BIENENSTICH KUCHEN ( GERMAN BEE STING CAKE )

I am a part of we knead to bake group, host by aparna of diverse kitchen. For this month choice is bienenstich kuchen or known as german bee sting cake. Thanks aparna for this wonderful choice.

Bee sting cake is a german dessert made with yeast dough and bake with honey and almonds n filled with custard cream. A delicious dessert.

Ingredients :

For pastry cream :

. Sugar - 3 tbsp

. Custard powder - 3 tbsp

. Heavy cream - 200 ml ( i used fresh cream )

. Milk - 250 ml

. Corn flour / cornstarch - 1 tbsp

For dough :

. Egg - 1 

. Flour / maida - 2 cup

. Sugar -2 tbsp

. Salt - 3/4 tsp

. Instant yeast - 1 1/4 tsp

. Butter - 100 g

. Milk -

For almond honey topping :

. Butter - 50 g

. Sugar - 1/3 cup

. Honey - 2 tbsp

. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

. Almonds - 2/3 cup ( peeled and sliced )

Method for pastry cream :

1. Mix custard powder in 1/4 cup milk and keep aside. Put the remaining milk and sugar in a pan and bring to boil. While stirring frequently. 

2. Add custard powder milk mixture to the boiling milk keep whisking until the custard become very thick.

3. Take off the heat and let the custard cool to room temperature. If it does become lumpy after cooling use a hand blender to make it smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

4. Once you are ready to fill whip 200 ml cream till soft peaks form. Then add cornstarch and whip till it become soft peaks. Whisk the custard to make sure it is smooth.

5. Gently fold the cream to custard. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Method for dough :

1. Heat milk until it is quite hot, not boiling. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the milk, stirring it until the butter melts completely. Let it cool a bit.

2. In the mean while put flour, sugar, yeast in the bowl of food processor. Run a couple of times and then add egg. Run again till the egg has also mixed well.

3. Now add butter milk mixture and then knead till it forms a smooth and soft dough. It should come away from the sides of the bowl and very easy to handle.

4. Shape dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover loosely. and let rise quite well but not to double .

5. Deflate the dough and shape again to a smooth ball. Place it in a 8 inch pan. ( my pan is quite big )

6. Flatten the dough a little pressing down lightly . So that the dough fits the cake tin. It doesn't matter if its not touching the sides of the pan. Let rise for 30 - 40 minutes.

Method for topping :

1. Melt butter, honey and vanilla essence in a small pan over medium heat. 

2. Keep stirring frequently and it will start bubbling up. 

3. Let it cook for 3 minutes until a light beige colour.

4. Add almonds and stir well till almonds are coated well.

5. Take off heat and let it cool a bit. The mixture become quite thick.

Method :

1. Once dough has risen use a spoon and take bits of the topping and distribute uniformly over the surface.

2. Bake at 180 degree for 25 - 30 minutes or until top is golden brown colour. Or a tester comes out clean.

3. Gently loose the sides from pan and unmould. 

4. When cooled completely slice the cake into 2 layers with a sharp knife carefully.

5. Spread the pastry cream on the lower layer and top with the upper layer. Refrigerate till ready to serve.