donauwellen // danube waves

Donauwelle (danube wave)- a classic German cake with morello cherries, butter creme and cocoa. Butter cream? Oh oh! Its contains two layers of batter: a white and a dark one. Actually this cake is sometimes also called Schneewittchenkuchen / Snow White Cake, probably because of the combination of colours: white, black and red. Neat. But why this is mostly called Donauwelle? I have no idea. Yes, there is a wave-like pattern, but why attribute it to the Danube? Well, one thing is for sure – this cake is very yummy indeed. Very heavy, too.

This is why you will find here a variation of the cake: I let go of the butter cream layer completely. And the result may not be called a Snow White Cake – or Danube Wave any longer, but maybe the little sister or nephew. And it is very easy to make and requires not many ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 500 g gutter, softened
• 500 g sugar
• 6 eggs (medium)
• 500 g flour
• 1 pkg baking powder
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 glass cherries, (720 ml)
• 200 g semi sweet chocolate

Directions:

Line a standard baking tray (35×46 cm /14 x 18 “) with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 175°C /350 °F.

Whisk butter with sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy. Mix flour with baking powder and beat into the butter-mixture in several steps until all is incorporated well. Pour half of the batter on the baking tray and spread evenly using a spatula.

Beat cocoa powder into remaining batter, again until incoporated well. Pour this dark batter on top of the light layer of batter and spread evenly with a spatula. Remove cherries from jar (and keep the liquid for drinking, or mixing it with mineral water). You won’t need the liquid for the cake. Now distribute the cherries evenly on top of the dark layer of batter (they will sink a bit, no need to worry, this actually is the reason for the wave-like pattern).

Bake the cake on the middle rack for about 60 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean when you decide to remove the cake from the oven. Let cool.

In a double boiler melt semi sweet chocolate and spread this evenly over the cooled cake. Once the frosting has set, cut the cake into bite-sized chunks or cake-like portions.

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