Vanilla Bourbon Bee Sting Cupcakes + Giveaway!

Madagascar is on my travel destination bucket list. It’s a place I dream about spending at least a month exploring. From meeting lemurs to scuba diving with whale sharks, there is so much to do and discover. Also, a fair amount of these Madagascar vanilla beans would definitely find their way into my suitcase. Consequently, when Nielsen Massey asked me to sample their Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, I was in. They had me at “Madagascar”. So that’s how these Vanilla Bourbon Bee Sting Cupcakes were born.

Welcome to Germany’s famous Bee Sting Cake in a cupcake version! I’ve spotted this in German cooking magazines several times over the years. They have been on my list to make for a while. However, I was looking for just the right flavor to add to them. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bee Sting Cake in its pure form. But sometimes I feel it begs for additional flavors. See this lavender version below. Vanilla Bourbon Bee Sting Cupcakes are my next bee sting cake flavor twist. I used the bourbon vanilla flavor combination in the cake, the pastry cream, and the topping. A trifecta of bourbon vanilla!

Like conventional Bee Sting Cake, these Vanilla Bourbon Bee Sting Cupcakes start with a yeasted cake. At first, it seems weird to make a cupcake using yeast. However, I wanted to stick with the traditional base recipe. I cut the baked cupcakes in half horizontally. Then filled them with Vanilla Bourbon flavored pastry cream.

The caramelized almond topping for these Vanilla Bourbon Bee Sting Cupcakes is delicious. Caramelize raw almond leaves using a mixture of sugar, honey, butter, bourbon, and the bourbon vanilla extract.

The Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Nielsen Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract is produced from premium, hand-selected beans. Madagascar is the world’s leading supplier of the highest quality vanilla. The flavor profile is full, sweet, creamy and mellow with velvety after-tones. Furthermore, it is the perfect all-purpose vanilla for both hot and cold recipes.

Giveaway:

Nielsen Massey is giving away a bottle of this Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. Hop on over to this blog’s Facebook page for details.

These Vanilla Bourbon Bee Sting Cupcakes are a lovely special dessert to make for Easter. However, bourbon vanilla flavor works any time of year. Bookmark this for your fall baking schedule.

5 from 1 vote

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Vanilla Bourbon Bee Sting Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes Chill/Rise Time: 2 hours Bake Time: 20 minutes Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes

Cuisine German

Keyword Cupcakes

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Chill & Rise Time 2 hours

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 1 Dozen

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

For the Bourbon Vanilla Pastry Cream:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon bourbon
• 6 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• 5+1/2 tablespoons flour
• 2 large egg yolks slightly beaten
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

For the Bourbon Vanilla Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 teaspoons dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup vanilla sugar*
• 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• *Substitute white granulated sugar. Easy recipe for vanilla sugar is below.

For the Bourbon Vanilla Almond Topping:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup vanilla sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1/2 Teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
• 1+1/2 cups blanched almond leaves
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Make the Bourbon Vanilla Pastry Cream:

1. Add the beaten egg yolks to a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the bourbon, milk, sugar, and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the mixture starts to boil and has thickened.
3. Slowly pour the mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper them.
4. Add the mixture back into the saucepan and stir in the butter.
5. Stir in the vanilla bourbon extract.
6. Transfer the mixture back into the heatproof bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic cling film, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the pastry cream.
8. Chill for at least 2 hours.
9. Whip the heavy cream and fold into the vanilla bourbon cream.
10. Chill until ready to use.

Make the Bourbon Vanilla Cake:

1. Warm 1/2 cup of the milk.
2. Add the yeast and dissolve.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, the egg, 6 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup vanilla granulated sugar, salt, bourbon, and bourbon vanilla extract.
4. Add the yeasted milk and use the dough hook to knead into a smooth dough.
5. Cover the dough with a dishcloth and stow in a warm place for 45 minutes.
6. Grease and flour a 12 well cupcake pan.
7. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and fill the wells of the cupcake pan.
8. Cover the pan with a dish towel and stow in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Make the Bourbon Vanilla Almond Topping:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter, vanilla sugar and honey.
2. Stir in the bourbon and the vanilla bourbon extract.
3. Add the almond leaves. and stir to coat.
   
4. Stir in 5 tablespoons of milk. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Brush the honey-almond mixture over the tops of the dough in the cupcake pan.
   
7. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Assemble the Bourbon Vanilla Bee Sting Cupcakes:

1. Cut the cooled cupcakes in half horizontally.
2. Place the bottom halves on a serving plate.
3. Fill a pastry bag with the vanilla bourbon pastry cream and pie it onto the bottom halves of the cupcakes.
   
4. Place the cupcake tops onto the pastry cream and serve.

Vanilla Sugar Recipe:

1. Add used or ground vanilla pods to white granulated sugar in a jar. Seal with a lid and keep in your pantry. I should be ready to use in a week.

Like these Bourbon Vanilla Bee Sting Cupcakes? Try some of these Bourbon inspired sweet treats: