Bienenstich

 (click on the pictures for a larger Image) 

This is a very special Cake with a sort of weird name for many, If i translate it in English it will be “The Bee Sting” cake, funny isn’t it :D But it has a back ground like many other dishes..

I have heard this story from my elderly German neighbours, my other friends and surfed in the net for more info and all had more or less the same version. Most of the bakery sales men or women will tell you the same version if you ask them :)

I always find it very interesting to read the story behind this. It is said that the inhabitants living on the Rhine(river bank) planned to attack the city of Andernach to take revenge of being deprived from the rights of Rhine. (Rhine is a river in the middle Europe which runs through the Swiss Alps and flows into the North Seas of Netherland)

 

Two young baker boys from Andernach who were enjoying late night fun, saw a bee hive and wanted to gobble some sweet honey. As they reached for the hive they saw the enemy approaching in the dark to attack their city, so threw the hive on them to stop them,. Obviously the bees got aggressive and stung the enemy who had to run for their lives and this way the two saved their city from any attack

When these two baker boys returned home, they were greeted as heroes and the people of Andernach celebrated them by baking this cake and naming it after the “Bee sting”

It sounds different when you read the original story in German :) But just to give you an idea why is it called so, I translated it from the original : )

 

So lets get back to work enough story reading :D

So there are three stages one after the other so i will write the ingredients accordingly, so it is easy for you to follow.

 

 

For the topping:

60 g soft butter

50 g sugar

2-3 tbs milk

2-3 tsp honey

150 g Almond flakes

 *heat the butter in a sauce pan, add the sugar, milk, honey and give a boil.

*Add the almond flakes into it, cook once/twice  and take away from the stove and let aside to cool down.

 

For the cake sponge:

150g soft butter

150g plain flour

2tbs corn flour

2 level tsp baking powder

120 g sugar

4 medium eggs

2 sachets Vanilla sugar

*beat the butter till fluffy and whitish yellow

*add the sugar and beat again till all mixes good

* break the eggs and beat till foamy and fluffy

*sieve the baking powder, corn flour and the flour together in an extra bowl

*now sprinkle this mixture slowly on to the wet ingredients and beat all just 2-3 times

*grease a 26” baking pan and pour the batter in it

*bake in a preheated oven on 170°C for around 20 minutes

*take it out and spread the almond/honey topping gently all over the top of the cake

*it will form a lovely coating the honey glaze looks simply beautiful!!!

*place the pan once again in the oven to bake for another 15 minutes

*you will see the almonds changing color and the honey melting on the sides, means the sponge is ready

*prick a long shashlik stick to be sure if the cake is done and take out the cake to let it cool down

*give it a good resting time, and just slide a spatula around the whole tin so the edges don’t stick to it

* open the latch of the pan gently and let the cake cool completely

*with help of a sharp big knife or a cutting wire split the cake in half, be careful the topping  doesn’t  fall and don’t place your hand on the top as honey may stick to your palms : )

This is how it Looks when it cools in the pan and the left one as i opened the latch. All is fixed at its place and is firm to cut easily.

 

For the filling:

300g double cream

300g vanilla pudding

I sachet vanilla sugar

1 sachet cream stabilizer

 

*beat the double cream; add the cream stabilizer and vanilla sugar while beating.

* When it shows firm peaks it is ready

* open the pudding and mix it evenly, then fold in the double cream till all mixed up well

* Many add shortening in the cream to make it firm or butter, but I did not as it gives a too buttery taste when melted.

 

*Now spread this cream evenly on the bottom half of the cake, do not spread till edges as it will leak out and spoil the lovely cake.

*keep spreading it slowly in the middle and leave around 1cm edge, as you close the sandwich it will automatically set till the edges.

*keep it in the fridge at least 2-3 hours so the cream sets well so you can cut the cake evenly

 

I gifted this to my friend so I did not cut it, but later on she sent me pics as she cut the cake so hope she can tell us how it tasted :D

I am planning to make it again for another friend next week, she was excited to see how one can make it home, so I’ll make it to teach her : )

Have fun baking and let me know how you liked it.