Nostalgic German mole cake is made with rich chocolate cake, fresh sliced bananas, and a huge pile of airy whipped cream! Then chocolate cake crumbs cover the entire cake so it looks just like a mole hill! Maulwurfkuchen was one of my favorite cakes growing up in Germany, and I think you'll love this easy dessert too.
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All right, let's get right into it, because this recipe brings me so much joy! It's a chocolate banana cream cake known in Germany as Maulwurfkuchen, which translates to "mole cake" in English.
I couldn’t find a definitive answer on the internet as to why it's called “mole cake”. However, the chocolate cake crumbles on top look like dirt, and the cake is shaped into a dome. So the overall look is very similar to a molehill.
This Maulwurfkuchen was inspired by my other chocolate cake recipes including Black Forest cake and triple chocolate mousse cake. And a slice of this rich yet light mole cake tastes great with a dusting of cocoa powder or a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce on top.
Growing up in Germany, I remember stores selling a boxed mix for Maulwurfkuchen. But since they don’t have those convenient boxed mixes here in the U.S., we’ll make our own version from scratch. 🙂
One of my favorite aspects of this cake is that nothing goes to waste! A lot of times when you trim the caramelized edges and top off a cake, those pieces get thrown away (or snacked on, hehe). But in this cake, we’re going to crumble them for the topping!
Why You'll Love Maulwurfkuchen
- The cake includes coffee, which amps up the flavor of the chocolate. It doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, but it makes the cake taste even more chocolatey!
- It’s such a cute cake for birthdays or parties. Imagine if you add cute decorations on top like gummy worms or flowers!?
- Almond extract in the cake and whipped cream adds a floral, nutty flavor that pairs deliciously with banana. But you can also use vanilla, which is another great flavor pairing with bananas!
- German cakes are often made with butter, but vegetable oil in this chocolate mole cake makes it extra soft and moist.
Ingredients and Notes
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt - I recommend using fine sea salt or table salt, not kosher salt.
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Egg
- Almond extract - You can substitute vanilla extract; I think the nutty almond flavor tastes extra delicious with fresh bananas.
- Vegetable oil
- Plain Greek yogurt - You can substitute sour cream or dairy free Greek yogurt.
- Coffee - Strong, freshly brewed hot black coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate. If you don't drink coffee, you can substitute hot water.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips - Optional to add extra little chocolate chunks in the cake.
- Heavy cream - Keep your heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream) cold in the fridge so it whips up faster.
- Powdered sugar - You can substitute confectioners' sugar
- Ripe bananas - Make sure your bananas aren't green, which will add a bitter taste. You also don't want them too mushy and dark brown, otherwise they'll be too soft to slice evenly.
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, almond extract, vegetable oil, and Greek yogurt.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients.
5. Pour the chocolate cake batter in a greased 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan.
7. Whip the cold heavy whipping cream and almond extract until it forms soft peaks.
9. Use a serrated knife to trim the caramelized edges of the side of the cake.
11. Peel the bananas and slice them into half-inch slices.
13. Dollop the whipped cream on top, shaping it into a large mound.
15. Sprinkle the cake crumbs on the whipped cream to cover it.
4. Add the hot coffee and whisk to combine.
6. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
8. Sift in the powdered sugar, then whip until it forms stiff peaks. Chill in the fridge.
10. Use a metal spoon to scoop out the top of the cake from the center.
12. Place the banana slices into the hollowed-out part of the cake.
14. Crumble the reserved chocolate cake pieces into fine crumbs.
16. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy!!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
I swear, whipped cream is like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. You don't want it to soft and creamy, because then it'll just slide off your cake. You want it thick, stiff, but still light.
To test your whipped cream, pull your mixer straight out of the cream. If it forms a point (called a peak) that stands straight up and doesn't flop over, it's good to go!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t use store bought whipped cream, because it will melt really quickly. By using homemade whipped cream whipped to stiff peaks, we create a stable texture that doesn’t require any added gelatin or stabilizers.
- Slice the bananas into thick half-inch slices. If they're too thin, you won't get much banana flavor in each bite of your German mole cake.
- Sift in a little cocoa powder if cake crumbs are too moist. This will absorb excess moisture so you can get them into fine crumbs.
- Press cake crumbs gently on the sides of the mound of whipped cream to get them to stick. And make sure you add the cake crumbs over a surface that's easy to clean, because this step can get messy!
Variations
- Fruit: If you don’t like bananas, you can substitute other fruit that isn’t too juicy like whole berries or pitted cherries.
- Decoration: Because the top of German mole cake looks like dirt, you could add gummy worms for a fun birthday cake for kids. Or add flowers made from buttercream, fondant, or marzipan for a realistic garden cake.
- Individual Serving Size: You can make these into individual servings for a dessert table. Use small plastic cups or even little terra cotta pots (omg how cute?!) to layer the cake, bananas, whipped cream, and cake crumbles.
- Mousse: Instead of whipped cream, you could top your cake with banana cream (banana cream pie is my actually dad’s favorite dessert) or chocolate mousse for a chocolate-chocolate-chocolate cake!
- Sprinkles: It's somewhat traditional to add chocolate sprinkles into the whipped cream. I personally don't like this, because I don't want to compromise the texture of the airy cream. But feel free to fold ¼ cup chocolate sprinkles into the whipped cream if you prefer.
Storage
Since this cake is largely constructed from whipped cream, it needs to stay cold to prevent the whipped cream from melting and becoming a sad puddle.
Store your cake in the fridge right up until you're ready to slice and serve it. This also makes it easier to slice!
If you have leftovers, store the cake uncovered or store individual slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Related Recipes
Looking for more German cake recipes like this fun German mole cake? Try these:
German Mole Cake | Maulwurfkuchen
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon almond extract (or substitute vanilla extract)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or substitute sour cream)
- ½ cup strong, freshly brewed hot black coffee
- ¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Filling
- 1 pint cold heavy whipping cream also called heavy cream (about 2 ½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or substitute vanilla extract)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (or substitute confectioners' sugar)
- 2 large ripe bananas
Instructions
MAKE THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or a springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, almond extract, vegetable oil, and Greek yogurt.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix it with a large spoon or spatula until there is no dry mixture visible. (It will be very thick at this point.)
- Add the hot coffee and whisk to combine. (It’ll be thick at first, but it’ll become smooth after a little mixing.)
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter in the greased cake pan.Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then remove it from the cake pan. Allow it to cool to room temperature for at least one hour on a cooling rack.
MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the cold heavy whipping cream and almond extract until it forms soft peaks.
- Sift in the powdered sugar, then beat on low speed until the powdered sugar is mixed in. Continue mixing until it thickens and forms stiff peaks. (It should be thick enough that it stays on a spoon flipped upside-down for at least a couple seconds. Be careful not to overmix it though, or else it will be lumpy.) Set aside in the fridge until you're ready to use your whipped cream.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Use a serrated knife to trim the caramelized edges of the side of the cake. Use a metal spoon to scoop out the top of the cake from the center, leave a 1 inch thick border around the edge. Save the trimmed off and carved out cake pieces for the topping. Place the cake on your serving plate or cake stand.
- Peel the bananas and slice them into ½ inch slices. Place the banana slices into the hollowed-out part of the cake in an even layer.
- Dollop the whipped cream on top of the bananas and the outer edge of the cake, shaping it into a large mound.
- Use your hands to crumble the reserved chocolate cake pieces into fine crumbs. Sprinkle the cake crumbs onto the whipped cream to cover it completely. You can gently press the crumbs into the sides of the cake to get it to stick better.
- Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes, so the whipped cream can set and hold its shape when the cake is sliced. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Don’t use store bought whipped cream, because it melts quickly.
- Slice the bananas into thick half-inch slices. If they're too thin, you won't get much banana flavor in each bite of your German mole cake.
- Sift in a little cocoa powder if cake crumbs are too moist. This will absorb excess moisture so you can get them into fine crumbs.
- Make sure you add the cake crumbs over a surface that's easy to clean, because this step can get messy!
- Since this cake is largely constructed from whipped cream, it needs to stay cold to prevent the whipped cream from melting and becoming a sad puddle. Store your cake in the fridge right up until you're ready to slice and serve it.
- If you have leftovers, store the cake uncovered or store individual slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Lina
heyyy... i found a mole in my cake! Super cute hehe