Bee Sting Cake
Bee Sting Cake is a tried and true German dessert cake recipe.
It’s a light, airy cake with rich vanilla cream filling and crunchy almond topping.
Bienenstich, or ‘Bee Sting Cake,’ is a popular, classic German dessert. Similar to Butterkuchen (butter cake), German Cheesecake (Käsekuchen), and Streuselkuchen, it is often served during “Kaffee und Kuchen” – Germany’s version of high tea.
This cake looks fancy, but the recipe is easy to make and perfect for new and seasoned bakers. If you want an easy recipe to impress your friends and family, this cake is for you.
Easy Bee Sting Cake Recipe Highlights
- EASE – This Bee Sting Cake recipe is an easy version.
- TIME – Hands-on time for this cake is less than 20 minutes.
- GERMAN CLASSIC – Bee Sting is one of the most popular cakes in Germany. You’ll find it in almost every bakery. This recipe shows you how to bring a little piece of Germany into your home.
Ingredient Notes
For a printable detailed ingredient list, please check the recipe card below.
EGGS – Four large eggs create the base for this batter.
SUGAR – For this recipe, you’ll need two types of sugar: powdered sugar for the batter and granulated sugar for the topping.
FLOUR – When you first read the recipe, you might be surprised to learn how little flour we will use. But you will see it’s the perfect amount to create this light and airy cake.
LEAVENING AGENTS – We will use baking powder (and salt) for this recipe. And yes, you’ve read it correctly. We will use one whole tablespoon of baking powder.
INSTANT PUDDING MIX – Use vanilla-flavored instant pudding mix. This is the base for our cream filling.
HEAVY CREAM – Combine the heavy cream with the vanilla pudding mix until the mixture resembles buttercream. If it becomes too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk.
ALMONDS – You can use raw, natural, or blanched, sliced almonds.
How To Make A Bee Sting Cake Recipe
Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- THE CAKE – Beat eggs and powdered sugar for several minutes until very creamy. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the egg mixture.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan. Top with almonds and sugar. Bake the cake until golden brown at 350º Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. - THE FILLING – Beat instant pudding mix and heavy whipping cream until the mixture has a buttercream-like consistency.
- THE ASSEMBLY – Remove the springform baking pan and allow the cake to cool completely. Then, using a long serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into two layers.
Cover the bottom layer with cream filling. Place the top layer back onto the cake. Done!
Leftovers and Storage
STORE – Bee Sting cake is best stored in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days. Place leftover slices in an airtight container or a cake carrier.
FREEZING. You can keep Bee Sting Cake in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you are freezing individual slices, separate them with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper. It’s best to freeze the cake the same day you bake it. Freezing the freshest possible cake ensures the cake will still taste fresh and delicious after defrosting.
PRO TIP – If the filling has become too stiff, add whole milk in one-tablespoon increments. The goal is to have a filling that is firm but easily spreadable.
German Pronunciation
Curious how to pronounce “Bienenstich” in German? Listen below.
📌 Save This Bee Sting Cake!
A Battled Tested Cake – Fun History Of The Bee Sting Cake
Bienenstich is the German word for ‘Bee Sting’. So, how did a harmless and delicious cake get this name?
Legend has it that the name of this classic German dessert originated in the 15th century.
The story of this cake begins with a taxation dispute between two German towns: Linz Am Rhein and Andernach. To settle the dispute, residents of Andernach planned to attack Linz. (Apparently, Germans took taxes seriously back then!)
On the morning of the planned attack, two apprentice bakers went to the town walls to check on their beehives. The apprentices spotted the would-be attackers.
The quick-thinking apprentices threw the beehives over the city walls at the invaders. The wanna-be attackers were attacked by a bunch of angry bees and forced to flee. Thus, the residents of Linz were able to defend their city successfully.
After the battle was won, the residents collected the honey from the beehives and decided to bake a celebratory cake. They combined honey and sliced almonds to make a delicious topping. And that gave birth to the first Bee Sting Cake.
Note – You might have noticed that our recipe does not include honey. As so often, recipes develop over time. I like this version because it’s much easier and gets excellent results.
Instead of a honey almond topping, we use sliced almonds and sugar. And as with so many German recipes, my grandmother taught me how to make this easy Bee Sting Cake.
Can you make this recipe in advance?
YES! This is a great cake to bake the day before an event. It’s best to place the cake in a cake carrier and store it in the fridge.
Recipe Notes and Tips
Recipe Notes and Tips
SUGAR – You will need powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar) for the batter. You can easily make your own if you don’t have powdered sugar.
To make 1 cup of powdered sugar, blend ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Blitz the granulated sugar in a blender until it becomes powdered sugar.
VANILLA BOOST – If you want to boost the vanilla flavor, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter. Alternatively, you can also add 1 package of vanilla sugar. My Oma did in her version of this recipe. I feel there’s already plenty of vanilla flavor in this recipe, so it’s not part of my recipe.
Check out my Vanillekipferl Cookie Recipe, where I discuss vanilla sugar in German baking. And how to make your own using a vanilla bean.
Equipment
Springform Pan – Look for a 9 inch springform pan.
READER SUGGESTION – If you have two springform pans, divide the batter in half and bake the top and bottom separately.
This is a good option if you don’t want to slice the cake. You will have to watch your baking times. The first time you do this, check the baking time because it will be shorter. I recommend checking on the cakes after 15 minutes and then every 3 to 5 minutes.
Reminder. To check for doneness, insert a wooden toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
SERRATED KNIFE – You can use any large (sharp) knife to slice the cake. But I’ve found that using a large serrated knife works best.
MIXER – You can use a hand or stand mixer. For this recipe, I find it easier to work with my hand mixer.
CAKE CARRIER – This is optional. But it’s super convenient to place the cake in the cake carrier and store it in the fridge.
More Easy and Delicious German Desserts
Butterkuchen – Classic German butter cake.
Strudel Cookies – impress your guests with these easy-to-make cookies that look like you’ve bought them in a fancy bakery.
German Thumbprints Cookies – German ‘Engelsaugen’ (English: Angle Eyes)
Vanillekipferl – These classic German cookies are a real treat.
German Bee Sting Cake
Ingredients
Batter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 package (3 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk optional, only add if the filling is too thick
Topping
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons sugar granulated
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter and sprinkle with a light dusting of flour. Set aside.
Making The Batter
- Beat eggs and powdered sugar in a large bowl with a mixer until the sugar has dissolved and the egg mixture is creamy. About 5 minutes.
- Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt and continue to beat until well combined. Pour the batter into the pre-greased springform pan. Drizzle the batter with sugar and almonds.
- Bake the cake at 350° Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Use a wooden toothpick to check for doneness. Remove the sides of the springform. Set aside and wait until the cake has cooled.
Making The Filling
- In a medium bowl beat instant pudding mix and heavy cream t until thick, creamy, and easily spreadable. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk if the filling is too thick.
Assembling The Cake
- Use a long, sharp knife to slice the cake horizontally in half. Spread the filling evenly across the bottom layer. Place the top layer back. Serve and enjoy
Video
Notes
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.
Love the simplicity of this recipe. I baked it two 9″ cake pans and spread filling between. Much easier than trying to slice a thin sponge cake. Chocolate and butterscotch filling work great also.
The taste of this cake was delicious and received a two thumbs up from my German stepdad whom I served it to.
Like another person who commented, I also had trouble with a very thin 10 inch cake which seemed it would be impossible to split. This is after following the directions to the Tee. I just made another layer minus the almonds and that worked out great.
Hi Coleen! First of all I’m sending a ‘Frohe Weihnachten’ to you and your German stepdad (Merry Christmas). You idea is pretty great. I really like it. 🙂
Over Thanksgiving I replaced my 20+ year old springform. And new the springform seems to be slightly larger and although I was still able to cut the cake in half it was a bit tricky. In other words I can see what you’re saying.
Chances are I’ll make this cake over the Christmas (it’s one of my husband’s favorite desserts). Let me see if I can tinker with the recipe to make it easier for everybody. In the meantime, I really love and endorse your idea. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Just a question. Do you refrigerate any leftover because of the custard?
I’ve never had leftover custard. But I don’t see why not. 🙂
This cake was amazing. I made it for my husband for his birthday. We all loved it. I didn’t have any trouble cutting the cake with the serrated knife. Everything about this cake was perfect. It is not too sweet. It is just right.
Sorry but the original Bee Sting cake had the almonds mixed with honey NOT sugar! I worked in a German bakery and my father used to bring this cake home too.
Yes, you are right. This is an easy version of a Bee Sting Cake. One that’s less messy and a lot easier to make. 🙂 And it tastes quite similar to the Bee Sting cakes I grew up with in Germany. But you are right in and I appreciate the comment. If you read a bit further in the post, I’ve also included the story of how the Bee Sting Cake received its name. Bees were definitely involved. 😉
I am so very impressed with this recipe. I found it easier to make than a boxes mix. The taste was not too sweet and super light and fluffy. I had not issues cutting it with a large serrated knife. I find the cake to have endless possibilities. I can envision adding orange zest to the batter and Mandrin oranges to the vanilla pudding filling. I also thought adding banana pudding and sliced bananas would be good with walnuts instead of almonds. Do you think you would be able to add chocolate to the batter…by way of maybe cocoa powder, without making the batter too stiff? Again..just really,really loved this recipe. Went so lovely with a cup of hot black coffee.
My friend and I have been making this cake on repeat! We love it, but both of us have trouble with the cake falling in the middle making it next to impossible to cut in half. What are we doing wrong?
Hi Elizabeth. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the taste. As for the cake falling apart. Yes, that can be a bit tricky and it has happened to me, too. (Bee Sting Cake is my husband’s favorite cake so I make it quite often :-))
This is what has helped me. Our serrated knife old, so I bought a new one (not just for this recipe). It’s really large but it cuts the cake like butter. Here’s the link the exact knife I bought. It’s inexpensive but really good.
More tips. Make sure the cake’s cooled down before slicing it. And if you have an accident and it breaks a little, just drizzle some extra sliced almonds on top. . 😉 Hope that helps.
This was delicious and everyone loved it! No issues with the cake rising although I have a 9 inch springform so that size seemed to work perfectly. Only change was to add a drizzle of honey over the top. Next time I might add just a little in with the filling too for that extra honey flavour. Thanks so much. 🙂
I drizzled a little honey on top too. Perfect addition!
😟Why did ALL the almonds sink to the bottom?
To be honest, I have never come across this problem. I just called my dad, who is an avid baker. Here are a couple of questions we came up with.
Is it possible that you did not preheat the oven? Or did you, by chance, leave the batter sitting outside for a while?
Did you use sliced almonds?
Could it be possible that the eggs were off?
I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer; I’ve just never come across this issue.
After reading the comments about difficulty in slicing this cake layer, I decided to use my Zenker flan/tart (“Tortenboden”) baking pan instead of a regular springform pan. The cake popped right out of the tart pan and I filled the indentation with the custard and sprinkled the almonds on top. Very pretty presentation and it sliced perfectly.
How many layers did you end up cutting the cut into with your Zenter pan?
The picture of ingredients says 2 vanilla pudding packs but the written ingredients say 1 vanilla pudding pack. Can you clarify? I plan to make this for an upcoming Oktoberfest. Thanks!
Hi Leslie. Thank you so much for spotting the mistake. The recipe card has the correct information. And now I’ve updated the image, too. Hope you’ll enjoy the recipe. 💖
Sounds wonderful and easy. Thanku very much for the recipient and all the helpful hints and tips 😀
Delicious and so easy!!
Hi excellent and yummy Bee sting cake.I found it easy by cutting the cake in half, is to have a long piece of cotton and put it around the middle of the cake horizontal and just pull the cotton through by the 2 ends quickly and it does it smoothly. It makes the 2 slice cakes even.The family loved the cake.
I made this cake for the first time last week. I followed the recipe exactly. It turned out perfect. The cake texture was light, the filling delicious and the over all flavour Devine. It was still perfect on the fourth day having been stored in the refrigerator.
That’s wonderful. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to share.
Hi Maike,
Eine Frage…can I cook the pudding with milk. Und wenn es kalt ist dann mit geschlagene Sahne unterrühren und als Filling nutzen???
Are you talking about ‘traditional’ pudding mix (like Dr. Oetker)? I’ve never tried it, but I think you’d need a stronger stabilizer than whipped cream (Sahne). I say that because growing up, we had pudding a lot for dessert and would make it as directed by the package instructions, then let it cool and fold in some freshly whipped cream (and top with fresh strawberries). So, the consistency would be very similar, and I don’t think it’ll be strong enough. But if you add a stabilizer like “Whip It” (Sahnesteiff), you might probably achieve the right consistency.
The more I think about it, it should be possible. You could also add cornstarch and even a couple of eggs to thicken the pudding and turn it into a cake filling. Good luck, let me know how it works out. 🙂
What size pudding mix are you using?
Hi JoAnn. Great question. I use a standard 3-ounce package (Jello brand) instant pudding mix. I just updated the recipe card. You can also find most products linked in the recipe cards. Sometimes the brands may vary though. I hope that helps. Happy baking. 🙂
I only have a 10-inch springform pan. Should I adjust the batter recipe?
I’ve used both a 9 and a 10-inch springform. While the cake won’t have the same height in the 10-inch springform, but you still get enough rise that you can easily slice the cake. Hope that helps, happy baking. 🙂
Can this be made the day before? Or make the cake but don’t put it together with the filling until the next day?
Yes, you can make the Bee Sting Cake the day before. The best method is to bake the cake and prepare the filling separately, then assemble it the next day. This keeps the texture of the cake light and the filling fresh. Just store the cake covered at room temperature and the filling in the fridge until you’re ready to put it together.
I always loved this cake, but I forgot how to make it, so thank for the recipe.
Hi Hirlande. I’m so glad you found the recipe and I hope making it brings you joy. Just keep in mind that it’s an easier, faster (and less messy) version of a traditional Bee Sting Cake. That said, I think it’s a lovely recipe and the one my husband requests for each special occasion. 🙂
About to make this and very excited! Can you substitute cool whip for the heavy cream and if so, how much?
I’ve never tried. Cool Whip isn’t available in Germany so, I’m not quite sure. And we don’t have a product that resembles whipped toppings.
That said in American recipes we often mix Cool Whip and instant pudding, so you could try a tub of thawed cool whip and mix it with a 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding, just keep in mind that it will be a different cake. And you’ll also want to store it in the fridge.
So, in essence, you’ll have to be ok with experimentation, but it might also create something new and delicious. If you try, please let us know if it works out for you. Have fun! 🙂