Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. That’s what Beesting Cupcakes do.

I’ve made it past my second weekend of all cupcakes all the time, and have a bit more of a “coffee” cake type cupcake today – based on the german yeasted cake called Bienestich – or Beesting Cake. If you don’t know it, its well worth seeking out – a sweet brioche type cake, lots of smooth custardy filling, and a crisp toffee almond glaze.

I first tasted Beesting Cake in Handorf, a little German settlement in South Australia about 25 years ago. My memory of it is so strong that every time I have seen that cake since, I have gravitated to it like a bee!

Beesting cake is relatively rare DownUnder, so it’s good to be able to make it yourself. The recipe below makes 12 cupcakes, but you can also make a big round cake with it – it’s up to you.

Ohhh, they look so good…

Beesting Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes or one 25cm cake

Yeasted cakes

ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup milk, lukewarm
2 tsp dried yeast
60g butter
1 egg

mixing

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre, pour in the milk. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, then push some of the flour from the edges over the surface of the milk, so that it is all covered. Sit in a warm place until the yeast starts to sponge – cracks will form on the flour.

Add the butter and eggs, and mix to a dough. Knead the dough using a dough hook in a stand mixer (or by hand) for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and shiny, and no longer sticks to the bowl (or bench). Cover with a clean teatowel and stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake cases, grease the cases. It’s a good idea to use cases that are taller than the top of the muffin pan so that the edges will catch the glaze as the cakes rise in the oven.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12. Form into balls, and place each in a cupcake case (if you’re making a large cake, you’ll need to make a flat Frisbee type shape, and use a spring-form pan to make it easy to get the cake out). Cover the muffin pan with the teatowel and let the dough balls rise until double in size. Spread the cool Almond Toffee Glaze over the dough balls.

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes or until brown and the toffee is caramelized (if you are making a large cake, bake it 35 to 40 minutes). While the cupcakes are baking, make the custard filling.

Let the cupcakes cool, then split in half. Spoon the custard filling into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle, and pipe over the the lower half of the cupcakes. Top with the top half.

Almond Toffee Glaze

ingredients

90g butter
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp single cream

mixing

Melt the butter in a small heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sugar and mix well. Stir in the almonds, cinnamon and cream. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken as shown in the picture below. Let the mixture cool before using.

Custard Filling

ingredients

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond essence
1 tbsp cornflour
1 cup milk
90g butter

mixing

Combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and almond essence in a medium saucepan, whisking until light and fluffy. Whisk in the cornflour, followed by the milk. Place over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens. It will sieze up quite rapidly once it starts to thicken. Remove from the heat, cover with a film of cling wrap on the surface of the custard. When the custard is cold, beat the butter until creamy, then whisk into the custard. Beat until fluffy. The custard is ready to use.

I hope you have fun getting stung by these Beesting Cupcakes!

Enjoy!xxx