German Bee Sting Cake

A bee sting cake is a traditional cake made from yeast dough filled with a vanilla or pudding cream and a crunchy almond layer that caramelizes when baked. Bee sting cake is a classic of German cuisine.

In today’s post, I show you a recipe for a bee sting cake filled with whipping cream & homemade vanilla pudding. Have fun baking!




Cooked/Baked today: Baking German Bee Sting Cake
Difficulty: Medium – Difficult
Preparation Time: 5 – 6 hours (incl. cooling time)
Category: Baking Recipes, Cake Recipes, Sweets & More, German Recipes
Our Recipe rating:

Ingredients for a sheet bee sting cake:

…for yeast dough:

• 550 grams flour
• 250 milliliters lukewarm milk
• 75 grams sugar
• 75 grams soft butter
• 1 egg
• ½ cube fresh yeast
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar
• A pinch of salt

…for pudding cream:

• 1 liter milk
• 200 milliliters cream
• 100 grams cornstarch
• 100 grams sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 sachet cream stabilizer

…for almond layer:

• 250 grams sliced almonds
• 100 milliliters cream
• 75 grams honey
• 75 grams sugar
• 75 grams butter

Required kitchen gadgets, helper & preparations:

• Tall container for yeast milk mixture
• Whisk
• Mixing bowl
• Mixer
• Baking sheet + baking paper
• Baking frame
• Kitchen towel
• Small bowl for cornstarch mixture
• Saucepan for pudding
• Cling film
• Saucepan for almond sugar mixture
• Long knife to halve yeast dough

Instructions:




…preparations for yeast dough:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Crumble ½ cubes of yeast into a tall container, add 75 grams of sugar and 250 milliliters of lukewarm milk and mix together with a whisk or a fork until yeast and sugar have completely dissolved.

Next, put yeast-milk mixture along with 550 grams flour, 75 grams soft butter, 1 egg, 1 sachet vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl and knead together with a food processor or blender with dough hook for about 4 – 5 minutes until a smooth (but still slightly sticky) dough.




Then place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and flatten it with your hands to a rectangle of approx. 40cm x 30cm (alternatively roll out with a rolling pin). Place a baking frame around the dough and allow to rest covered with a kitchen towel for about 60 minutes in a warm place.

…preparations for pudding cream:

Place 200 milliliters of whipping cream & 1 sachet cream stabilizer in a tall container and beat until stiff with a blender, then refrigerate until further use. Put 200 milliliters milk, 100 grams cornstarch & 2 egg yolks in a small bowl, stir together until smooth & set aside. Next, add 800 milliliters milk, 100 grams sugar & the pulp of a vanilla pod to a saucepan & heat up while stirring over low to medium heat.

As soon as the milk begins to simmer add the cornstarch mixture and mix well immediately to avoid lumps forming. Stir the pudding vigorously for about 1 minute and then remove from heat. Cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and allow the pudding to cool completely.




…for almond layer:

Add 75 grams each of sugar, honey and butter to a saucepan, allow to melt over medium heat & simmer for about 2 minutes while stirring until the mixture becomes a slightly brownish caramel color. Add 100 milliliters cream and 250 grams sliced almonds, stir in and simmer for another 1 – 2 minutes while stirring. Then remove the almond mixture from heat and allow to cool slightly.

…for bee sting cake:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat) in good time. Use a spoon to spread the slightly cooled almond mixture evenly on top of the yeast dough & then bake for 20 – 25 minutes in a preheated oven until the almond crust assumes a golden brown color.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely on the sheet, then remove the baking frame. Cut the cooled cake into 4 equal pieces, afterwards cut all pieces horizontally with a long knife and place the lower halves back on the baking tray. Finally, place the baking frame around the dough again.

Mix the cooled vanilla pudding with a blender for approx. 1 minute, then add the whipped cream and stir briefly until well combined. Spread the pudding cream on the yeast dough, then press the yeast dough tops on the cream & store the bee sting cake for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Cut the finished cake into pieces with a knife, spread on plates and serve. Have fun baking!

Video Tutorial:

Watch the video tutorial to see the recipe and the preparation method precisely (German Audio only, English Subtitles available):