German Bee Sting Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 0.25 ounce packet)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk* (120-130 degrees)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup butter (softened)

Honey Almond Topping

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds

Pastry Cream

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 egg yolks
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (softened)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix together. Add in milk, eggs, and butter. Mix until well combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 60 minutes.
2. Cover a 9-inch cake pan with butter, dust with flour, and line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit the pan being used. Transfer cake batter to the pan, cover up with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, sugar, honey, cream, and salt up to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 3-5 minutes while stirring, it should turn to a light shade of brown. Add in almonds and remove from heat. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Once the cake is done rising, evenly distribute the honey almond topping across the top of the cake.
6. Place cake in oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and it comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack for 15 minutes and then run a knife around the edge between the cake and the pan. Invert onto the rack to remove the cake pan and then flip it over to finish cooling.
7. While the cake is cooling, it is time to make the pastry cream. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring milk to a simmer.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt. Beat until thick and smooth.
9. Once the milk starts to bubble, remove it from heat and add half of it to the egg mix. Whisk constantly. Once well combined, add the egg mix into the remaining hot milk in the saucepan.
10. Bring custard to medium heat, whisking vigorously to help it thicken up over the next 1-2 minutes. Once the custard begins to bubble, lower the heat and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add in the butter.
11. Transfer custard to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is touching the custard to help avoid a skin being formed on top. Let cool to room temperature before transferring it to the refrigerator to cool for a few more hours.
12. Once cake has fully cooled and pastry cream has fully chilled and set, it is time to assemble. Slice the cake horizontally across the middle so that there are two evenly sliced slices. Transfer pastry cream to a piping bag and fill the middle with a layer of pastry cream. Add the piece of cake with the top on it back onto the cake and serve.

Notes

* Making sure that the liquid being used with active dry yeast is necessary to ensuring that the yeast will correctly activate. If it is too hot, the yeast might get killed. If it is too cold, the yeast might not activate. If you have a food-safe thermometer, this is a great time to pull it out and use it. If you don’t have one, you want the liquid to be warm, but not hot to the touch. Different types of yeast such as instant yeast work different so if you choose NOT to use active dry yeast, please read the instructions on the yeast package you are using and make adjustments accordingly.

* Vanilla bean paste can be substituted for an additional 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean pod. If you choose to use a vanilla bean pod, remove the caviar from it and add it into the milk as it cooks rather than into the egg mixture. This will help bring out it’s flavor.