Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and grease three 20cm round cake tins. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together. Whisk eggs and caster sugar until pale and thick, fold in melted butter and water, then gently fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter evenly between tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely then split each cake layer horizontally. Drain tinned cherries, reserving 100ml syrup, and mix syrup with Kirsch. Brush each cake layer with the Kirsch mixture. Whip double cream with icing sugar until stiff peaks form, fold in half the drained cherries. Layer cakes with cherry jam and cherry cream, stacking all six layers, then coat the entire cake with remaining cream. Press grated dark chocolate onto the sides and top, arrange fresh and maraschino cherries on top in a crown pattern, and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.