Aldi Shoppers Are Raving About This Traditional German Cake

It's baaack. German Week at Aldi is always a big deal, drawing in loyal shoppers to stock up on fan favorites — and one traditional German cake always seems to create a buzz. With the fall edition of the twice-yearly event in full swing, Aldi shoppers are swarming Reddit with sightings of the beloved bee sting cake. Also known as Bienenstich, bee sting cake consists of layers of sweet yeast cake and vanilla custard topped with caramelized almonds (via German Culture). 

"This bee sting cake (what my grandmas [sic] calls it when she makes it) is to die for! Low in calories compared to other deserts. I'll be going back today to buy a few more to keep in the deep freeze!" Redditor MDB3823, who started the thread, wrote. One Redditor, heidithebold, decided to be a bit of a buzzkill. "How is that low in calories? Is it like an angel food cake or whipped frosting or something?" Not to be deterred, MDB3823 countered, "Low in calories compared to other deserts [sic]." Well, okay then. Let's dig in.

In addition to raving about the flavor, Redditor MDB3823 also provided some intel about this luscious pastry's heritage. "Bienenstich translates to 'bee sting'. My grandma told me that the name originates from waaaaaay back when German bakers would throw whole bee hives at thieves from other villages to scare them away." Kittledeedee responded, "Dude that's a great piece of German lore that just made my morning. Brachte mich zum freaking kichern!" ("Made me giggle freaking," according to Google Translate.)

We don't know about bakers and thieves, but there does seem to be some connection between bee sting cake and, well, bees. According to WiseGeek, one popular theory suggests the name derives from a German baker's encounter with a bee. He was stung while working on a recipe for the cake's honey-centric almond topping. Dann Woellert, Food Etymologist leans more toward the bakers-gone-wild theory MDB3823 shared on Reddit. In the 15th century, he writes, "German bakers pummelled [sic] invaders with beehives, to fend them off. They later celebrated by baking a cake named after their violent efforts."

Whatever its origin, bee sting cake is a winner among Aldi shoppers. "When I see it I usually grab two to put in the freezer. That creme filling and the almonds ... one of my Aldi faves," one Redditor raved. Meanwhile, commenter Mike5055 lamented the short-term availability of this fan-favorite pastry: "Why can't this be a more regular item?! I'm on vacation this week and am going to miss all the German week items!" Better luck next time, Mike.