Bienenstich

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional heat. Line the base of a 16 cm round cake tin with baking paper and lightly butter the sides. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the lukewarm milk and egg, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth, then work in the softened butter a little at a time until fully absorbed and the dough is elastic and slightly tacky.

   140 g strong white flour20 g caster sugar3 g instant dry yeast1 g fine salt45 ml whole milk, lukewarm1 medium egg25 g unsalted butter, softened
2. 2

   Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the tin, and press it gently into an even disc covering the base. Cover loosely and leave in a warm place until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes. It does not need to fully double for this small, time-limited version.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, make the almond honey topping. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the sugar, honey, and milk, stirring until smooth. Add the flaked almonds and cook for 1-2 minutes until glossy and evenly coated. The mixture should be fluid enough to spread; if it thickens too much, remove it from the heat promptly.

   30 g unsalted butter35 g caster sugar20 g honey20 ml whole milk40 g flaked almonds
4. 4

   Spoon the warm almond topping evenly over the risen dough, spreading it gently to the edges without pressing down hard. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the top is deep golden and caramelised and the centre springs back lightly when touched. If the almonds colour too fast, loosely cover with foil for the final minutes.

5. 5

   Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove it to a rack and let it cool completely before slicing. A warm cake will melt the filling, so do not skip this cooling time.

6. 6

   For the filling, whip the cold double cream with the sugar and vanilla extract to medium-firm peaks. Stop as soon as the cream holds its shape; overwhipping will make it grainy.

   120 ml double cream, very cold10 g caster sugar2 ml vanilla extract
7. 7

   Using a serrated knife, carefully split the cooled cake horizontally into a top and bottom layer. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream over the bottom half in an even layer, then set the almond-topped layer back on top. Chill briefly for 5 minutes to help the filling set, then slice with a gentle sawing motion so the almond crust stays intact.

Origin & History

Bienenstich is a classic German yeasted cake topped with a caramelised layer of almonds and traditionally filled with cream or custard. Its name means 'bee sting,' and folklore links it to bakers from the town of Andernach, though the exact origin story is uncertain. It remains a beloved bakery cake throughout Germany.