German Bee Sting Cake

A classic German Bienenstich cake featuring a soft yeast dough, rich custard filling, and a glossy almond-honey topping.

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Warm 120 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk to 38°C (100°F) and whisk with active dry yeast and 1 tbsp sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5–8 minutes.
In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Add foamy yeast, egg, and softened butter and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled, about 45–60 minutes.
In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks. Heat 400 ml milk to just simmering.
Temper the yolks with some hot milk, then combine everything back in the pan and cook until thickened, whisking constantly.
Turn the risen dough onto a floured board and press into a lined springform pan. Cover and let proof for 20–30 minutes.
For the topping, melt butter, sugar, and honey together until bubbling. Stir in sliced almonds and remove from heat.
Spread pastry cream over the proofed dough, then pour the hot almond-honey topping over it.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting or cooling right-side up. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing.

Cool cake on a wire rack and chill 30 minutes to firm the filling and set the topping. Use a hot knife for cleaner slices.