Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Preheat the oven to 175C and grease two 23cm round cake pans. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and tripled in volume, about eight minutes with an electric mixer.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder together. Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped eggs gently, then fold in the dry ingredients in two additions, being careful not to deflate the airy egg mixture. Divide between the prepared pans.

Bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes until a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pans for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire racks. When completely cool, slice each cake layer horizontally in half to create four thin layers.

Drain the cherries, reserving the syrup. Mix the kirsch with half a cup of the cherry syrup to make the soaking liquid. Simmer the remaining syrup with cornstarch until thickened, then fold in the drained cherries to create the cherry filling.

Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Place the first cake layer on a serving plate and brush generously with the kirsch syrup. Spread a layer of whipped cream, then spoon on a third of the cherry filling.

Repeat the layering with the remaining cake layers, syrup, cream, and cherries. For the top layer, reserve more whipped cream for covering the sides and decorating the top of the cake.

Cover the entire outside of the cake with a smooth layer of whipped cream. Press dark chocolate shavings against the sides and scatter them on top. Pipe cream rosettes around the top edge and place a cherry on each rosette. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.