Honey Almond Cake with Diplomat Cream
My take on the traditional German Bee Sting Cake! Honey Almond cake layers filled with a light & fluffy Diplomat cream and garnished with almond praline.
Servings 12
Calories 727kcal
Ingredients
Honey Almond Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup milk room temperature
Honey Almond Syrup:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 drops almond extract
Diplomat Cream:
- 1 cup milk divided
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3/4 cups heavy cream cold
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tsp skim milk powder
Almond Praline:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Assembly:
- 1 cup sliced almonds toasted
Instructions
Honey Almond Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder,and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla, honey, and almond extract and mix until combined.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 30mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.
Honey Almond Syrup:
- Place honey, almond extract, and water into a small pot. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cool completely.
Pastry Cream:
- Place 3/4 cups milk and vanilla bean paste into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring often until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat
- In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Return mixture to saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
- Pass through a strainer and into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of custard to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cool to room temperature then place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set.
- Go here for a detailed tutorial on How to Make Pastry Cream but follow ingredient amounts listed with this Honey Almond Cake.
Diplomat Cream:
- Whip cream until soft peaks (ideally in a cold bowl with a cold whisk). Add powdered sugar and skim milk powder and whip until stiff peaks.
- Remove plastic wrap from top of pastry cream. Whip by hand with a whisk until smooth.
- Fold 1/2 cup whipped cream into the pastry cream until smooth. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream until smooth.
- Chill for 30-60mins in the fridge.
Almond Praline:
- Line a sheet pan with parchment, set aside.
- Place sugar and water into a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir to combine and until sugar dissolves. Do not stir from this point forward. Use a pastry brush to wash down the inside of the pot occasionally to prevent sugar from crystalizing.
- Cook sugar, swirling pot occasionally until desired color of caramel is reached (10-15 minutes).
- Remove from heat and add the butter and almonds. Stir to combine and immediately pour onto baking sheet and spread evenly as best as possible. Cool completely (about 30mins).
- Once the praline has cooled and set use a kitchen mallet or similar to break sugar into shards.
Assembly:
- Carve a circle 1/2" deep in each cake layer to hold in the filling. I used a 6" cake round as a template, placed that on top, and cut around it. Alternatively, you can do a white chocoalte ganache dam around the edge to hold in the filling. Generously brush the cake layers with honey almond syrup.
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of toasted sliced almonds.
- Fill the center with Diplomat cream so that it domes. Sprinkle more toasted almonds over top. Invert the second layer and place it carved side down on top of the dome (it's ok if some diplomat cream squeezes out).
- Frost and smooth the outside of the cake in a rustic manner with remaining diplomat cream Chill for 30mins.
- Place almond praline shards around the outside of the cake.
- Diplomat cream will not keep very long. Store cake in the fridge and ideally serve same day.
Nutrition
Calories: 727kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 77g | Vitamin A: 774IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 2mg