Whether you're planning a garden party or need some Mother's Day help, Amy Atlas wants to help. Here, the sweets stylist and author shares her sweet treat that is delicious to eat and beautiful to look at. Enjoy her recipe for bee macaroons and beehive cake.
Recipe: Bee Macaroons (on this page) Recipe: Beehive cake (on this page)1. Place the macaroons on a rack set over a piece of waxed paper and set aside. Transfer the melted chocolate to a small piping bag fitted with a Wilton Round Tip #2 or a small resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped. Pipe three stripes of chocolate equidistant from one another across the top of each macaroon. Tuck a toasted almond slice into the macaroon filling, followed by a second one directly opposite it.
2. Line a platter with gift wrap cut to fit it. Arrange the bumblebees in rows on it and place on the table. Replenish the bees as necessary.
To toast almonds for bees' wings:
Remove broken or chipped pieces from the sliced almonds. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the almond slices in a single layer on an ungreased shallow cookie sheet. Toast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Easy does it Use Nilla Wafers piped with chocolate stripes or fudge stripe cookies in place of the macaroons.
Makes 24
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare a beehive cake mold by greasing with butter or spraying with nonstick spray and dusting with flour. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar to combine. Beat in one egg at a time to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the milk, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and banana. In a medium bowl, sift together the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and flour. Add flour mixture to the mixer and beat until a smooth batter forms.
2. Divide the batter between the halves of the cake mold and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool, outside of the hive up.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the honey glaze. Combine the honey and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze all over both halves of the cake while the cake is still warm, allowing the glaze to soak in. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. When the cake is cool, use a serrated knife to trim and flatten the flat sides of the cakes. Use a small offset spatula to cover one flat side of the cake with the butter- cream. Sandwich with the other half and stand the cake upright. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until the cakes are solidly stuck together.
5. Once the cake is chilled, transfer it to a cake stand and drizzle the Royal Icing over it. Place one or two marzipan bees around the crown and rim of the hive. Affix additional bees to the cake itself by using a dab of Royal Icing as the “glue.” The cake will keep, tightly covered, for up to three days in the refrigerator. To serve, take the cake(s) into the kitchen, cut in half at the seam and lay flat, then cut crosswise into 1-inch slices.
Makes one 16-inch-high, 7-inch-diameter cake from a mold
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