Beehive Cake Recipe

Recipe provided by Basque Boulangerie Cafe

• Level: Easy
• Yield: 6 servings
• Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: Serving Size 1 of 6 servings Calories 981; Total Fat 54 g; Saturated Fat 30 g; Carbohydrates 111 g; Dietary Fiber 4 g; Sugar 57 g; Protein 17 g; Cholesterol 278 mg; Sodium 354 mg
• Total: 1 hr 16 min
• Prep: 50 min
• Inactive: 1 min
• Cook: 25 min

Honey Almond Praline:

• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 ounces (1/3 cup) sugar
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) honey
• 3/4 cup (2 ounces) almonds

Custard Filling:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups milk
• 1 envelope, plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cake:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 package active dry yeast or 1 cake fresh yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup warm milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 egg
• 1/3 jar caramel topping

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1. Honey almond praline: Melt the butter, add the sugar and honey, and cook until the mixture bubbles and the ingredients blend. Remove from heat, stir in the almonds, and allow to cool.
2. Custard filling: Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small to medium pan. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and milk, then gradually add to the pan while stirring. Cook over low heat, increasing to medium, until it boils; let it bubble slowly for 34 minutes, then remove from heat.
3. Soak the gelatin in 1/4 cup warm water for 5 minutes, stir into the hot custard, whisk well, transfer to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin, and refrigerate until cool.
4. When the custard is cool, whip the cream with 1/4 cup sugar and the vanilla to medium peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard until smooth, then refrigerate until ready to assemble.
5. Cake: Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar to the well, pour in the warm milk, cooled melted butter, and egg. Let sit 2 minutes, then whisk to dissolve the yeast and liquids. Gradually incorporate the flour to form a dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding just enough flour so the dough is not sticky, for about 57 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest 3045 minutes.
6. Punch down the dough and press or roll it into a greased 9-inch pan. Prick the dough with a fork and spread the cooled honey almond praline evenly over it. Let the cake rise until doubled, about 4560 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F.
7. Bake until golden, approximately 2025 minutes.
8. Assemble: Once cooled, slice the cake in half horizontally to make two layers. Drizzle 1/3 jar caramel over the bottom layer, spread the custard filling over the caramel, place the top layer over the custard, and refrigerate or freeze for several hours to set before slicing.
9. This recipe can be doubled and baked in a half-sheet pan for gatherings; the cake is not overly sweet. When using a half-sheet pan, use a piece of cardboard to lift the top half of the cake; for round layers, a flattened paper plate can help.