Cakes & biscuits
Bee sting cake with almonds and vanilla cream
A soft yeast cake receives a baked honey-and-almond topping, then a vanilla cream filling once cold.
- Total time
- 230 min
- Servings / pieces
- 12
- Topic
- Cakes & biscuits
A soft yeast cake receives a baked honey-and-almond topping, then a vanilla cream filling once cold. Cut the firm upper layer into portions before replacing it over the cream. This lets you slice the finished cake without squeezing the filling out at the sides. A thick cooked pudding combines with butter to make the filling; both need to be at a similar temperature. Rising and cooling times matter for structure and neat slices, so rushing the assembly rarely saves work. Refrigerate the filled cake before serving.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Knead and rise
Knead dough ingredients for eight minutes until smooth. Cover and rise for 45–60 minutes until noticeably larger. Line the tin base and grease its sides. Press dough into the tin and rest for another 20 minutes.
- 02
Cook the topping
Boil butter, sugar, honey and cream for one minute. Stir in almonds and cool for five minutes. Heat oven to 180 °C conventional heat. Gently distribute the lukewarm topping without pressing heavily into the dough.
- 03
Bake the cake
Bake just below the centre for about 25–30 minutes. Almonds should be golden and the dough firm around the edges. Release from the tin after ten minutes and cool completely on a rack.
- 04
Make the pudding
Mix cornflour with 80 ml of the milk. Boil remaining milk with sugar and vanilla. Add the slurry and boil for one minute. Cover directly on the surface and cool to room temperature rather than refrigerating until icy cold.
- 05
Fill and assemble
Beat butter for three minutes until creamy. Add pudding a tablespoon at a time. Split cold cake horizontally. Cut the top into twelve pieces. Spread cream over the bottom, replace the precut top pieces and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Matching temperatures
Cold pudding and very warm butter combine poorly. Bring both to similar room temperature. Slightly grainy cream may smooth out if the bowl is warmed very gently and briefly; do not let it become hot or liquid.
Protecting the topping
Loosely cover with baking paper if almonds darken too soon, allowing the cake beneath to finish cooking. Precut the top with a serrated knife using minimal pressure. A broad palette knife helps lift pieces onto the cream.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Can I bake the cake beforehand?
Yes. Cool completely, wrap well and fill the following day.
Why is the filling soft?
The pudding or cake may still have been warm. Refrigerate the assembled cake sufficiently before portioning.
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