« Bienenstich » is the German word for bee sting. There are several stories about how this honey-almond cake was named. The story that comes up most often, is the baker who created the cake was stung by the bee which was attracted to the sweet honey topping.
This popular, classic German dessert, reminds me « The Tropezienne ». It has also two layers of brioche, a vanilla cream filling, but the difference is the Bienenstich is topped with a buttery honey almond topping. It’s crunchy, gooey and has an amazing caramelisation once baked. In fact the topping is what makes this cake so delicious and takes it to the next level.

The Bee sting cake looks complicated and impressive, but it’s actually very easy to make. You can make the brioche dough and the pastry cream a day before. If you like you can add a whipped cream to it and make what we call « diplomate cream ». Or you can light your pastry cream with a meringue, that what the chef did. But I actually wasn’t confortable to eat a raw white egg, so I went for a diplomate cream instead. It also tastes good without the filling, as a quick alternative if you don’t have time to make the vanilla cream. The topping and the baking should be the same day. Therefore allow enough time in the day to complete the rising step, count 2 hours to let the dough rise at room temperature before baking it.
Enjoy the cake the day you make it. It will keep very well in fridge for a couple of days. But like any brioche it’s much better eaten the day you bake it.
Today, I share with you chef Christophe Felder recipe, it comes from his book « Gâteaux ». Let me know if you make it.