Bienenstich

Bienenstich is a yeasted cake split and filled with vanilla custard cream, topped with a crisp layer of caramelized honey and almonds. It's Germany's "bee sting" cake, and the name is usually explained by a legend: bees drawn to the sweet, sticky honey-and-almond top (and a baker who got stung) — but the real origin is uncertain.

What it actually is

A soft, slightly sweet yeast dough is baked flat as a single round, its top brushed with butter and honey and scattered thickly with sliced almonds before it goes into the oven, where the topping caramelizes into a thin, crackling layer. Once cooled, the cake is split horizontally and filled generously with a cream-and-custard filling, then reassembled so the honey-almond crust sits proudly on top. The dough is usually enriched with milk and sugar, and the custard is flavoured with vanilla.

The contrast is the whole point: a crisp, sticky-crunchy top over a soft, cool, creamy middle, cut into wedges that show both layers clearly at the cut edge.

How it's served

• Cut into wedges, the layered filling visible in cross-section.
• Chilled or at room temperature, never warm, since a warm filling loses its structure.
• With coffee, as a standard café cake rather than a special-occasion dessert.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag gluten, egg, dairy and almonds; the dough, cream filling and almond topping carry all four. The classic dough and custard use egg, but egg-free yeast doughs and egg-free vanilla custards exist, so check the recipe.
• Note that it should be kept cool; the custard cream filling doesn't hold well at room temperature for long.
• Mention if the filling is custard cream, buttercream or a mix, since bakeries genuinely differ on this and regulars have preferences.
• Say that the almond-honey top should be crisp, not soft or soggy; a sign the cake sat too long before serving.