Bienenstich (German Bee Sting Cake)

Side view of a slice of Classic German Bee Sting cake showing both the honey almond topping, the yeasted cake, and the creamy vanilla filling.

4.80 from 5 votes

Bienenstich (German Bee Sting Cake)

Bienenstich is classic German sheet pan yeasted cake topped with honey and almonds and filled with a vanilla cream that is light and fluffy.

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Cooling1

Total Time2 20

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Dessert

Cuisine: German

Keyword: almonds, bienenstich, honey

Servings:

Calories: 469kcal

Equipment

Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Dough

375 grams ap flour
50 grams granulated sugar
8 grams instant yeast 1 packet
200 milliliters milk lukewarm
1 egg room temperature
1 egg yolk room temperature
40 grams butter softened
1/4 teaspoon salt

Honey Nut Topping

75 grams butter
90 grams granulated sugar
90 grams honey
120 grams slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ground

Cream Filling

500 milliliters heavy cream
1 packet vanilla pudding mix 3.4 oz packet

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Instructions

Dough

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar and yeast.
Then add in the milk, butter, egg, egg yolk, and salt.
Use the dough hook attachment to knead the dough on medium/low speed for 10 minutes. It should be smooth but still stick to the bowl.
Place the dough in a greased bowl that is at least twice the size (you can use the same mixing bowl) and cover it with a towel or plastic.
Place the bowl somewhere warm for 30 minutes to allow the dough to proof until doubled in size.
Grease a metal, 9"x13" baking pan. Knock the air out of the dough and place the proofed dough in the center of the pan. Gently stretch it out from the center using your hands.

Honey Nut topping

Heat over medium/high heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Continue cooking for one minute longer, then remove it from the heat.
Stir in the almonds and cinnamon.

Bake

Continue stretching until the dough reaches the edges of the pan. If the dough shrinks back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue stretching.
Spoon the honey nut topping onto the dough around the edges of the rectangle.
Use a rubber spatula or an offset spatula to gently spread the topping over the dough as evenly as possible.
Immediately, bake the bienenstich in the oven for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
It is done when it has become a deep golden brown color.
Once fully baked, remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Cream Filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in the heavy cream.
Sprinkle the instant vanilla pudding mix over the cream and use the whisk attachment to whip it to stiff peaks on high speed.

Assemble the Bienenstich

Once the cake is cooled, run a knife along the edge to loosen it from the baking pan. Then gently, tip the cake out and place it face up on a cutting board.
Cut the cake into 12 slices by first cutting it in half lengthwise and then crosswise. Then cut each quarter into three slices.
Cut each slice in half so that you have two layers.
Use a piping bag or offset spatula to spread the cream filling onto the bottom layer of each slice of cake.
Then lay the top layer of each piece over the filling and press down gently.

Notes

This cake is best freshly baked and freshly assembled but it will keep in the fridge for a few days as long as it is in an airtight container. However, the yeasted cake will dry out somewhat. Be sure to have the dough ready before starting the honey almond topping.

Nutrition