Free Form Beesting Cake Recipes

BEE STING CAKE

Steps:

• For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Immediately transfer to a clean bowl; stir in vanilla. Cool 30 minutes. Press plastic wrap onto surface of filling; refrigerate until cold., Whisk custard gently. Fold in half the whipped cream. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate., While custard is chilling, make dough. In a large bowl, mix sugar, yeast, salt and 1 cup flour. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Add eggs; beat on high 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a well floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , While dough is rising, make almond topping. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, honey and sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in almonds. Cool slightly and set aside. , Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 9-in. circle. Transfer to greased 9-in. springform baking pan, pressing to evenly fill pan with dough. Spoon almond mixture over dough and gently spread to cover entire surface. Cover pan with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 25-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake until topping is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. , Remove cake from base of springform pan. Using a long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half; spread filling over cake. Replace top of cake. Serve immediately. Chill leftovers.

FREE-FORM BEESTING CAKE

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan combine prunes, porter, and honey and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most liquid is evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool prune mixture.
• In a bowl whisk together cornstarch, yolks, and a pinch salt. In a heavy saucepan combine milk and sugar and bring to a bare simmer. Add hot milk mixture to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, and return custard to pan. Bring custard to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly, and boil, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.
• Pour custard into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring. Stir in vanilla, cream, and prune mixture and freeze in an ice-cream maker. Makes about 1 quart.
• In a large bowl whisk together milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. With an electric mixer on medium speed beat in remaining sugar, salt, yolk, and 1 cup flour until combined well and beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, adding each new piece just as previous one is incorporated. With a wooden spoon stir in 1 1/2 cups flour, adding more if necessary, until mixture forms a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface knead dough 6 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, dough may be made in bowl of a standing electric mixer, attaching dough hook to knead 4 minutes.)
• Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and let rise, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough. Dough may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Put dough in a sealable plastic bag, pressing out excess air, and chill. Bring dough to room temperature before proceeding.
• In a small saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and stir in sugar, milk, cinnamon, salt, and almonds. Simmer mixture 1 minute and cool to warm.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
• Stretch and press dough onto baking sheet to form a 12-inch round. Spread topping evenly over dough and let rise, uncovered, in a warm place 30 minutes. Press indentations all over cake with your fingertips and bake in middle of oven 18 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Cool cake on baking sheet 10 minutes and transfer to a rack. Cake keeps, wrapped well in foil and chilled, 1 day or frozen 1 week. Reheat cake in middle of a preheated 350°F. oven 15 minutes if chilled or 20 minutes if unthawed frozen.
• Serve beesting cake warm with ice cream.