I unearthed another jar of Trader Joe's Morello cherries in the cabinet the other day, so I put them to use in a Dr. Oetker recipe for Donauwellen (Danube Waves Cake). The cake has a layer of vanilla batter underneath a layer of chocolate batter and cherries, topped with buttercream and chocolate glaze. It so happens that I had also picked up a few packets of Dr. Oetker vanilla pudding mix and vanilla sugar from Rodman's, so I was able to make this recipe exactly as written.
This cake calls for a 12-inch by 16-inch pan, which is a size I don't think I've ever seen in the US. I used two 9-inch square pans instead. To make the cake batters, you beat softened butter with sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt; add in eggs; and incorporate flour and baking powder. You spread two-thirds of the batter into the pan(s). You add cocoa powder and milk to the remaining batter and spread it over the vanilla batter. Then you scatter drained jarred cherries on top of the chocolate batter, press them in slightly, and bake.
After the cake is cooled, you spread on a buttercream made by making a packet of vanilla instant custard, letting it cool, and mixing in softened butter. (German buttercream is custard based, and I've been a fan since I was a kid. My mother obtained her go-to birthday cake recipe from one of her graduate school professors, who was German; the delicious frosting was a box of prepared Jell-O cook and serve vanilla pudding mixed with half a pound of softened butter.) You chill the frosted cake briefly before adding a chocolate glaze of dark chocolate with a little vegetable oil added. I used a pastry comb to create a wave design in the glaze.
Because I made this cake on a very hot day, I decided to chill the glazed cake briefly before cutting it to make sure that the chocolate was set. I didn't have any trouble slicing the first of the two cakes I had baked, but it turns out that I had left the second one in the fridge a little too long, because the chocolate was brittle and prone to cracking. But I was delighted that both cakes had fun little waves in the chocolate batter (caused by the cherries sinking into it) that are characteristic of this cake.
This cake was delicious, and I loved the generous amount of cherries. However, I could not help thinking to myself that this cake would have been even better if it had been brushed with cherry syrup before adding the buttercream. The cherry syrup from Sally McKenney's black forest cake is so incredibly good, and it's just the drained syrup the fruit, reduced on the stove with the some liqueur. I actually paused for a moment as I poured the cherry syrup down the drain when I was making this cake, thinking that it was a shame to waste it. While I would definitely add cherry syrup if I made this cake again, I loved it the way it was. The amount of buttercream is enough to add richness without making it too heavy, and the cake was buttery and flavorful. This cake was unusual and satisfying and I would definitely make it again.
Recipe: "Donauwellen (Danube Waves Cake)" from German Baking Today by Dr. Oetker.
Previous post: "The Sweet Syrup is Spectacular: Black Forest Cake," May 25, 2020.
This cake calls for a 12-inch by 16-inch pan, which is a size I don't think I've ever seen in the US. I used two 9-inch square pans instead. To make the cake batters, you beat softened butter with sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt; add in eggs; and incorporate flour and baking powder. You spread two-thirds of the batter into the pan(s). You add cocoa powder and milk to the remaining batter and spread it over the vanilla batter. Then you scatter drained jarred cherries on top of the chocolate batter, press them in slightly, and bake.
After the cake is cooled, you spread on a buttercream made by making a packet of vanilla instant custard, letting it cool, and mixing in softened butter. (German buttercream is custard based, and I've been a fan since I was a kid. My mother obtained her go-to birthday cake recipe from one of her graduate school professors, who was German; the delicious frosting was a box of prepared Jell-O cook and serve vanilla pudding mixed with half a pound of softened butter.) You chill the frosted cake briefly before adding a chocolate glaze of dark chocolate with a little vegetable oil added. I used a pastry comb to create a wave design in the glaze.
This cake was delicious, and I loved the generous amount of cherries. However, I could not help thinking to myself that this cake would have been even better if it had been brushed with cherry syrup before adding the buttercream. The cherry syrup from Sally McKenney's black forest cake is so incredibly good, and it's just the drained syrup the fruit, reduced on the stove with the some liqueur. I actually paused for a moment as I poured the cherry syrup down the drain when I was making this cake, thinking that it was a shame to waste it. While I would definitely add cherry syrup if I made this cake again, I loved it the way it was. The amount of buttercream is enough to add richness without making it too heavy, and the cake was buttery and flavorful. This cake was unusual and satisfying and I would definitely make it again.
Recipe: "Donauwellen (Danube Waves Cake)" from German Baking Today by Dr. Oetker.
Previous post: "The Sweet Syrup is Spectacular: Black Forest Cake," May 25, 2020.
Comments