Bienenstich 'bee sting' cake recipe

This classic German cake is easier to make than you may think. The nickname for this cake was given as the baker who originally made it in Germany was stung by a bee as it was attracted to the sweet honey topping, and we can see why - drizzled over the sweet brioche dough, it's a seriously special treat. Best of all, you can whip up this soft and spongy cake in less than an hour! Our baking blogger Maxine Owen made this recipe as part of her baking around the world blog.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 250g strong plain white flour, sieved
• 125g butter, cut into cubes
• 2tsp caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 7g sachet easy-bake dried yeast
• 3 medium eggs
• 2 sugar cubes, crushed

For the topping:

• 50g unsalted butter
• 50g sugar
• 4tbsp honey
• Pinch of salt
• 50g sliced almonds

For the filling:

• Medium pot of whipping cream
• 2tbsp fresh custard
• Few drops of vanilla extract

Method

1. For the dough: Lightly butter the base and sides of a 9inch/23cm spring-form tin.
2. Mix the flour and butter together to make breadcrumbs. You can do this by hand or using a food processor.
3. Add the sugar, salt, yeast and eggs and knead it in to the mixture for 2 mins. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to form a ball. Put the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
4. Knock the dough down, shape it into a ball and put it into the prepared tin. Cover loosely with an oiled plastic bag and leave to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Meanwhile make the topping.
5. For the topping: Put the butter, sugar, honey, and salt, and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the almonds.
6. Evenly pour over the dough and place the pan on a parchment (or foil) covered baking sheet. Bake in the centre of oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.
7. Place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.
8. For the filling: Whip the cream until thick then gently stir in custard and vanilla extract to combine. Cut the brioche in half and fill with cream. Drizzle icing over the top.