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My Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake) is a bit different. Instead of the classic yeasted dough, it is made with a tender, buttery brioche dough then topped with a crisp honey-almond topping before baking. The honey caramelizes as the cake bakes, giving it a deep golden-brown color and rich caramelized flavor. Then, a thick layer of luscious cream filling brings this recipe back to its classic origins.

Bee sting cake.

This is another recipe I grew up with. Just like my moroccan Mom’s Polish Apple Cake, it traces back to the 1980’s when a Jewish German friend shared the recipe over a rotary phone.

I used to share a slice with my dad, he would eat the dough, and I the filling, because the dough, was too doughy for me. So grown up me decided to adjust the recipe to please my inner child, and I am quit happy with the result.

Not To Brag But My (Bee) Sting Pretty Good

Most people won’t even notice the changes I made. Take a look at the step-by-step images of how I made this recipe, and read my notes of what I learned while testing this recipe.

The Honey-Almond Topping

  • The classic recipe uses milk and sugar, but I only used honey and butter for two reasons: the first reason is I wanted to intensify the honey flavor, and the second reason is flavor. During baking the honey browns, and get a deep, complex caramel flavor (I mean, just look at the bottom of the cake). BTW, do not skip the butter, I tried and it was an epic chewy fail. The butter prevents the honey from getting too chewy.
  • Do not skip on the parchment paper at the bottom of the pan, it is the best way to make sure none of those delicious honey caramel will be left in the pan.
A sauce pan with honey and butter.
Measure the honey and butter and cook over medium heat.
A sauce pan with honey and almonds.
Add the almonds.
A sauce pan with honey almonds Bee sting topping.
Set it aside to cook for 30 minutes.
The bottom of bee sting cake.
Some of the honey drizzles down to the bottom giving the cake extra color and flavor.

The Dough and Filling

  • Because brioche dough is rich with butter and wonderfully tender, I decided it would be the perfect base for a yeasted cake that is stored and served refrigerated.
  • The filling is just as my mom used to make: cream and vanilla pudding. It is also straight forward: measure and mix, and the important thing to keep in mind, is that it is perishable, and is good for 3-5 days.
  • The filling is thick enough to spread it without it oozing to the sides, so you can assemble the cake over your serving dish.
  • I topped the dough with the mixture before the proofing time. I tried once right before baking, but because it is heavy, it deflated the dough, so now I allow the honey to cool then top it over the dough, right after I pressed it into the pan.
Hands pressing dough into a pan.
Press the chilled dough in the bottom of the pan.
A pan with dough topped with almond and honey mixture.
Top with the honey almond topping.
A pan with proofed dough topped with almond and honey mixture.
Set aside to chill for about 90 minutes.
Baked brioche in a cake pan topped with almonds.
Bake until golden brown.
Sliced brioche cake.
Slice at the center.
Hands spreading cream over sliced brioche.
Top the bottom layer with the cream.
Hand topping bee sting cake with the sliced brioche topping.
Slice the top into 8-10 slices (like you would slice a pie), and arrange the slices over the cake.
Bienenstich cake topped with almonds.
Refrigerate or serve.

Few More Optional Flavoring Upgrades

sliced Bienenstich.
sliced bee sting cake.
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Caramelized Honey Bienenstich, Bee Sting Cake

Brioche dough baked with a crisp honey-almond topping. The honey caramelizes during baking giving the cake a deep, rich flavor that compliments the creamy vanilla filling.
Author Dikla Levy Frances

Ingredients

For The Honey-Almond Topping

  • 1/2 Cup (180g) Honey
  • 6 Tablespoons (75g) Unsalted butter
  • 1 Cup (120g) Sliced or slivered almonds

For The Filling

  • 2 Cups (480ml) Heavy whipping crea,
  • 1 small pkg (97g) Vanilla instant pudding
  • 2 Tablespoons Powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Make the dough and refrigerate it for 6-8 hours. Best to make it the night before.
  • Make the honey-almond topping: pour the honey (180g) in a medium sauce pan then add the butter (75g). Cook it over medium heat until the butter has melted and a thick foam forms on top. Remove from heat then mix in the almonds. Set it aside to cool for about 30 minutes.
    • Before adding the almonds, set aside 1/4 cup of the honey to brush over the cake right before serving.
  • Grease one 9-inch pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Press the chilled dough in the bottom of the cake pan, then top it with the honey almond mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and set a side for 90 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 350F and baking the cake over the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick goes in the cake with not resistance.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to chill for about 15 minutes before removing it from the pan and placing it over a cooling rack.

Make the filling and assemble

  • Whip the cream (480ml), instant pudding (97g), and powdered sugar (2 tablespoons), until the cream is thick and stable.
  • Use a serrated knife to slice the cake horizontally in the middle. Place the bottom layer over your serving plate, or a springform pan.
  • Top with the cream and use an offset spatula to spread the cream into an even layer.
  • Cut the top layer (with the almonds), into 8 pieces, then use them to top the cream. Refrigerate or serve.
  • Refrigerate the cake for up to five days. Place the cake at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving and refrigerate within two hours.
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