Bee sting cake
"The base of this cake is an airy, buttery brioche. With honey syrup and rich custard, there’s everything to love about it. It's best eaten on the day it’s made." – Phoebe Wood. You'll need to start this recipe 3 hours ahead, and you'll need a 23cm round cake pan and a piping bag with wide fluted nozzle.
What you need to know before you start
Begin this recipe at least 3 hours in advance. The dough needs 1 hour and 20 minutes to rest, and you need at least 3 hours for the creme patissière to cool and set. Baking equipment is required to recreate this recipe at home. You’ll need a piping bag with a fluted nozzle, a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and a 23cm round cake pan, as well as basic tools like a bowl, spoon, saucepan, whisk and access to an oven.
Why is this the best bee sting cake recipe?
Lusciously smooth creme patissière is sandwiched between two layers of a sweet brioche bread and finished with a glossy honey and almond topping. The results are a beautifully sweet and nutty cake that’s best served after dinner or as an afternoon treat paired with a cuppa.
Don’t be intimidated by the long ingredient list or the method. Many of the ingredients are pantry staples and used across each element, including the butter, egg yolks and caster sugar. This recipe is also a great way to practise different elements of baking, including working with yeast, proving dough, using gelatine leaves and piping.
Why do they call it a bee sting cake?
Also called bienenstich, a traditional bee sting cake has its origins in Western Germany. It’s believed it was invented in the town of Andernach, where bee hives were used to ward off an attack from enemies. To celebrate the victory, the townspeople created the German bee sting cake.
What ingredients you’ll need
Dried yeast: Yeast is an essential ingredient that you don’t often find in a cake recipe. It is used to help the brioche dough rise, creating a soft and airy texture.
Caster sugar: Caster sugar is used as a sweetener. It is used in the brioche base, the creme patissière and the honey topping.
Plain flour: Flour forms the structure of the cake base.
Egg yolks: Only the egg yolks are used in the bread base and the creme patissière. It adds richness and depth while resulting in a smooth texture. Reserve the egg whites for a souffle or pavlova. Egg whites will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, and can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Unsalted butter: Butter enhances the dough's flavour and texture, ensuring a tender crumb and a rich, buttery taste. It is also used in the honey topping.
Cornflour: Cornflour is used to help thicken the cream filling.
Full-cream milk: Milk adds richness to the creme patissière, ensuring a smooth, creamy filling that complements the soft cake base.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla infuses the cream filling with a warm, aromatic flavour.
Platinum-strength gelatine leaves: Gelatine is used to help set the creme patissière, ensuring it results in a thick and silky consistency. You need to hydrate gelatine leaves in cold water until soft and malleable (if you use hot or warm water, the gelatine will start to dissolve). And when adding soaked gelatine to a warm mixture to dissolve, be sure not to bring the mixture to the boil, or the gelatine will lose its ability to set.
Runny honey: Honey is a key ingredient in the caramelised almond topping, providing sweetness and a glossy finish that contrasts beautifully with the cake's richness.
Slivered almonds: Slivered almonds are toasted and caramelised with honey to form the crunchy, golden topping that gives a bee sting cake its signature texture and flavour.
What is the filling of a bee sting cake?
The filling of bee stings cake is made with an egg, sugar and milk mixture called pastry cream or creme patissière, which is thickened here with gelatine. The creme patissière comes together by heating and combining egg yolks, sugar, cornflour, milk and vanilla. When a thick custard has formed, gelatine leaves are added and whisked until dissolved. It’s then strained into a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and set aside to chill for roughly 3 hours. Make sure the plastic touches the creme, so it doesn't form a skin. Pierce a few holes with a skewer to let any steam or heat escape. Once the pastry cream has set, it becomes rich, thick and silky, ready to be piped.
How to store bee sting cake
For best results, this recipe for bee sting cake with custard filling is best served and enjoyed on the day it’s baked, so keep this in mind when you’re planning to make it. If you do have any leftovers, place in an airtight container and consume as soon as possible.
What to serve with bee sting cake
As a bee sting cake is already so rich – thanks to the sweet brioche base, vanilla-spiked creme patissière and sweet honey topping – so pair it with components that complement these indulgent elements. Opt for a side of fresh berries like raspberries and strawberries, a citrus sorbet or a fragrant floral tea.
If you love our bee sting cake recipe, try this
For more delicious desserts that hero honey, try your hand at these sweet bakes:
Ingredients (15)
- 10g dried yeast
- 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
- 3 cups (450g) Macro Organic Plain Flour, sifted
- 6 egg yolks
- 300g unsalted butter, chopped into 2cm pieces, softened
Creme patissière
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
- 1 tbs cornflour
- 600ml full-cream milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 platinum-strength gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes
Topping
- 70g unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
- 60g runny honey
- 100g slivered almonds, toasted
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
CloseMethod
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1.Place yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl with 200ml lukewarm water. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes, or until frothy.
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2.Place flour and remaining 50g sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Whisk egg yolks into yeast mixture, pour into the well and stir to combine. Knead on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until a dough forms. With the motor running, add butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Knead for a further 8-10 minutes, until dough is smooth.
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3.Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until doubled in size.
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4.Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced. Grease a 23cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper. Knock back the risen dough to release the air and knead into a smooth ball. Place dough in the centre of the prepared pan and set aside for 20 minutes to prove. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
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5.Meanwhile, for the creme patissière, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Place milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point, then remove from heat. Pour hot milk mixture over egg mixture, whisking slowly until combined. Return mixture to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 5-6 minutes, until a thick custard. Squeeze excess water from gelatine, add to creme patissière and whisk until completely dissolved. Strain into a clean bowl, cover surface directly with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge to chill for 3 hours, or until set.
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6.Whisk creme patissière until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a wide fluted nozzle and chill until ready to use.
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7.For the topping, combine butter, sugar, honey and a pinch of salt flakes in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until melted and combined. Stir in almonds, then set aside to cool.
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8.To assemble, use a large serrated knife to slice brioche in half horizontally. Pipe creme patissière over the cut side of one half of brioche, then top with other half. Pour over topping and serve immediately.
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