Very popular German cake recipe with cherries, vanilla pudding and chocolate! The Donau is a river, and Welle is the German word for wave.
INGREDIENTS (for 2 servings):
- 1 cup margarine or butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon milk
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- 3 cups canned pitted sour cherries, drained
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar using an electric mixer. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and baking soda; quickly fold into the egg mixture.
Spread 2/3 of the batter in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Stir the cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of milk into the remaining batter just until blended. Spread evenly over the vanilla layer. Pat the cherries dry with paper towels, and sprinkle them evenly over the top.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs. Let cool.
In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in 3 tablespoons of milk. Heat remaining milk in a small saucepan just until hot but not boiling. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, and remove from the heat. Let cool for 5 minutes while stirring constantly. Spread over the top of the cooled cake when cool.
Chop chocolate and place in a microwave-safe dish. Heat at 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted and smooth. Stir in the oil, and let cool. Spread over the custard layer and chill. When set, cut the Donauwellen into about 20 squares to serve.