This Bee Hive Cake recipe and Nordic mold are absolutely adorable. I originally baked the honey lemon cake from Nordic but, I liked my cream cheese carrot cake recipe. Add some charming piped flowers for decoration to give this delightful cake an extra touch of cuteness. I topped it off with some adorable candy honey bees for decoration, which added the perfect touch.
If you’re planning a special event like a baby shower or a child’s birthday party, this cake will bring a delightful charm to your dessert table! It’s incredibly easy to make, and you can decorate it to match your available time and skills.
Discover the Delights of Beehive Cake: A Culinary Treat
Let’s make this delightful Beehive Cake a sweet marvel that’s as fun to look at as it is to eat! Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a curious newbie, you’ll find something to love about this unique dessert.
Its three-dimensional quality elevates it beyond a standard round cake. Plus, the adorable flowers and bees add an extra layer of charm.
The History and Popularity of Beehive Cake
- Started in Germany:
- Unlike the Eastern European Beehive Cake, the Bienenstich hails from Germany. It’s a beloved traditional cake known for its unique composition and memorable name.
- Why “Bee Sting”? Legend has it that the name originated from an incident where bakers, who were fending off raiders, threw beehives at their attackers. Later, they celebrated their victory with a honey-topped cake known as Bienenstich.
- Why a Beehive?: The cake isn’t just shaped like a beehive for kicks; it symbolizes community, hard work, and all the good stuff bees stand for. Bakers use special molds or some clever handiwork to get that iconic look.
- A Party Favorite: From weddings to festivals, the Beehive Cake is a showstopper in celebrations, especially in Slavic cultures. It’s not just about looks—its rich flavor makes any occasion more special.
- Changing with the Times: The recipe for Beehive Cake has gotten a few makeovers through the years. Originally, it was all about honey. Now, you might find recipes jazzed up with spices, nuts, or even layers of fruit to mix things up.
- Around the World: As Eastern European folks ventured out, they took their beloved Beehive Cake recipes with them. Now, you can find different twists on this classic in kitchens across the globe, each adding a local flavor to this delightful dessert.
A Few Tips About Making This Bee Cake
- Make it as Easy or Complicated as You Like: Depending on your comfort level and time constraints, you can choose a straightforward approach with simple decorations or opt for more complex techniques.
- Use a Bee Hive Mold: To capture the intricate details of a beehive, use a specially designed cake mold that will give your cake the authentic beehive shape and texture.
- Add Creative Decorations: Enhance your Bee Hive Cake with decorative elements such as piped icing bees, fondant flowers, or even candy bees to bring your cake to life.
- Use Fresh Flowers for Decorations: Decorate your Bee Hive Cake with fresh flowers for a natural and elegant touch that complements the bee and honey theme beautifully.
How to Bake the Perfect Beehive Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide
Essential Tools You Need to Create a Beehive Cake
- Bee Hive Cake Mold
- Pastry Bag and Tips (flower tips, leaf tip)
- Plate or Cakestand
- Candy Bees
Ingredients for a Bee Hive Cake
- Grated Carrots: The carrots add natural sweetness, moisture, and a lovely texture essential for carrot cake’s authentic taste and feel.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake and contributes to its golden color and tender crumb.
- Vegetable oil: Oil is used instead of butter to keep the cake incredibly moist and to enhance the longevity of its freshness.
- Flour: Flour provides the structure, helping to hold all the delicious ingredients together in a cohesive cake.
- Cream cheese: Often used in the frosting, cream cheese adds a tangy richness that complements the spiced flavor of the cake beautifully.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients together, adding to the cake’s structure and contributing to its richness and color.
Directions for Making Your Carrot Cake
Step 1 – Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 350°
Step 2 – Prep Cake Pans
Prepare cake pans. Grease (with Crisco or shortening) and flour the bottom and sides of both pans.
Step 3 – Beat Cream Cheese and Sugar
Place wire whisk on Kitchen Aid mixer. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Step 4 – Add Ingredients
Add carrots and beat together.
Next, add eggs and beat until smooth.
Now, alternate adding the flour and oil to the cake batter.
Add salt, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, and nuts to the mixture. Beat well.
Step 5 – Pour Batter into Pans
Pour batter equally into prepared pans.
Step 6 – Bake
Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes clean.
Step 7 – Cool Cakes
Cool pan on a baking rack for 15 minutes. Then, turn the cake pan over and place the cakes on the cooling racks.
Step 8 – Trim The Top of the Cakes
Step 9 – Make Frosting
Make the frosting and place a layer of it between the two cakes.
Step 10 – Make Icing
Combine powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract together until desired thickness. Drip the icing on the top of the cake and allow it to drip down the cake.
Step 11 – Decorate the Bee Hive Cake
I used my piping tip to create the flowers around the base of the cake and dot them on the cake. I found the secret to using this tip is to squeeze the frosting and then pull the tip up and away from the cake.
I placed a few green leaves with the flowers and then added the candy bees on the frosting.
Bee Hive Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 3 cups grated carrots about 4 large carrots
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups flour
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped nuts optional
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Cake Frosting
- ⅛ cup butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Butter Cream For Piping
- ½ cup unsalted butter Softened, but not melted.
- 1½ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar Sifted. You can add more sugar to create the right consistency for thickness.
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Prepare bee hive cake pan. Grease and flour the two bee hive pans.
- Place wire whisk on Kitchen Aid mixer.
- Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add carrots and beat together.
- Next, add eggs and beat until smooth.
- Now, alternate adding the flour and oil to the cake batter.
- Add salt, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, and nuts to the mixture. Beat well.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes.
- The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean.
- Cool pans on a baking rack for 15 minutes.
- Next, invert the cake pans and transfer the cakes onto cooling racks. Once the cakes have cooled completely, trim off the domed tops to create a flat surface.
Icing
- Start by sifting the powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl to remove any lumps. This ensures your icing is smooth.
- Add heavy cream and the vanilla extract to the sifted sugar. Stir with a whisk or a fork until smooth and well combined.
- Check the consistency of the icing. It should be thick yet pourable. If it's too thick, add more heavy cream, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
Frosting
- Cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese.
- Add sugar, milk, and vanilla.
- Beat until smooth.
Butter Cream for Piping
- Using the paddle attachment on medium speed, mix the softened butter for a minute with a mixer.
- Turn off the mixer, add the sifted powdered sugar, and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. The mixture will look clumpy.
- Increase mixer speed to medium, add the vanilla extract, salt, and cream, and beat for 2-3 minutes until it is whipped, fluffy, and creamy in appearance.
- If your frosting needs a stiffer consistency, add more sugar. If your frosting needs thinning out, add more cream, a tablespoon at a time.
Building the Bee Hive Cake
- Apply the cream cheese frosting to the cut sides of the cooled cakes. Then, sandwich the two cakes together with the icing in the middle. Position the cakes upright so that they resemble a beehive.
- Drip the icing on the top of the cake and allow it to drip down the cake.
Decorating the Cake
- Place a small amount of the piping frosting in a small bowl and add green food dye. Mix in the dye and place in a pastry bag with a leaf tip.
- Place the remaining frosting in a pastry bag with the flower tip.
- Decorate the cake with the piped flowers and leaves.
- Add candy sugar bees to the cake.
Nutrition
Pairing Your Beehive Cake: What to Serve at Your Gathering
Thanks for checking out my bee hive cake recipe! I hope you get a chance to make this adorable and delicious cake!
Happy Baking!
Photos: MyPhotography.com
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