Beehive Cake

Directions

1. To make the honey almond praline: Heat the butter, add in sugar and honey, cook till bubbly and ingredients marry. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds. Let this mix cold.
2. To make the custard filling: First, place the sugar and cornstarch in a small to medium pan. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and lowfat milk together. Whisk them into the sugar and starch mix in the pan. Cook this over low heat and gradually increase to a medium heat bringing the mix to a boil. The mix will bubble slowly. Whisk this bubbling mix for 3 to 4 min and remove from heat.
3. Soak the gelatin in a 1/4 c. of hot water for 5 min. Add in gelatin mix to warm custard and whisk. Set aside to cold in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic to keep mix from crusting and chill till cold.
4. After mix has cooled, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla to medium peaks.
5. Fold whipped cream into cooled custard. Make sure to whisk custard to creamy stage before gradually folding in whipping cream. Chill till ready to fill split cake layers.
6. To make the cake: Sift flour and salt together into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add in yeast and sugar to the well. Add in lowfat milk, cooled melted butter, and egg, and let sit for 2 min to soften yeast, whisk yeast and liquid ingredients only to dissolve yeast. Gradually whisk or possibly beat in flour till well is blended. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead in sufficient flour only till dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading approximately 5 to 7 min till dough is smooth and elastic. Cover dough with a towel or possibly plastic wrap and let dough rest approximately 1/2 hour to 45 min.
7. Punch dough down. Roll or possibly pat dough into 9 inch, greased pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Spread cooled honey almond praline over dough. Let cake rest and double in height approximately, 45 to 60 min. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake till golden brown approximately 20 to 25 min.
8. To assemble the cake: Cut cooled cake in half to make 2 layers. Drizzle 1/3 jar caramel over bottom layer. Top with the custard mix. Place the top layer over the custard and chill or possibly freeze for several hrs to hard up custard before cutting.
9. This recipe can be doubled and made into a half sheet cake the size of a jellyroll pan, this is wonderful to serve for breakfast gatherings, this cake won't be too sweet. If baking in half sheet, use a piece of cardboard to lift off top half of cake, you can use a flattened paper plate on round cake layers.
10. Yield: 6 servings