Recipe(tried): Kathy...I found it!!!! Bee Sting Cake

Kathy, this recipe was given by Julia Child years ago in McCall's magazine.....she stated that there was a great Restaurant in New York that she and her husband frequented and this cake would be on their dessert cart. Three times she asked for it for her dessert selection and by the time they were ready for dessert, they would be sold out!! The fourth time, she ordered her dessert first before the meal and had them place it on her table to insure she got hers!! After tasting it she realized why it would sell out so quickly....she asked for their recipe. It is a long and drawn out procedure....I made it and it came out perfect!!!

It is filled with an Italian Meringue Buttercream....Here is the recipe in it's entirety::

Julia Child's Bee Sting Cake

Yeast Batter starter:
1 envelope yeast
1/3 cup warm milk (110*)
1 tabsp. sugar
2 large eggs, room temp.
3/4 cup flourStir yeast into warm milk; then stir in sugar. Let stand 8-10 minutes to "proof". Break eggs into a straight sided bowl. Stir yeast mixture into eggs. Beat in 3/4 cup flour. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts for 2 hours.

Final Dough:

2 large eggs, room temp.
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teasp. salt
1/2 teasp. each freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks BUTTER, melted (no substitute)
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup flour

With dough hook on mixer, beat eggs into starter batter. Add sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Slowly drizzle in melted butter and beat well. Gradually add flour and beat to make a soft dough. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour; let dough "rest" 8 minutes. Start kneading at low speed for several minutes. (If dough seems unusually soft, add a little more flour). Turn dough out onto a floured board and let rest 2-3 minutes while you wash and dry mixing bowl. Continue to knead by hand for 2-3 minutes; until dough looks smooth. Lightly grease the bowl and return dough to bowl, turning to coat with the oil. Cover and let rise 3 hours.Forming the cake:

Butter a pizza pan.(Do not use the kind with holes on the bottom of pan) Set aside. Turn dough out onto a floured board and pat into a 14" oval and fold it letter fashion. Repeat this 3X. Shape dough into a round, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest 5 min.

With a floured rolling pin, roll and pat into a circle to fit the pizza pan. Cover loosely with floured plastic wrap and let rise 2 hours.

Glaze:

1 egg beaten with 1 tabsp. water

Brush egg mixture over risen dough.

1/2 cup warmed honey

Brush over egg wash.

Sprinkle 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts over the honey glaze. This will make it look like bees on the nest.

Bake in a preheated 370* oven for 25-30 minutes. Cake should be nicely browned and puffed up about 2 1/2 - 3" high and crisp.

Cool on a rack. When completely cooled, split cake horizontally and fill with Italian Meringue buttercream. Brush entire cake with a mixture of 1/2 cup warmed honey and 1/2 stick melted butter. Chill until ready to serve. Allow to stand at room temp. for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Italian Meringue Buttercream Filling:

Beat 1 1/2 sticks butter until fluffy. Set aside.

In a small saucepan heat 1/2 cup sugar with 3 tabsp. water, covered to the soft ball stage (about 2 minutes).

In a mixing bowl beat 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks at room temperature. With beater on, slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat until doubled in bulk and mixture forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted from the mixture. This should take about 5 min. Remove from simmering water and continue to beat another 5 min. to cool. By tablespoons, add beaten butter into the cooled mixture. Beat in 1 teasp. good vanilla extract and 2 teasp. Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. Transfer mixture to another bowl. Set aside.

In a small covered saucepan repeat the sugar syrup procedure using another 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tabsp. water and cook to the soft ball stage. In well cleaned and dried mixer with the wire whip, beat 2 large egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, but not dry!!

Slowly beat syrup mixture into the beaten egg whites. Beat for 5 minutes until cooled. FOLD COOLED MERINGUE INTO COOLED BUTTERCREAM. CHILL until ready to fill cake.

This recipe is long, but not hard.....I promise the results are fabulously worth it!!!!

Hope this is what you were looking for!!