Traditional German Chocolate Cake Recipe - Donauwelle

Best German chocolate cake recipe with step by step instructions with pictures

I have this German Chocolate Cake Recipe from my German mom-in-law, who had to make this cake pretty often since it happens to be my husband’s favorite cake.

This best German chocolate cake recipe happens to be one of my favorites as well and I make it pretty often. My son and my daughter eat the chocolate cover first, then the crème, and at the end the dry cake.

This is my family’s “Oreo” cookie and everybody has their way of eating it.

best german chocolate cake recipe This is a typical German cake, called the Donauwelle (the Danube waves), which consists of 3 layers. The first layer is a type sponge cake with cherries, second the crème and third the chocolate cover. Nevertheless, it is simple to make and with my instructions and pictures it will be a “piece of cake.”

This recipe for German chocolate cake calls for coconut fat. The coconut fat makes the chocolate spread evenly and first of all easy.

It hardens with a nice glow and makes the chocolate layer cake look really festive. It also makes the crème easy to spread and adds smoothness. If you don’t have access to coconut fat you can substitute it with whipping cream when making the chocolate cover. I would leave it out when making the crème.

You need to keep the cake in the fridge to prevent the chocolate from melting. It also tastes best on the second day, when it is a little moist from the crème. To cut the cake, submerge a knife in HOT water and then cut, otherwise the chocolate will break.

In addition, you can freeze the cake and store it for later. Make sure to cut it in pieces before freezing and defrost in a refrigerator.

Enjoy this recipe for German chocolate cake

German Chocolate Cake Recipe

For the dough:
• 250 g butter (8.8 oz)
• 250 g sugar (1 ¼ cup)
• 6 eggs
• 350 g flour (2 1/3 cups)
• 1 table spoons and 1 teaspoon of baking powder (1 bag of an European baking powder ex. dr. Oetker)

• 2 table spoons of dark cocoa (bitter)
• 2 table spoons of milk

• 1 kg cherries, stoned (about 2 big glasses of cherries)

For the crème:
• Vanilla pudding(ex. Dr. Oetker )
• 500 ml milk (2 cups)
• 100 g sugar (3.5 oz)
• 200 g butter (7 oz)
• 15 g coconut fat (.5 oz)(palmin in Germany or Copha , part of Peerless)

For the chocolate cover:
• 50 g coconut fat (1.8 oz) (palmin in Germany or Copha , part of Peerless)
• 200 g semi sweet or bitter chocolate (7 oz)

Preheat the oven to 170°C – 340°F

Prepare the cake dough:
• Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder and flour together.
• Evenly divide the dough into two; spread one half onto a rectangular buttered and flowered form (around 15 x 13 inches). It will be thin so use a spatula or a knife. I like to use my decorating long knife.

• Mix the coca with the 2 spoons of milk and add to the second half of the dough, mix well.
• Pour the chocolate dough onto the white one. Do this slowly and try to be even.
• Place cherries on top in nice neat rows. When the cake is baked and cut, you will see the “waves” created by the sinking cherries in the dough.
• Bake 30 minutes at 170°C.

Prepare the pudding:
• Prepare pudding according to the instructions on the package; add 100 g sugar and 15 g coco fat. The fat makes the cream easy to spread. Stir until it cools off.
• Beat the 200 g butter and add the cooled off pudding. The butter and the pudding should be the same temperature.
• Pour it onto the baked cake. Place it in the fridge and wait for the cream to solidify.

Prepare the chocolate cover:
• Melt the chocolate in a steam bath together with the 50 g coco fat (the fat makes the chocolate flow easy).
• Pour onto the cream and spread evenly into a thin crust. Place in a refrigerator.

This chocolate layer cake can be done in two steps. One day you can bake the dough with cherries and on the second make the cream and the chocolate cover. You can even spread it to 3 days, making the cream on second and chocolate on the third. The cake tastes best when little moist from the cream. Make sure to keep it in the fridge. To cut, submerge a knife in HOT water and then cut, otherwise the chocolate will break. I hope that this German chocolate cake recipe together with my pictures will let you make this traditional cake simply outstanding.