Bee Sting Cake

Name: Bee Sting Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings.
Cuisine: German Desserts, German Recipes
Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar; 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1-1/2 cups whole milk; 3 large egg yolks; 2 tablespoons butter, cubed; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped; CAKE:; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided; 3/4 cup whole milk; 1/3 cup butter, cubed; 2 large eggs, room temperature; ALMOND TOPPING:; 1/4 cup butter; 3 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 cup sliced almonds

The bee sting cake originated in Bienenstich, Germany. It gets its playful name from the sweet honey-almond topping. The recipe may look daunting, but it's well worth the effort. Take each step at a time, and you'll be surprised how easy it is to make. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
CAKE:
1/4 cup sugar
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup butter, cubed
2 large eggs, room temperature
ALMOND TOPPING:
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup sliced almonds

Directions

For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Immediately transfer to a clean bowl; stir in vanilla. Cool 30 minutes. Press plastic wrap onto surface of filling; refrigerate until cold.
Whisk custard gently. Fold in half the whipped cream. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate.
While custard is chilling, make dough. In a large bowl, mix sugar, yeast, salt and 1 cup flour. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Add eggs; beat on high 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
Turn dough onto a well floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
While dough is rising, make almond topping. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, honey and sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in almonds. Cool slightly and set aside.
Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 9-in. circle. Transfer to greased 9-in. springform baking pan, pressing to evenly fill pan with dough. Spoon almond mixture over dough and gently spread to cover entire surface. Cover pan with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 25-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake until topping is golden brown , 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer.
Remove cake from base of springform pan. Using a long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half; spread filling over cake. Replace top of cake. Serve immediately. Chill leftovers.