German Bee Sting Cake

This delicious two-layer traditional German Bee Sting Cake is sure to be the talk of your guests at your next gathering! Made with soft, airy, French brioche bread filled with creamy vanilla pastry cream and a honey-glazed, crunchy almond topping, it is more than tasty but also eye-catching!

Jump to:

• 📖 What is German Bee Sting Cake?
• 🌟 Why this is the best recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 👩‍🍳 Storage & freezing
• 📚 Flavor variations and substitutions
• 🎓 Expert tips
• 🥣 Equipment notes
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🍰 More Cake Recipes
• German Bee Sting Cake

📖 What is German Bee Sting Cake?

Also known as Bienenstich ("bee sting" in German), German Bee Sting Cake is a traditional dessert made with sweet yeasted dough, filled with a creamy, rich vanilla custard, and topped with a layer of delicious honey-coated almonds.

Although it is essentially a sweet bread filled with pastry cream, it looks like a classic layer cake!

🌟 Why this is the best recipe

1. It is easy to make - It may look intimidating, but it is pretty simple to make, even for beginners! 
2. It is 100% made from scratch - You will not find instant vanilla pudding or vanilla pudding powder with heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) in here! This is hands down the best from scratch recipe for bee sting cake with custard filling!
3. No fancy ingredients - The bee sting cake ingredients are kitchen essentials you likely already have at home or can find at your local grocery store.
4. It is versatile - You can easily personalize this recipe with several of my homemade fillings!

📝 Ingredient notes

1. For the Brioche Bread

1. Milk - Whole milk with 3% fat gives the best results. The milk needs to be lukewarm but too hot to kill the yeast.
2. Sugar - A small amount of sugar sweetens the bread. See my sugar guide to learn about the different types of sugar used in baking.
3. Yeast - I use fresh yeast, but you can also use dry yeast. Follow the instructions on the package to calculate the measurements accordingly, or see my yeast guide for conversions.
4. Egg - One room temperature egg helps make the bread extra moist and rich. See my guide about eggs and what they do in baking.
5. Flour - High protein content bread flour contains more gluten and gives it a light and chewy texture. If you cannot find bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour.
6. Salt - Salt is essential to balance and enhance the flavor. Do not add it directly to yeast, as it will kill it.
7. Butter - Always use unsalted butter in baking to control the salt quantities. I prefer to use European-style butter with 82% fat content. You can also make butter at home. The butter must be at room temperature.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

2. For the Honey Almond Topping

1. Sugar - Plain granulated sugar helps give the topping a sticky, caramelized texture.
2. Honey - Honey provides the delicious, sweet flavor that the cake is known for. You can also try one of these honey substitutes.
3. Butter - Use unsalted butter.
4. Salt - You will only need a large pinch.
5. Almond flakes - You can also use sliced almonds.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

3. For the Pastry Cream filling

1. Milk - Use 3% whole milk for a deep flavor and creamy texture.
2. Sugar - Plain, granulated sugar works just fine.
3. Egg - This recipe only calls for the egg yolk, which gives the best flavor and texture.
4. Cornstarch - Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent.
5. Flour - All-purpose flour is another thickening agent. It does not affect the taste.
6. Vanilla - Only use pure vanilla extract or one of these vanilla extract substitutes!
7. Butter - Use unsalted butter. The butter must be at room temperature.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card.

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. How to the brioche bread base for the Bee Sting Cake

1. Heat the milk and half of the sugar in a saucepan until lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and leave it for about 10 minutes, after which it will activate and foam. If it does not start foaming, you will need to start again.
2. Place the yeast mixture into your stand mixer bowl. Add the eggs and mix until thoroughly combined. Then, sift in the flour, then add the rest of the sugar, and salt, and continue kneading for approximately three minutes until it comes together.
3. Slowly add the butter piece by piece while the stand mixer continues running.
4. Knead for 10 minutes more on medium-high speed until the dough becomes shiny and elastic.
5. Move the dough to a bowl and cover it with plastic food wrap. Keep it at warm room temperature until it doubles in size.
6. Lastly, punch the air out, reshape the dough into a ball, and put it in the fridge to rise again for 8-24 hours.

💡 Top Tip: The butter should be soft enough to knead into the dough but not melted. Avoid using a microwave. Here's how to soften butter quickly.

2. How to bake the Bee Sting Cake

1. First, grease a 9-inch / 23 cm springform.
2. Remove the dough from the fridge, punch the air out again, roll it into the size of the pan, and place it in the pan.
3. Cover the brioche and place it in a warm (but not hot) place to proof again for 1-2 hours until the size of the dough doubles and fills the pan.
4. In the meantime, start to prepare the almond topping. Heat the sugar, honey, salt, and butter over the stove for 3-4 minutes until the mixture slightly thickens. Then, remove it from the heat and stir in the almond flakes. Let it sit until it comes to room temperature.
5. Toward the end of the third proof, preheat the oven to 180C / 356F. 
6. Sprinkle the almond topping over the top of the dough and bake the cake for 45 minutes. 
7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for three minutes. Then, carefully remove the side of your spring form and let the cake cool until it reaches room temperature.

💡 Top Tip: To prevent the brioche bread from browning too quickly and burning the top, cover it with aluminum foil after about 20-25 minutes.

3. How to make the pastry cream filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand whisk to whisk the sugar and egg yolk for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Then whisk in the cornstarch, flour, and vanilla until it becomes a smooth paste.
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it simmers, remove it from the heat and slowly pour it over the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously.
3. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens.
4. Next, use a rubber spatula to mix in the butter until completely incorporated into the cream.
5. Place the cream in a shallow bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Let it cool completely to room temperature before filling the cake.
6. Once cooled, cut the cake horizontally with a serrated knife. Next, move the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a French Star nozzle tip.
7. Spread the cream on the bottom layer of the cake using the piping bag or a spoon, then add the top layer.
8. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

💡 Top Tip: If the cream appears lumpy at first, continue whisking until it becomes smooth and glossy and fully thickens.

👩‍🍳 Storage & freezing

Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To freeze, flash-freeze the cake part for an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or overnight in the fridge. Do not freeze the entire cake after filling as pastry cream does not freeze well.

📚 Flavor variations and substitutions

You can fill this German Bee Sting Cake with other fillings such as my chantilly cream, Bavarian cream, or chocolate cremeux.

For a lighter pastry cream, you can use diplomat cream, which adds whipped cream and gelatin.

🎓 Expert tips

1. Sift the flour and cornstarch before using to avoid lumps.
2. It helps to keep a high-quality, small-medium-sized saucepan dedicated to making pastry cream.
3. To check whether the dough has sufficiently proofed, gently press it with your finger. If the indent remains or only half bounces back, it needs more time.
4. The ideal room temperature for proofing the dough is 23-25C / 73-77F.

🥣 Equipment notes

You can make preparing the German bee sting cake recipe easy with a digital scale, which ensures precise ingredient measurement, and a digital oven thermometer to ensure an accurate temperature.

A silicone baking mat prevents the dough from sticking, while an offset spatula helps spread the cream evenly.

Refer to my cake pan sizes and conversions chart to use other pan sizes.

❓Recipe FAQs

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