Donauwellen / Danube Waves Cake

This traditional Donauwellen recipe, translated Danube waves cake, is layered alternating with vanilla and chocolate cake dough, sour cherries and vanilla cream. After the cake is baked and cooled off a chocolate glaze is applied to the top of the cake and waves are made using a fork. When the cake is cut in squares it looks a little like the waves of the Danube river from the side. The 'Donauwellen' cake looks very elegant and tastes great with the different flavor layers.

Donauwellen / Danube Waves Cake

Ingredients:

500 g / 17.5 oz butter at room temperature (optional: margarine)

360 g / 12.5 oz sugar 

2 pinches salt

7 eggs (room temperature)

300 g / 10.5 oz flour

1 flat teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons cacao powder

1 L / 1 quart milk

2 jars of sour cherries (720 ml / 3 cups each)

2 packages Dr. Oetker® Vanilla pudding powder (substitute with 2 JELL-O® Vanilla pudding 3 oz box, make with 2 cups milk for each pudding, 4 cups milk total)

75 g / 2.5 oz powdered sugar

300 g / 10.5 oz dark chocolate (semi-sweet)

40 g / 1.5 oz coconut fat

150 g / 5.2 oz whipping cream

20 cherries for garnish

Preparation

Combine 300 g / 10.5 oz butter, 300 g / 10.5 oz sugar, pinch of salt and eggs, mix until creamy. Mix the flour with the baking powder and fold to the batter. Mix everything together then divide the mixture in half. Mix 2 tablespoons cocoa powder with 2 tablespoons milk and add to the one half of the dough mixture, combine by mixing until all is blended well. Drain the sour cherries in a sieve. Line a deep baking sheet with parchment paper. First spread the light colored dough mixture and then layer on top with the cocoa dough. Make a wave pattern with a fork (to mix it up lightly). Distribute the well drained cherries all over and push them lightly into the dough. Bake in a preheated oven for ca. 40 minutes (180 °C/356° F, Convection 160 °C/320° F). Check with a toothpick if cake is done. (When toothpick comes out clean the cake is done)

Mix the pudding powder with a little of the cold milk. Bring the remaining milk with the sugar and a pinch of salt to a boil, add the pudding powder, bring to a boil again, stirring continuously until thickened. Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover tightly with Ceran wrap, let cool at room temperature. Mix the powdered sugar with the remaining butter. Fold the cooled pudding one spoon at a time into the butter mixture. Spread the cream evenly on the cake. Refrigerate.

Chop the chocolate and let melt in a double boiler. Heat the coconut fat and add to the melted chocolate mixing it until it looks glossy. Spread over the cake and make wave pattern with a fork. Let chocolate harden. Sieve the cocoa powder with powdered sugar over the cake. Cut the cake in squares. Whip the cream and decorate one tab on each square, top with a cherry.

Photo Credit: Fotolia

http://www.bavariankitchen.com/desserts/donauwellen.aspx