Traditional Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding with Custard vs Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)

Both desserts lean on butter, sugar, eggs and a vanilla custard thickened with cornstarch, yet they end up in very different places. The treacle sponge is a soft, steamed cake that emerges crowned with golden syrup once turned out, served warm with a custard of whole milk and egg yolks. Bienenstich instead relies on a yeasted dough baked beneath a caramelized honey-butter almond topping, then split and filled with a chilled custard made with heavy cream, enriched with butter and lightened with whipped cream.