Whipped Cream Frosting
Heavy whipping cream- 2 cups
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Poached Cherries
Fresh Sweet cherries-2 cups
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Water- 1 cup
Lemon juice- 1 tbs
Lemon zest- 1 tsp
Corn starch- a tsp
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Garnish
Sugar syrup- 1/2 cup
Chocolate grated, chocolate curls and cherries
Poached Cherries Filling
Wash and pit cherries. In a saucepan, add pitted cherries, water, sugar, and lemon zest. Heat over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Strain out 1/4 cup of liquid and set aside for later use. Cover and cook over low heat till it is tender, and it thickens. If it does not reach the desired consistency, add a tsp of corn starch to thicken the mixture. When it cools down cover, and refrigerate and let chill till it is ready to use.
To make the cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch baking pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. First separate, egg yolks, and egg whites. Beat egg yolks lightly in a large bowl. Mix in sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is pale and thick. Add melted butter and gently fold in the flour and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar. Whisk at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat the sugar and continue beating at high speed until whites are stiff and shiny but not dry. Gently fold about 1/3 of the whites to the egg yolk mixture until nearly incorporated. Fold in the rest of the egg whites into the batter.
Transfer the prepared batter into the cake tin. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool down completely before frosting.
To make the whipping frosting- Chill a large bowl and the beaters. Pour the chilled whipped cream, add sugar, one tsp of kirsch (optional), and beat until stiff peaks. Refrigerate till it is ready to use.
To Assemble the cake
Using a serrated knife and cut cake into layers. Drain syrup from the poached cherries. Brush cake layers with the syrup. Spread a layer of whipped cream and arrange poached cherries evenly. Place the second layer on top. Reserve about 1/3 cup whipped cream for garnish. Spread the remaining cream on the side and top of the cake. Using a pastry bag and a decorative tip, pipe the reserved whipped cream to make rosettes on the top edge of the cake. Decorate with grated chocolate and cherries. Refrigerate the frosted cake and chill before serving.
