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The Bee Sting Cake

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Course: Cakes
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the custard filling:
  • 1⅓ cups sugar
  • 3 Tbsp cornflour
  • ¼ tspn salt
  • Yolks from 3 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 1 tspn vanilla extract
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream for later
For the almond-honey topping:
  • ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp (40g) honey
  • 2 Tbsp white sugar
  • 1 cup (110g) flaked almonds
For the cake:
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) of full cream milk
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp (40g) honey or sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ⅓ cups all purpose plain flour
  • 1 ¾ tspn yeast
  • ¼ tspn salt
Putting it together:
  • ½ cup thickened cream very cold and whipped

Equipment

  • You’ll need your planetary mixer, a 23cm cake tin or spring form tin, and a small saucepan for this recipe.

Method
 

Method for the custard filling:
  1. Assemble ingredients
  2. In a bowl combine the sugar, cornflour, salt, vanilla and egg yolks
  3. Whisk until creamy
  4. – about 1-2 minutes
  5. In a small saucepan warm the milk to 70c – 80c – which is below simmering point. Do not boil. The milk should be hot enough to cook any egg white that may have lingered in the egg mix
  6. Add half of the warmed milk to the egg mix and stir in well
  7. Add the other half of the milk and stir well
  8. Pass this mixture through a fine strainer back into the saucepan. The strainer will catch any unnecessary egg white
  9. Return the saucepan to the stove and over medium heat. Stir constantly. The mixture will quickly thicken. When the first bubbles (from boiling) appear, take the mixture off the heat and whisk vigorously to remove any lumps
  10. Return the saucepan to a lower heat to make sure it was evenly heated. Continue stirring
  11. Using a spatula transfer the custard to a medium sized bowl and cover the surface with plastic film
  12. Chill until ready to use
Method for the almond-honey topping:
  1. Assemble your ingredients
  2. In a small saucepan, over low heat, combine the butter, honey and sugar
  3. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbling and creamy
  4. Take off the heat and stir in the almonds until they are well coated
  5. Allow to cool to room temperature
  6. Leave on the side until ready to use
Method for the cake:
  1. Assemble ingredients
  2. In a small saucepan warm the milk, butter and honey
  3. Meanwhile combine the flour, yeast and salt
  4. In your mixer (with the dough hook attachment) add the warmed milk mixture
  5. Add the eggs and flour mixture
  6. On a low speed mix for one minute until a rough dough forms
  7. Turn the mixer up to a medium speed for 5 minutes
  8. The mix will now be ‘bread dough like’ – not sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl and elastic
  9. Form the dough into a ball and place the dough in a clean mixing bowl lightly greased with butter
  10. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place for at least one hour to allow the yeast to do its work
  11. The dough will double in size
  12. When you are happy with the degree of raising, ‘knock’ the dough back by working the dough with your hands
  13. Lightly grease your spring form tin with butter and press the dough evenly into the base of the tin
  14. Spread the almond mixture evenly on top of the dough
  15. Cover and return to the warm place for at least 30 minutes
  16. While your dough is enjoying a second raising pre-heat your oven to 170c
  17. In the centre of the oven bake the Bee sting for 25 minutes
  18. When the topping is a golden brown remove the Bee sting from the oven
  19. Wait 5 minutes
  20. Run a knife around the edge of the tin and remove the Bee sting
  21. Allow to cool to room temperature and then it’s ready for final assembly
Method for putting it together:
  1. Gently fold in half of the whipped cream to the chilled custard
  2. When combined fold in the other half of whipped cream. The custard should be light and airy without any obvious bits of unmixed custard. Keep chilled while you split the cake
  3. Split the cake horizontally and on the inside of the base spread the custard mix evenly. Leave a little gap – say 1cm around the edge
  4. Place the top on the cake and gently press down until the custard expands to the edge of the cake.
  5. Best refrigerated for 2 hours, but you can serve it immediately