BIENENSTICH (BEE STING)

Eggs 4 units
Sugar 200 g
Flour 240 g
Baking powder 7 g
Butter 120 g
Milk 250 ml
Vanilla 10 ml

Milk 90 ml
Butter 85 ml
Sugar 150 g
Almonds, flaked or chopped 150 g

Moirs Vanilla Flavoured
Instant Pudding 90 g
Milk 350 ml

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave, and put it aside.
  3. Beat the eggs until light and fluffy.
  4. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla essence to the eggs while beating continuously.
  5. In a different container, mix the flour and baking powder.
  6. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
  7. Add the milk to the melted butter.
  8. Add the buttermilk mixture to the egg-flour mixture and mix well.
  9. Grease two identical round baking pans.
  10. Divide the mixture between the two pans.
  11. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean.
  12. Let the cakes cool in the pans.
  1. Bring the milk and butter to a boil on the stove.
  2. Add the sugar and almonds.
  3. Cook the mixture until it thickens somewhat, stirring all the time.
  4. Spread the hot mixture onto one of the baked sponge cakes in the pan.
  5. Put it under the grill for 1 to 2 minutes, watching all the time to ensure it does not burn. The topping should bubble slightly and possibly brown just a little.
  1. Add the pudding powder to the milk.
  2. Beat with an electric mixer for about 1 minute.
  3. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Once the sponge cakes have cooled completely, remove them from the pans.
  5. Spread the filling onto the sponge cake without the topping.
  6. Carefully place the sponge cake with the topping on top.

YIELD 10 PORTIONS
PREPARATION TIME 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

This cake is the first recipe in my mother’s handwritten recipe book. She emigrated to South Africa from Germany shortly after I was born and always kept up her German baking traditions—including Christmas cookies in December (although she complained bitterly that she ‘had’ to do this during the summer heat!). This particular cake was a favourite for birthdays. However, the topping was sometimes made with desiccated coconut rather than almonds (almonds were expensive, and my mother was extremely frugal). Baking with my mom on a Saturday afternoon is one of my treasured memories of growing up.

Leave a Comment