From time to time I run give-away competitions on my Facebook page (Decadent Alternatives = Gluten free Baking) & one of the conditions of entry is to comment on what you really miss or what you would like to make if you won some Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. A Bee Sting Cake was one of those answers. I had to see if I could make one gluten free as I couldn't resist the combination of brioche style bread with honey toffee, almonds & creme patisserie. After many attempts I'm happy to say that these are YUM!

To make these you will need a 12 hole & a 6 hole muffin tin (Texan) and some muffin wrap papers. 

This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour. 

Ingredients

225 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour

25 g Maize starch

7 g Psyllium husk powder

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Yeast

5 g Sugar (for the yeast)

40 g Honey

1 Egg

40 g Butter

235 g Warm water

 

Honey Toffee

100 g Caster sugar

100 g Honey

100 g Cream

100 g Butter

+ flaked almonds

 

Custard

150 g Thickened cream*

300 g Milk (full fat)

30 g Maize starch

75 g Sugar

3 Whole eggs 

1 Egg yolk

10 g Vanilla essence

Extra Thickened cream *

* I buy a 300 ml bottle of thickened cream & use 150 g of it to make the custard. I then use the cream left in the bottle to "thin" the custard a little before putting into the buns. 

 

Method

Warm water is ~1/4 to 1/3 of boiling water with the remaining cold water (tap). Whether you use 1/4 or 1/3 will depend on how cold your tap water is. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.

Pre-incubate the yeast at room temperature for approximately 5 - 8 mins in 100 g of warm water containing the sugar. Stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar & disperse the yeast. This gives the yeast a readily available food source & they can "revive" in a relatively undisturbed environment. After the allocated time the surface of the yeast mixture should be slightly frothy. This indicates the yeast are viable. 

If the yeast mixture has a frothy top or you can see bubbles proceed with bread making.

Are you going to proof the dough in your oven or in another warm spot? If proofing in your oven turn oven to ~50 C for approximately 10 mins then turn it off again.

Grease the holes of a 12 hole muffin tin. 

Combine the dry ingredients getting rid of any lumps. 

Combine the honey, egg, butter & remaining 135 g of warm water. 

Mix together the dry ingredients & the wet ingredients, preferably using a stand mixer, until a smooth dough forms.

Put a little oil on your benchtop & a little on your hands.  Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball in your hands & put the dough ball into one of the holes in the muffin tin.  

Prove the buns in a warm, moist spot for ~45 mins. 

Turn oven on to 180 C. Put a roasting dish half filled with hot water in the bottom of the oven.  

Transfer muffin tin to the oven & bake the buns for ~ 30 mins.

Bring out of the oven & carefully remove the buns from the tin. Allow to cool completely. 

Buns can be frozen at this stage. 

Making the custard - can be made a day ahead

Line a tray or container with non-stick paper & have a bit hanging over the sides. Put plastic clingwrap over the paper (it makes it easier to get the custard out). 

Thermomix

Put ingredients into the TM bowl. Cook at 90 C for 12 mins at speed 4. 

While the custard is still hot, pour it in the tray. Put a layer of plastic clingwrap on top of the custard. Set aside to cool. When it is cool enough put the tray into the fridge.

Stove Top

On the stove top the custard can be made in a saucepan or in a double boiler. There is more control of the temperature in a double boiler & the custard is usually very smooth. If making the custard in a saucepan have on hand a stab blender. If the custard is lumpy blitz it with the stab blender. 

Mix a little of the cream/milk with the maize starch to make a paste in the saucepan or top of a double boiler.

Add the remaining cream/milk, sugar, vanilla essence, eggs (whole & yolks). 

Stir over low/medium heat until it starts to thicken. Turn off the heat or lower the heat & stir the custard at this temperature for ~4 mins. 

While the custard is still hot, pour it into the tray. Put a layer of plastic clingwrap on top of the custard. Set aside to cool. When it has cooled sufficiently transfer the tray to a fridge.

Making the toffee (honey caramel) - can be made days ahead

Put the ingredients (minus the almonds) into a medium sized heavy based saucepan. The mixture will expand considerably when it is boiling. 

Heat gently while stirring until the butter melts & the sugar dissolves.

Increase heat & bring to the boil. Boil for ~3 - 5 mins. Take off heat & allow to cool for ~15 mins.

Assembling the Bee Stings

Turn oven on to 200 C fan forced. 

Put the muffin wraps into the holes of the Texan muffin tin.

If the toffee/caramel is not warm heat it up a little. 

Sprinkle a small plate with the flaked almonds.  

There are plenty of ways you can add the honey toffee to the bun. I found the easiest (& most satisfying) way was to put the bun into the saucepan of toffee & coat the bun completely by spooning the toffee over the top. Use a spoon or tongs to transfer the bun to the plate containing the flaked almonds. Transfer coated bun to a muffin wrap (if you really love honey caramel put a little extra on top of the bun). Repeat. 

Bake in the oven for ~10 mins or so. How long you leave the buns in will depend on your toffee preferences.

Allow to cool a little before slicing open.

Take a little of the custard & blitz it with a stab blender or mush it with the back of a fork. It will depend on how you like your custard as to whether you thin it down a little with some cream before you put it into the bun.

(I scooped out a little of the bun so that I could fit more custard in :) ). 

Simply enjoy!