Maulwurfkuchen is a traditional German cake made with chocolate, bananas and whipped cream. It gets its name from the simple fact that it looks like a molehill.
In Germany, Mole Cake is often prepared at home using a cake mix that can be purchased in the baking aisle of local grocery stores.
Our homemade German Mole Cake recipe is easy to make, featuring a chocolate sponge, sliced bananas, chocolate chip whipped cream and crumbled chocolate cake crumbs.
German Mole Cake is often served as a birthday cake. It offers kids a delicious celebratory slice featuring the flavours of decadent chocolate, sweet banana and whipped cream that is stabilized with gelatin. Chill in the fridge until ready to slice.
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What Is Maulwurfkuchen?
Mole Cake is popular in Germany as well as neighbouring countries throughout Eastern Europe.
In Germany the cake is called Maulwurfkuchen, though bakeries in the Czech Republic refer to the recipe as Krtkuv Dort.
All Mole Cake recipes feature 4 main components:
- Chocolate Sponge Cake
- Sliced Fresh Fruit (bananas, cherries and strawberries are the most popular)
- Stiff Whipped Cream (whipping cream that is stabilized with the addition of gelatin and combined with chocolate chips)
- Crumbled Cake Topping (chocolate cake crumbs are sprinkled on top of the whipped cream to give the cake the appearance of a molehill)
Travel to Germany by Baking Mole Cake at Home
I love traveling to Europe.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Europe, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Maulwurfkuchen recipe. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at German restaurants and bakeries throughout Western Europe in Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Austria.
On a road trip of Germany, I’ve forked through towering slices of Mole Cake in Freiburg, Berlin, Ahrenshoop, Hamburg, Spreewald, Potsdam, Dresden, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Cochem, Mettlach, Nennig, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Munich, Koblenz and Rudesheim.
The first time I tasted Maulwurfkuchen was soon after I arrived in Dusseldorf. I had just arrived to the city from Leipzig. After checking into my hotel it was already after the lunch hour and still hadn’t had anything more than a cup of coffee all day.
I headed straight to the city’s most famous cake shop, a cute cafe overlooking the city’s main square that features a massive display case with over 100 classic German cakes sold by the slice.
I ordered an ice cream sundae as well as a massive slice of Maulwurfkuchen, which tied me over until a beer soaked dinner later that evening.
After you’ve enjoyed your first taste, you’ll realize why Mole Cake is a must-try when visiting Germany!
Where To Eat German Mole Cake
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local German restaurant or European bakery that sells traditional Maulwurfkuchen.
Haven’t traveled to Germany before? It may be helpful to first sample an authentic Mole Cake recipe at a local restaurant or bakery to better understand how the dessert is served. You’ll get an understanding for the perfect fruit to cake to whipping cream ratio and ideal size to cut each slice.
In Toronto, popular restaurants serving German dishes that may offer Mole Cake include Country Style Hungarian, Wvrst, Otto’s Bierhalle, Little Bavaria, Cafe Polonez and Europe Bar and Restaurant.
We also suggest visiting Starsky Foods in Mississauga as they have a big bakery and are the largest European supermarket in the GTA.
My Family Loves Maulwurfkuchen
My family loves cake!
When we were kids my mom would spend hours meticulously decorating birthday cakes for my sister and I. She’d visit a local kitchen supply store and purchase cake pans for my sister and I that featured our favourite heroes of the moment, from My Little Pony to Cookie Monster.
She’d typically bake a chocolate cake sponge and then use various icing tips to pipe colour icings onto the cake. A real culinary masterpiece!
After eating my way through Germany and Eastern Europe I thought it would be fun to celebrate Father’s Day by preparing a cake my family had never tasted.
I knew my dad would love this cake because he’s a fan of chocolate cake, bananas and whipped cream.
He was really impressed by how large the Maulwurfkuchen appeared after being assembled on the cake stand.
We suggest serving Mole Cake with a scoop of ice cream like chocolate, vanilla or banana.
Maulwurfkuchen Recipe Baking Tips
This homemade German Mole Cake recipe is quick and easy to make at home. We’ve included a few baking tips to get you started:
- You can use a circular cake pan or springform pan to make the chocolate sponge.
- You can purchase Mole Cake mix in Germany and throughout Eastern Europe. If you’re looking to save time you may be able to find a cake mix in North America at a European supermarket.
- We’ve used ripe bananas in this recipe but you can also substitute for another fruit like strawberries or cherries.
- We’ve used bittersweet chocolate chips in the whipped cream filling but you could substitute for dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
- We suggest preparing the cake a day in advance and keeping it chilled in the fridge. This allows the gelatin to set and makes it easier to slice the day of the party.
What To Serve with Traditional Maulwurfkuchen
Maulwurfkuchen is a popular German chocolate and cream cake.
We typically like to serve Mole Cake at dessert with coffee, tea and a selection of ice creams.
If you’re hosting a German or Eastern European themed dinner party you might like to serve this Mole Cake recipe as a dessert with:
- Schwäbische Käsespätzle German Cheese Noodles
- Speckknödel German Bread Bacon Dumplings
- Semmelknödel German Bread Dumplings
- Kartoffelknödel German Potato Dumplings
- German Pork Rouladen with Bacon, Apple & Pickles
- Flädlesuppe German Pancake Soup
- Älplermagronen Cheesy Swiss Alpine Macaroni
- Gianduja Lindt Lindor Chocolate Cake
- Crispy Gruyere Grilled Cheese
- Dark Chocolate Lindt Lindor Cookies
- Tartiflette Reblochon
- Ogorkowa Zupa: Creamy Polish Dill Pickle Soup
- Polish Sour Rye Zurek Soup
- Mizeria Creamy Polish Cucumber Salad
- Homemade Pierogies
- Paprikas Csirke Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
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How To Make Maulwurfkuchen German Mole Cake
Maulwurfkuchen German Mole Cake
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- French knife
- Cake Tin
- Egg beaters
- mixing bowl
- Spatula or Wooden Spoon
- Heatproof Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs seperated
- 180 g White Sugar
- 125 g Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 150 g All Purpose Flour
- 20 g Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 100 g Ground Almonds
- 6 leaves Gelatin
- 2 1/2 cup Whipping Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 Ripe Bananas
- 3 oz Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease and flour a 10 inch round cake tin.
- Beat egg whites with half of the sugar until stiff peaks form in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter with remaining sugar until foamy. Slowly stir in the egg yolks. Mix in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and ground almonds until a smooth batter forms. Fold in beaten egg whites. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 min. Allow to cool completely on a rack.
- Meanwhile, put 4 tbsp cold water into a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over. Soak for 5 minutes, then put the bowl in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds. Whip the cream until almost stiff, then add the gelatin. Continue whipping the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
- Using a knife, cut around the edge of the cake base to form a ring approximately 1 inch from the outside of the cake. Do not cut all the way through to the bottom! Use a spoon to hollow out the center of the cake. Crumble the spooned out cake into a bowl with your hands.
- Puree 1 banana in a separate bowl using an electric beater or fork. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar to the whipped cream with the pureed banana and chocolate chips. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Cut the remaining bananas lengthwise to make two halves from each. Lay these face down alongside each other inside the cake cavity. Scoop the cream filling on top, arranging it into a molehill shape, so that the middle is higher than the edge. Top the cream with the crumbs you have made, coating it completely. Leave to chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours and serve cold.
Nutrition
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