German
Bienenstich
Tender yeast cake split with vanilla cream and capped with a glossy honey-almond crunch.
12 servings · 75 minutes prep · 35 minutes cook
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Almond Topping
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
Filling
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 whole egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Directions
Mix, Proof, and Pan the Dough
- Stir the yeast, warm milk, and 1 tsp of the sugar together and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Knead the yeast mixture with the flour, remaining sugar, eggs, softened butter, and salt until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Let the dough rise until doubled, about 90 minutes. Press it evenly into a buttered 9 by 13-inch pan and let rise again for 30 minutes.
Make the Topping and Bake
- Heat the oven to 350F. Boil the butter, sugar, honey, and cream for 2 minutes. Stir in the almonds and spread the warm topping gently over the risen dough.
- Bake until the almond top is golden and the center reaches 200F, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before splitting.
Make the Cream and Assemble
- Whisk the milk, sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick, bubbling, and at least {{temperature:170°F}}. Off heat, stir in the vanilla and butter.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a shallow container, cover its surface, cool briefly, and refrigerate promptly. Chill for 1 hour, fold in the whipped cream, split the cake horizontally, fill it, replace the almond top, and chill for 1 hour before slicing.
