Donauwelle, often called Danube Wave in English, is a classic sheet cake that’s native to Germany and Austria. It’s characterized by its wave-like appearance and a combination of chocolate and vanilla-flavored batters that are marbled together. The finished product is reminiscent of the waves of the Danube River, which flows through Germany and Austria. Donauwelle contains sour cherries and is then topped with a mixture of buttercream, and chocolate glaze. Sounds mouth-watering, doesn’t it?
The origins of the cake are murky, most just stick to the story of it being inspired by the Danube River. The donauwelle is beloved in both these countries, and the recipe for it is often passed down through generations. As is with every traditional recipe, the cake will taste different in every household. Donauwelle is also sometimes called Schneewittchenkuchen or Snow White Cake because it contains the colors, red, white, and black, just like the Brothers Grimm character’s hair and appearance.
Donauwelle is particularly popular during the holiday and festive season, so if you visit either country during this time, you will be able to enjoy it wherever you go. However, if you’re impatient and don’t want to travel just for cake, then we suggest you recreate the recipe at home. Making donauwelle involves several steps, and the effort is very rewarding. Here’s a quick sweet recipe so you can create it at home:
Ingredients:
For the German buttercream:
- 2 eggs
- 480 ml milk
- 30 gm cornstarch
- 225 gm room temperature, unsalted butter
- 100 gm granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the cake:
- 375 gm flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 225 gm room temperature, unsalted butter
- 5 room temperature eggs
- 20 gm Cadbury Cocoa Powder
- 60 ml milk
- 300 gm drained and pitted sour cherries
For the chocolate ganache:
- 225 gm chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 237 ml heavy cream
Instructions:
- Start with the German buttercream by separating the yolks and whites of the two eggs.
- Add the yolks to a saucepan and whisk, then slowly pour in the milk.
- Next, add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk well.
- The saucepan should be on medium heat and you should continue whisking this mixture until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat, and add the vanilla extract. Then transfer the pudding into a bowl and let it cool down at room temperature.
- Next comes the cake. For this, first you preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 9x13 inch with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, light, and fluffy. Then add one egg at a time and continue to whisk. Finally, add the vanilla.
- Then incorporate the flour into this mixture in two batches.
- Spread about ⅔ of the cake batter onto the base of the lined cake tin.
- Sift cocoa powder and milk into the remaining cake batter. Mix well. Spread this over the vanilla batter layer. Try your best not to swirl them together.
- Add a layer of sour cherries.
- Then place the cake tin in the oven for 28 to 35 minutes.
- Let the cake cool down to room temperature. This should take about an hour or more.
- Take the room-temperature pudding and unsalted butter, and whisk them together to create German buttercream.
- Once the cake has completely cooled down, spread the German buttercream over the cake. Chill it for an hour in the fridge.
- While the cake chills, prepare the chocolate ganache by adding chopped chocolate into a mixing bowl.
- Heat the cream in a saucepan, but don’t bring it to a boil. Medium-high heat is sufficient for this.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and keep stirring to evenly dissolve all the pieces. Let the ganache sit for five to six minutes.
- Take out the cooled cake, and pour the ganache over the buttercream.
- To spread it around, tilt the cake tin from one side to the other. Allow the ganache layer to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the ganache layer has set, run a fork over it in a zig-zag pattern to resemble waves.
- Then place the cake back into the fridge for about 35 to 45 minutes.
Extract the cake from the tin, then slice and serve