Best Beesting Recipes

SOUTH AFRICAN BEESTING CAKE WITH CUSTARD FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg Celsius.
• Grease and flour a 9-inch (22 cm) loose-bottomed cake tin.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the milk, until you have a smooth sponge batter.
• Spread the batter in the prepared tin, and prepare the topping before the cake goes into the oven.
• Topping: combine all the ingredients in a small pot, stir, and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this over the cake batter and spread evenly.
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 - 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Remove cake carefully and cool on a wire rack.
• While cake is in the oven, make the custard filling.
• Bring milk and cream just to simmering.
• Add cornstarch to the sugar, then beat egg yolks with this mixture and the vanilla until light and creamy.
• Slowly, in a thin stream, add the scalded milk while whisking. Now you need to put this mixture either in the pot you scalded the milk in, or in a double boiler. Heat, stirring, (I prefer stirring with a whisk) until the mixture thickens well. Do not boil it because the eggs will cook and the custard will separate, so be very careful.
• Stir in the butter, remove from heat, and cool.
• Once the cake and custard have cooled down, split the cake carefully into three thin layers. You can do this with thick cotton thread, pulling it through the cake from both sides. Or use a long serrated knife like a bread knife.
• Sandwich the layers together with the custard filling. The top should be golden, with lovely golden sliced almonds.

BEESTING

Steps:

• In a glass, add 1/2 beer and 1/2 orange juice. Float the orange slice on top of the drink.

FREE-FORM BEESTING CAKE

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan combine prunes, porter, and honey and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most liquid is evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool prune mixture.
• In a bowl whisk together cornstarch, yolks, and a pinch salt. In a heavy saucepan combine milk and sugar and bring to a bare simmer. Add hot milk mixture to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, and return custard to pan. Bring custard to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly, and boil, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.
• Pour custard into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring. Stir in vanilla, cream, and prune mixture and freeze in an ice-cream maker. Makes about 1 quart.
• In a large bowl whisk together milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. With an electric mixer on medium speed beat in remaining sugar, salt, yolk, and 1 cup flour until combined well and beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, adding each new piece just as previous one is incorporated. With a wooden spoon stir in 1 1/2 cups flour, adding more if necessary, until mixture forms a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface knead dough 6 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, dough may be made in bowl of a standing electric mixer, attaching dough hook to knead 4 minutes.)
• Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and let rise, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough. Dough may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Put dough in a sealable plastic bag, pressing out excess air, and chill. Bring dough to room temperature before proceeding.
• In a small saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and stir in sugar, milk, cinnamon, salt, and almonds. Simmer mixture 1 minute and cool to warm.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
• Stretch and press dough onto baking sheet to form a 12-inch round. Spread topping evenly over dough and let rise, uncovered, in a warm place 30 minutes. Press indentations all over cake with your fingertips and bake in middle of oven 18 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Cool cake on baking sheet 10 minutes and transfer to a rack. Cake keeps, wrapped well in foil and chilled, 1 day or frozen 1 week. Reheat cake in middle of a preheated 350°F. oven 15 minutes if chilled or 20 minutes if unthawed frozen.
• Serve beesting cake warm with ice cream.