Polish chocolate and cherry layered cake {Tort Czarny Las}

To prepare cake layers, place whole eggs in a mixing bowl, sugar and whisk for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare a round 9.5 inch / 24 centimeter spring form by lining the bottom with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 340℉ / 170℃.

Into a separate bowl sift flour and cocoa, add salt and baking powder, mix dry ingredients. When egg/sugar mixture is ready, change the whisk to a mixing paddle and start adding dry ingredients. Add them in three parts, mixing slowly. When ingredients combine, add oil slowly and keep mixing (oil may settle to the bottom, so make sure to mix from bottom up, if mixing by hand).

Pour batter into a spring form and bake for 35–40 minutes. Take out and cool completely (best, if cooled till the next day).

In the meantime, prepare cherry filling by placing cherries in a medium pot with sugar. Start heating on low. After the cherry/sugar mixture produces some juice, reserve about 1/2 cup / 100 milliliters for the soak.

Next, place gelatin in a small bowl and add water, mix and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix potato/corn starch with cold water, and add to the boiling cherries, mix well to create a creamy cherry sauce. Boil for another minute and take off the heat. After the mixture cools a bit, add gelatin and the cherry liquor. Set aside to cool completely.

When ready to assemble the cake, prepare the whipped cream layer: place gelatin in a small bowl, add water and set aside until dissolved. Into a separate, large bowl pour cream and start whisking. When it starts growing in volume, start adding powdered sugar, do it in parts. Next, place the gelatin into a microwave for 30 seconds, mix, it needs to be quite hot. When ready, stop the mixer, take a couple of tablespoons of cream and add it to gelatin. Start mixing cream again at a medium speed, add gelatin mixture to the cream and let combine. Turn speed to a high setting and let whisk for another few minutes.

To the reserved cherry juice, add 1/2 cup of Luke warm water and the cherry liquor.

Cut cake into three layers, if there is a bump in the cake, cut it off first.

Place the first layer on a serving platter, and place the spring form side around it. Soak it with the prepared cake soak and then half of the cherry filling. Next, using a pipping bag, top them with a 1/2 inch / 1.5 centimeter layer of whipped cream. Place the second layer of cake on top and add cherry filling and the rest of the whipped cream. Cover with the third cake layer. Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but best, if overnight.

Last step: decorating! In a small bowl, place gelatin and water, let dissolve. In the same manner as preparing the whipped cream layer, combine gelatin with cream.
Place cake on a rotating plate (if you have), and remove the spring form. Add some whipped cream to the top of the cake and spread with a spatula. Do the same with the sides. Please the remaining whipped cream in a pipping bag with a decorating tip and decorate around the edge. Place cut up chocolate in the middle and decorate with fresh cherries.