Beehive Cake

This delightful cake, whose German name literally means “bee sting,” has a golden butter-honey-almond topping. You might also prepare Bienenstich baked on a sheet using a yeast dough base (see here for the base recipe). This cake may be served either filled or unfilled.

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup sugar

1½ tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon whipping cream

1 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat.

2. Stir in sugar, honey and cream.

3. Over a low flame, stir the mixture and boil for 5 minutes

4. Add almonds and vanilla.

5. Set the topping aside to cool until it is warm while you make the batter. It will thicken into a heavy syrup.

Batter:

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

⅔ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1. Cream butter, sugar and eggs, using one of the methods here.

2. Add vanilla.

3. Fold in flour and baking powder.

4. Pour the batter immediately into the prepared pan.

5. Spread the topping over the batter, smoothing it with a spatula.

6. Bake on the lowest rack of a preheated 375˚F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. Check after 25 minutes, for the topping may brown prematurely. If necessary, place a piece of aluminium foil lightly over the cake.

8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Serving suggestions. The cake may be served plain or with one of the following fillings:

Buttercream with custard base, flavored with vanilla.

or

½ pint of whipping cream, flavored with vanilla.

Assembling the cake. Splitting the cake requires special care because the top crust is easily broken. Using a long knife, preferably longer than the cake is wide, carefully cut the cake into two layers. Lift an edge of the top layer with the knife and slip a piece of wax paper between the layers. Work the wax paper forward until it is all the way under the top layer. Grasp the overhanging edges of the wax paper on either side, lift off the top layer and set aside.

Spread the bottom layer with buttercream of whipped cream. Pick up the top layer with the wax paper again and hold it over the filling. Tilt the top until one edge almost touches the edge of the bottom. From here you should be able to slide the wax paper back gradually as you lower the top layer onto the filling.