On the festive occasion of Easter or any other significant day in Germany, it is customary to treat guests to a sweet delicacy with an unusual name: Bee Sting.(German Bienenstich). There is no need to worry about the well-being of your guests. They are not subject to bee stings and do not eat hard-working insects. Bee Sting is the name of a traditional German cake.
Our dessert name has several versions of origin. Today, no one can say whether they are true or just beautiful legends. According to one version, the name appeared due to the sweet filling in the cake. The delicacy strongly attracted bees, and one even bit the creator of this masterpiece.I prefer to believe in one beautiful Rhineland legend.
As you know, geese saved Rome, and the German city of Andernach was protected by bees in 1474. True, it could not have happened without the accidental intervention of two young apprentice bakers. While other city residents were sleeping, the young men decided, out of habit, to enjoy honey from the hives placed on the fortress wall. The Sweet Tooths noticed enemies at the foot of the wall. The boys were not scared and decided to act like the heroes of Hollywood films.
They had no hot tar pitch, no arrows, no swords. The young men decided to fight back in a witty way. The baker’s apprentices threw the hives onto the invaders’ heads. And then the alarmed bees did their job. The invaders from Linz on the Rhine, bitten by insects, fled shamefully. Grateful residents decided to thank the young saviors. The reward for young, brave men, of course, was honey cake. Bakers remembered to mention the bees. The dessert was called Bee Sting. And I want to believe in the integrity of this story. It’s not for nothing that a monument to two baker boys was erected in the town of Andernach.
Interestingly, Bee Sting became a classic among German confectioners and a standard term in labor law. In the 80s, in one of the German bakeries, a hungry saleswoman ate a piece of Bee Sting cake without paying for it. The angry employer fired the woman immediately without notice. She went to court and won reinstatement. Then, the employer appealed, and to the surprise of many lawyers, they won the case. The court decided that even minor damage, such as a piece of cake, can serve as grounds for the immediate dismissal of an employee. The name of the saleswoman has long been forgotten, and the case itself has become firmly established in German labor legislation as a judicial precedent called the Bee Sting Case.
The medieval recipe for the “Bee Sting” cake, served to baker’s apprentices, has not survived. The legendary dessert of that time was likely without cream. Most treats with perishable fillings appeared in 1900. It was at this time that refrigeration equipment began to be widely used. But I’m sure the confectioners did not spare honey for that cake.
Nowadays, there are many different recipes for “Bee Sting.”
To my surprise, honey is not even mentioned in most cases. Some people prefer to create a masterpiece themselves, while others, on the contrary, like to buy it in supermarkets or bakeries.
I decided to do sweet research to compare the taste of cakes from supermarkets and bakeries with those made at home. That is what I have found:
- I associate frozen Bee Sting cake from a regular supermarket with fast food. The delicacy must only be defrosted; after two or three hours, the confectionery product is ready to eat. This dessert is ideal for people who are used to doing everything quickly and prefer to avoid cooking. Eight hundred grams of such pleasure costs seven euros.
- Bee Sting from the bakery feels like a cozy restaurant. The aroma of freshly prepared pastries promises a comfortable time with good friends. For 400 grams of delicacy, you will have to pay about six euros.
- A homemade Bee Sting dessert reminds me of my hospitable grandmother and her delicious treats. The homemade cake is tasty, but such a dessert requires time, skill, and diligence. This delicacy will cost you about twelve euros. The cost of electricity must also be added to the expenses. This option is worth it, despite all the costs. Such a delicious masterpiece is not created daily but only for a special occasion.
Our world is diverse, and everyone has their tastes and preferences. It doesn’t matter whether you buy sweets in a store, in a bakery, or create desserts yourself. The main thing is to try a piece of the famous German Bee Sting cake at least once. Sure, you will like it!
