Valurile Dunării (Waves of the Danube)
Also called valurile dunarii, Donauwelle, Danube waves cake
A cocoa sponge with sour cherries under vanilla custard butter cream spooned into waves and covered with dark chocolate glaze.
- Makes
- about 20 squares, 25 × 35 cm (10 × 14 inch) pan
Ingredients
Pan sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Cocoa base
Vanilla custard
Chocolate glaze
Method
Base
Heat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and line a 25 × 35 cm (10 × 14 inch) pan.
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the granulated sugar (150 g¾ cup) gradually. Fold in the yolks, sunflower oil (100 ml7 tbsp) and milk (100 ml7 tbsp). Sift the flour (200 g1⅔ cups), cocoa powder (30 g6 tbsp) and baking powder (10 g2½ tsp) together and fold them in.
Pour into the pan and scatter the sour cherries (300 g) over the batter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely.
Custard
Heat the milk (500 ml2 cups). Whisk the egg yolks (4), granulated sugar (100 g½ cup) and cornstarch (50 g7 tbsp) in a bowl, pour in some of the hot milk, whisking, then return it all to the pot. Cook, whisking, until thick. Add the vanilla (1 tsp). Cool completely.
Beat the butter (200 g¾ cup + 2 tbsp) until creamy and fold it into the custard.
Spoon or pipe the custard over the cake in waves or peaks.
Glaze
Melt the dark chocolate (150 g) with the butter (50 g¼ cup) and sunflower oil (14 g1 tbsp). Cool slightly and pour over the custard.
Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares.