Bienenstich

Method

1. 01

   Mix the enriched dough

   Combine the flour, yeast and dough sugar. Add the lukewarm milk and eggs and mix for 4 minutes until a rough elastic dough forms.

   

2. 02

   Knead in butter and salt

   Add the softened dough butter in 3 additions with the salt and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, glossy and stretches thin without tearing easily.

   

3. 03

   First rise

   Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 60–75 minutes until roughly doubled.

   

4. 04

   Cook the almond topping

   Melt the topping butter with the topping sugar, honey and topping cream in a saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes, stir in the almonds and cook for 1 minute more, then cool for 10 minutes.

   

5. 05

   Shape and add the topping

   Press the risen dough evenly into a buttered 26 cm springform pan. Spread the cooled almond mixture over the surface all the way to the edge.

   

6. 06

   Second rise

   Cover the pan loosely and let the topped dough rise for 20–25 minutes until visibly puffy. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180°C.

   

7. 07

   Bake until caramelized

   Bake at 180°C for 25–30 minutes until the cake is deep golden, the almond top is caramelized and the centre springs back. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then move to a rack.

   

8. 08

   Cook the vanilla custard

   Heat the filling milk with the vanilla bean until steaming. Whisk the yolks, filling sugar and cornstarch separately, then slowly whisk in half the hot milk. Return everything to the saucepan and cook for 2–3 minutes until thick and bubbling.

   

9. 09

   Finish and chill the custard

   Remove the vanilla bean and whisk the filling butter into the hot custard. Press film directly onto the surface and chill for at least 60 minutes until completely cold.

   

10. 10

    Cool and split the cake

    Cool the baked cake completely for at least 60 minutes. Use a serrated knife to split it horizontally into 2 even layers. Cut the almond top into 12 wedges while it is separate so the finished filling will not squash later.

    

11. 11

    Lighten the cold filling

    Whip the cold filling cream for 3–4 minutes to firm peaks. Beat the chilled custard briefly until smooth, then fold the whipped cream into it in 3 additions.

    

12. 12

    Fill, chill and serve

    Spread the vanilla cream evenly over the bottom cake layer. Reassemble the 12 pre-cut top wedges in a circle, then chill for 30 minutes before slicing the bottom layer along the same wedge lines.