pot from the heat.
Using a spatula, press the custard through a mesh strainer into a medium-sized bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation on the custard. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare the yeast dough

Preheat the oven to the lowest possible temperature (120-200°F / 51-93°C) for 3-5 minutes and turn the oven off. Line a 9x13" (23x33cm) baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, mix the milk, sugar, and yeast together. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes until the surface looks frothy.
Add the eggs, butter, and salt and stir to combine. Add the flour and mix on low speed using a dough hook until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for about 4-6 minutes until it releases from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky to the touch. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled heatproof bowl - lightly oil the top of the dough as well. Then place the bowl in the warm oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the oven and again preheat the oven to the lowest possible temperature (120-200°F / 51-93°C) for 3-5 minutes and turn it off.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle the dough lightly with flour as well (use as little flour as possible - just enough so that the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin and the surface), and roll it out into a 9x13" (23x33cm) rectangle.
Place the dough in the prepared baking pan and shape to fit in. Transfer the dough with the pan to the warm oven and let it rise until it has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Prepare the almond topping and bake the dough

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, simmer the butter, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and honey over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the almonds and vanilla and stir to combine.
Remove the dough from the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Pour and distribute the almond topping evenly on the dough. Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until the center has an internal temperature of 190°F (88°C). Let cool completely in the pan.

Prepare the pastry cream

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and powdered sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk the chilled vanilla custard until smooth and creamy. Then fold in the whipped cream.

Assemble the Bienenstich Kuchen

Remove the sweet yeast bread from the pan and cut in half horizontally with a long, sharp knife. Place the bottom layer back into the pan, spread the pastry cream evenly on top, and place the top layer on top. Chill for about 4 hours or overnight. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Notes

*First, cut off the straight end of the vanilla bean. Then place the tip of your sharp knife below the curled end and cut the vanilla bean through the middle of the bean lengthwise. Although you don't need to cut it all the way through, it's ok when you do so. Then open the vanilla bean and scrape out the flavorful seeds with the back of your knife. Just use the seeds.

Nutrition