Beinenstich or Bee-Sting Cake
by Lady Scholastica Joycors — The Culinary Bard
WINNER - 2014 Trial by Fire — Dessert Category
This is a traditional German cake made of sweetened yeast dough with a caramelized honey and almond topping. The dough is sliced horizontally through the middle and filled with a light vanilla custard, vanilla cream or buttercream.
The Bienenstich recipe dates back to a baker’s boy saga or so the legend goes. In 1474 the inhabitants of the city of Linz am Rhein were very angry, because the emperor had drawn custom duties from the city of Linz and had given the funds to the city Andernach. In the morning two baker’s boy were walking along the city walls to fetch some honey when they saw the attackers from Linz on the other side of the wall. Without thinking the boys grabbed the hanging beehives and quickly threw them towards the attackers. Stung by bees the attackers from Linz fled(1). To celebrate the victory, it is said that a honey sweet cake was created by the bakers called the Beinenstich which translated means “bee sting”(2).
Original German text:
Im Jahre 1474 waren die Einwohner der Stadt Linz am Rhein sehr aufgebracht und planten einen Angriff, da der Kaiser den Schifffahrtzoll nicht mehr den Linzern sondern der Stadt Andernach - auf der gegenüberliegenden Rheinseite, zukommen lassen hat.
Is this legend or even the folktale true—that has always been debatable. It is true however that Andernach even to this day is know as Germany’s edible city(3), where bees still play a large part of their lifestyle. While I was unable to find a recipe that was identical to the Beinenstitch cake I did find that yeast based cakes have been documented since the 13th century as found in the recipe Elegant Qursa and in the late 16th century Seed Cake. These recipes also show that it was common to serve yeasted breads with honey and nuts and even fillings, so I find the idea that this 15th century recipe could be plausible when this event supposedly occurred.
The ingredients are all quite common yeast, butter, eggs, milk, honey, flour, and almonds. The amount of time required to make this dish is lengthy which is why I made the base bread dough the day before, since raising time ranges from 4 to 12 hours. Another item to consider is that the basis of this recipe is a yeast bread enriched with butter and eggs and those have been around since Egyptian times.
Modern Version
BIENENSTICH or Bee Sting Cake
a traditional German yeast raised cake
Brioche dough:
¼ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons castor (granulated) sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour, divided
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Honey-Almond Topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup castor (granulated) sugar
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1½ cups sliced almonds
a pinch of salt
Butter Cream Custard Filling:
1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar divided into two
3 tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour)
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of butter
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
Brioche Dough:
In a small saucepan (or a small cup if you want to use the microwave), combine milk and 1 tablespoon honey and heat until it registers between 110 degrees F to 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour the mixture into bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle over yeast. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes, until yeast is creamy/foamy.
Transfer bowl to mixer stand and attach paddle (or hook) attachment. While mixing at low speed, gradually add eggs, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt, and mix until blended.
Gradually add all but 2 tablespoons of bread flour. Mix at medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Dough should not stick to sides of bowl; if it does, add some of all of remaining 2 tablespoons of bread flour until dough cleans sides of bowl.
Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing at medium speed until it is blended into dough. (Dough will be very soft.) Transfer dough to a work surface and knead by hand a few times to ensure that butter is completely incorporated into dough. Shape dough into a ball and transfer it to a medium buttered bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours, until it has doubled in volume.
Punch dough down to deflate it, and knead it a few times. Return dough to bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to 12 hours). Dough should have doubled in volume. If it hasn’t, let it stand at room temperature until it has. (NOTE: I made the dough the night before.)
Butter bottom and sides of a 9” spring-form pan. Shape dough into a ball and arrange it, smooth side up, in center of pan. Flatten ball gently with your palm until it covers bottom of pan. Cover pan and let dough rise until it is puffed, about 30 minutes then add honey-almond topping and let it rise another 30 minutes.
Custard Butter Cream
Split the vanilla bean in half and combine it with the milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium heat.
Combine the 2 sticks of butter with 1/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of your standard mixer and beat until light and fluffy for about 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk vigorously until pale and silky.
Add the cornstarch and salt, mixing and whisking well.
Drizzle in the warm milk, a spoonful at a time, whisking continuously (you are allowed to take a break whisking while you pour in the milk for a second, just work quickly but don’t panic). After you have added about half of the milk you may add the rest a little more quickly.
Pour the mixture back into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking the entire time, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
Remove the pan from the heat. Continue whisking while adding the 2 tablespoons of butter.
Let the custard mixture cool to room temperature and then add it to the butter mixture a spoonful at a time, mixing constantly on medium speed. The butter and the custard have to be at the same temperature or else the cream will separate. Refrigerate the cream if it seems too soft.
Honey-Almond Topping:
Combine the butter, sugar, honey, cream and salt. Bring to a gentle boil on the stovetop and cook for 4-5 minutes to thicken and caramelize.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the almonds. Mix well to coat the almonds.
Let cool slightly and then spoon evenly over the dough.
Position a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F about 22-25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
Place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool four 10 minutes. Remove from the Springform Pan and allow cake to cool completely.
Assembly:
Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally until the cake is completely sliced in half then carefully set top half aside.
Spread the pastry cream, leaving a narrow edge. Gently replace the top layer of the cake or cut the top layer into 8 pieces and place back on cake to make easier to cut and serve the cake.
Bibliography:
©2023 MyLinda Butterworth (scholastica.ppa@gmail.com) This article appeared in The Yeoman - February 2023.
Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited and receives a copy.
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