Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Chocolate Cherry Mascarpone Cake...A.K.A Donauwelle Cake

By: The Food Hunter


In Germany this elegant cake would be called Donauwellen (“Danube waves”) because of the wavy  patterns formed with each layer. The traditional German recipe combines a slab of marble sheet cake with sour cherries, buttercream and melted bittersweet chocolate on top. If you search the internet you will find a lot of recipe variations for this elegant cake. It's one of those easily adaptable recipes that always seems to come out delicious.


Being the chocolate lover that I am I decided to switch things up and make a chocolate cake base, I added a sweetened mascarpone layer, though next time I may try using ricotta. I used dark Morello cherries and a 72% dark chocolate for the ganache. The results were amazing!!


Chocolate Cherry Mascarpone Cake

For the chocolate cake:
1 1/3 cups flour
7 oz butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
6 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 jar of dark cherries, drained

For the cheese layer:
16 oz mascarpone
5 oz heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean

For the ganache:
10 oz dark chocolate
7 oz heavy cream


Preheat your oven to 350. Mix butter and sugar until creamy, add the eggs and mix well until all combined. Combine the flour, baking powder & cocoa powder. Add to the egg mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased springform baking pan, smoothing it evenly. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.

In the meantime put the mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla bean into a mixer and mix until smooth. Add the double cream and mix again until well combined.

Refrigerate until the cake is ready. Once ready spread mascarpone mixture over cake and put back into the refrigerator.

Finely chop the chocolate and put into a bowl. In a small pot, bring the double cream to boil. Add chocolate and stir to melt.

Spread the chocolate over the cake deliberately leaving it uneven.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.

22 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You have no idea how much this cake is making me crazy right now. I wish I could just will it into existence this moment so I could consume it. So stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  3. what a cool cake! i love fancy cakes like this. i feel like they must have been invented by people who would have been food bloggers, before there were food bloggers. can't wait to try!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so hooked on mascarpone in desserts! So light and delicious and paired with chocolate is scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This looks way better than the cakes here in Germany. Seriously. :) And I love that you added mascarpone!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the meaning of the name, and love the unique spin you put on this cake!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You can never go wrong with chocolate and mascarpone. What a lovely cake!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, what a cake! That mascarpone layer puts this over the top in a really good way.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beatuiful! I've got two containers in mascarpone in the fridge! Yay!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You had me at mascarpone (I love it even more than cream cheese!). This cake is incredible!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful...I love the mascarpone layer. So creamy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Now this, this is a dessert worth every calorie! That ganache is to die for!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I really like your recipe. You make it look really easy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I wish I was sitting at your table with a fork, that layer of chocolate on the cake is soooo decadent! Excellent recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'd love a slice, it looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This cake looks incredible! Love the layers!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This cake looks and sounds divine - such wonderful flavours. Popped over from Try a Bite Tuesday.
    Angela x
    Only Crumbs Remain

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh my I want some, this looks so delicious, please stop by Oh My Heartsie Girl Feature Friday and share this lovely recipe!

    Hope you have a great weekend, Karren

    ReplyDelete
  19. It certainly looks amazing. I would absolutely love a piece

    ReplyDelete