Name: Bienenstich (German Bee Sting Cake)
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 60 g butter; 160 ml milk, lukewarm; 0.5 cube fresh yeast (about 21 g; alternatively 1 sachet of dried yeast); 330 g plain flour; 50 g sugar; 1 pinch salt; 450 ml milk; 1 sachet vanilla custard powder (cook-type) (the kind you cook); 60 g sugar; 250 g double cream; 2 sachets cream stabiliser (Sahnesteif); 60 g butter, melted; 60 g sugar; 1 tbsp honey; 50 g double cream; 100 g flaked almonds; butter (for greasing the springform tin)

Preparation

Melt the butter, stir in the milk (the mixture should be no warmer than 35 °C) and dissolve the yeast in it.
Put the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, add the yeast mixture and knead for 6 to 8 minutes to a smooth dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 50 minutes to rise.
Meanwhile, make the custard: stir the custard powder with a few spoonfuls of the milk, bring the remaining milk to the boil with the sugar, stir in the dissolved powder and cook until thick. Cover with cling film touching the surface of the custard and leave to cool completely.
Grease a 26 cm springform tin and preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional, top and bottom heat). Knead the dough once more, roll it out to a round, lay it in the tin and cover and leave to rise for another 20 minutes.
For the topping, simmer the butter, sugar, honey and cream for 2 to 3 minutes, take off the heat and stir in the almonds. Spread the mixture evenly over the dough.
Bake the cake for 30 minutes, release it from the tin and leave to cool completely. Then cut it in half horizontally.
Beat the cooled custard until creamy. Whip the cream with the stabiliser until stiff and fold it in.
Put a cake ring around the bottom layer, spread the cream on top until smooth and chill for 30 minutes.
Cut the lid with the almond topping into 10 to 12 pieces and set it on the cream shortly before serving.

Drink with it

Sweet wine · excellent match
Riesling Auslese or Sauternes, well chilled
The wine is at least as sweet as the cake and brings honey and apricot notes, while its acidity keeps the cream filling and buttery topping light.
Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberately
Sparkling wine · good match
Moscato d'Asti
Low alcohol, delicate sweetness and gentle bubbles loosen the custard cream, and the grapey fruit goes with the honey.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?
Aged rum · good match
Aged rum, neat in small sips
Caramel and vanilla notes from the cask meet the honey-almond topping.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling
Mellow whisky · good match
Mellow whisky from bourbon casks, neat
Vanilla, honey and malt in the glass mirror the topping and the cream.
Whisky with food: cheese, chocolate, and savory dishes

Preparation

Melt the butter, stir in the milk (the mixture should be no warmer than 35 °C) and dissolve the yeast in it.
Put the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, add the yeast mixture and knead for 6 to 8 minutes to a smooth dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 50 minutes to rise.
Meanwhile, make the custard: stir the custard powder with a few spoonfuls of the milk, bring the remaining milk to the boil with the sugar, stir in the dissolved powder and cook until thick. Cover with cling film touching the surface of the custard and leave to cool completely.
Grease a 26 cm springform tin and preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional, top and bottom heat). Knead the dough once more, roll it out to a round, lay it in the tin and cover and leave to rise for another 20 minutes.
For the topping, simmer the butter, sugar, honey and cream for 2 to 3 minutes, take off the heat and stir in the almonds. Spread the mixture evenly over the dough.
Bake the cake for 30 minutes, release it from the tin and leave to cool completely. Then cut it in half horizontally.
Beat the cooled custard until creamy. Whip the cream with the stabiliser until stiff and fold it in.
Put a cake ring around the bottom layer, spread the cream on top until smooth and chill for 30 minutes.
Cut the lid with the almond topping into 10 to 12 pieces and set it on the cream shortly before serving.

Drink with it

Sweet wine · excellent match
Riesling Auslese or Sauternes, well chilled
The wine is at least as sweet as the cake and brings honey and apricot notes, while its acidity keeps the cream filling and buttery topping light.
Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberately
Sparkling wine · good match
Moscato d'Asti
Low alcohol, delicate sweetness and gentle bubbles loosen the custard cream, and the grapey fruit goes with the honey.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?
Aged rum · good match
Aged rum, neat in small sips
Caramel and vanilla notes from the cask meet the honey-almond topping.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling
Mellow whisky · good match
Mellow whisky from bourbon casks, neat
Vanilla, honey and malt in the glass mirror the topping and the cream.
Whisky with food: cheese, chocolate, and savory dishes

Bienenstich (German Bee Sting Cake)

Preparation

Drink with it

Riesling Auslese or Sauternes, well chilled

Moscato d'Asti

Aged rum, neat in small sips

Mellow whisky from bourbon casks, neat

This pairs well too.

American Apple Pie with Shortcrust Lid

Apple Crumble

Arme Ritter (pain perdu, German French toast)

Baked Apple in a Nut Coating (Bratapfel)

Bienenstich (German Bee Sting Cake)

Preparation

Drink with it

Riesling Auslese or Sauternes, well chilled

Moscato d'Asti

Aged rum, neat in small sips

Mellow whisky from bourbon casks, neat

This pairs well too.

American Apple Pie with Shortcrust Lid

Apple Crumble

Arme Ritter (pain perdu, German French toast)

Baked Apple in a Nut Coating (Bratapfel)