Heide's Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake) ❤️

Heide's Bienenstich Recipe (Bee Sting Cake) ❤️

*Paddle attachment for mixer is best, otherwise stir by hand

Timing:

• 1½ hours prep
• 1½ - 2 hours rising time
• 4 - 12 hours refrigerate 
• 1 hour dough rising
• Bake 30 - 35 minutes

Brioche Dough:

• ¼ cups whole milk
  
• ⅓ cups + 1 tbsp honey, divided
  
• 1½ tsp active dry yeast
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cups + 2 tbsp bread flour, divided
• ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds

Caramel Custard Cream:

• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1⅓ cups whole milk, divided
• ⅓ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• ½ tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup heavy cream

Making the Dough:

• Small sauce pan add: Milk and 1 tbsp honey
• Heat to 110° F
• Pour mix into electric mixing bowl and sprinkle over yeast
• Let stand approximately 10 minutes, until yeast is creamy
• Paddle attachment – low speed gradually 
• add: eggs, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, add all but 2 tbsp of bread flour
• Mix till dough is smooth and elastic (medium speed). Should be very soft.
• Transfer to work surface and knead by hand to ensure butter is completely incorporated into dough.
• Shape dough into a ball and transfer to medium bowl with buttered sides.
• Cover with plastic and set in warm place (1½ - 2 hours), until doubled in size.
• Punch dough down to deflate, knead a few times
• Return dough to bowl, cover, refrigerate at least 4 hours (up to 12 hours)
• Dough should double in volume, if not, let dough stand at room temperature till it does.
• Butter bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan
• Shape dough into a ball, smooth side up, flatten ball gently with palm till dough covers bottom of pan
• Cover pan and let dough rise until its puffed (approximately 1 hour)
• Pre-heat oven 350° F
• In a small sauce pan, heat up ⅓ cup honey till warm, brush over top of dough, sprinkle with almonds
• Bake 30-35 minutes, till a lovely golden brown and toothpick comes out clean
• Cool cake in pan, set on wire rack approximately 15 minutes. 
• Remove cake from pan and cool completely on rack.

Making the Custard:

• In a small bowl, whisk egg and cornstarch, gradually add ⅓ c milk till smooth, set aside.
• Place remaining 1 cup milk in small microwave cup – microwave on high till scalding (1½ - 3 minutes)
• In a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan combine: sugar and water
• On medium heat, stir constantly till sugar dissolves
• Increase heat to high and cook without stirring and occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, till syrup caramelizes and turns golden amber color
• Remove pan from heat and add hot milk (mix will bubble up)
• Return pan to low heat and cook, stir constantly till any harden caramel dissolves and mix is smooth.
• Whisk ¼  cup hot caramel mix into egg and cornstarch mix
• Place all mixture in saucepan, cook over medium heat, whisk constantly, till boil
• Boil and whisk constantly for 1 minute
• Remove pan from heat, scrape bottom of pan with spatula and whisk till smooth
• Whisk in butter till melted
• Quickly strain custard through fine mesh sieve into medium bowl
• Whisk in vanilla extract and salt
• Set bowl with caramel mix in a large bowl filled with ⅓ of the way filled with ice water (don’t let water get into mixture)
• Stir custard mix frequently till slightly chilled (approximately 15 minutes)
• Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to assemble 

Homemade Whipped Cream:

• Place metal mixing bowl along with whisk attachment into freezer for 15 minutes prior to making whipped cream
• Beat ½ cup heavy whipping cream at high speed till medium peaks form

Cake Assembly:

• Use a long serrated knife to cut cake into 2 layers
• Caramel custard, beat vigorously with rubber spatula till smooth
• Gently fold whipped cream into caramel custard
• Spread caramel cream over bottom layer of cake (thick layer)
• Top with other cake layer
• Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar

How to eat the Cake:

• Enjoy with a big glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee

Brad's NOTES regarding this recipe:

1. Frothing is a correct note but caution should be to pour mixture in slowly or allow enough time for caramel to cool before adding Cornstarch/milk mixture avoiding a volcanic reaction. When adding Milk/Cornstarch mix to Caramel, place pan aside away from heat as in recipe, where you can clean-up if needed.  Wish I had had that on video.
2. Pour remaining milk/cornstarch mixture in "slowly" to minimize "frothing".
3. Increase recipe for Caramel filling.  9" cake, mine was on the thin side with 3/8 thick. Cake is on the dry side needs more filling 1/2" or more.
4. I toasted almonds on a pan separately, then mixed honey-coating the almonds.  Carefully spreading on top after cake finished.  Leave cake form on while applying Honey/almond topping. 
5. As all oven temps vary, watch your cake so it does not get over cooked. Mine could have come out 3-4 minutes earlier than the recommended time in the recipe.

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