-
1
Cherry Filling: Stir together the drained cherries, 1/4 cup reserved syrup and the kirsch. Set aside while preparing cakes.
-
2
To make the sponge cakes: Preheat oven to 350u00b0F and butter (3) 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper and then butter the paper also.
-
3
Put yolks and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture has at least doubled in volume, is very thick and mousse-like and a wide ribbon trail slowly falls back into the bowl when beaters are lifted. This could take 5 minutes or more. Don't short the time here!
-
4
Sift in the cocoa and gently fold with a large spoon.
-
5
In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
-
6
Carefully fold egg whites into chocolate mixture, 1/3 at a time.
-
7
Divide the batter into the 3 prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, until cakes spring back when touched and have pulled away from sides of pans.
-
8
Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack & peel off the paper.
-
9
Now go back to your cherries - drain them but hold onto the syrup! Place the cherries on paper towels to dry. Set aside 12 or so for garnish.
-
10
Cream Filling:
-
11
In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the sugar and whip until slightly thicker.
-
12
Assembly: Place 1 cake layer on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons reserved syrup.
-
13
Spread with 1/4 of the cream filling. Press 1/2 of the cherries into the cream.
-
14
Stack on the second cake layer. Sprinkle it with reserved kirsch syrup as before. Spread with 1/4 of the cream & the rest of the cherries (except for the ones reserved for garnish).
-
15
Top with final cake layer & sprinkle with remaining syrup.
-
16
Cover the top and sides with all the remaining whipped cream - you can either pipe it or spread it on - then garnish with the reserved cherries & grated chocolate.
-
17
Refrigerate until serving time. Best eaten within 48 hours.
