A tall layered chocolate cake filled with kirsch-soaked sour cherries, tangy cherry cream cheese frosting, and finished with a glossy dark chocolate drip glaze.

Cooking Time

• Prep: ~2.5 hours
• Chilling: 15 hours
• Baking: ~30 minutes
• Total: ~18 hours

Servings

• 1 cake (18 cm / 7 inch)
• Approximately 10–12 slices

Chocolate Sponge

Ingredients

• 500 g whole eggs
• 300 g sugar
• 3 g sea salt
• 160 g cornstarch
• 160 g all-purpose flour
• 6 g baking powder
• 100 g cocoa powder
• 50 g vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 165°C (329°F).
2. Prepare a baking tray lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper and five 16-cm cake rings lined with foil on the bottom.
3. Combine eggs, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl.
4. Warm over a water bath to 45°C (113°F), stirring gently.
5. Transfer to a stand mixer and whip until pale, thick, and airy.
6. Sift together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
7. Heat vegetable oil to 50°C (122°F).
8. Slowly stream the warm oil into the whipped egg mixture while mixing.
9. Fold in the dry ingredients gently with a spatula until smooth.
10. Divide batter evenly into 5 cake rings.
11. Bake about 30 minutes, until the sponge springs back when touched.
12. Cool completely, remove from rings, and trim tops so each layer is about 2 cm high.

Kirsch-Soaked Sour Cherries

Ingredients

• 400 g frozen sour cherries
• 200 g sugar
• 50 g Kirschwasser liqueur

Instructions

1. Combine cherries and sugar in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in Kirschwasser.
5. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
6. Drain cherries through a sieve, reserving the syrup.

Sour Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 400 g butter (16–18°C / 61–65°F)
• 100 g icing sugar
• 100 g reserved sour cherry syrup
• 50 g Kirschwasser liqueur
• 1100 g cream cheese (16–18°C / 61–65°F)

Instructions

1. Beat butter with icing sugar until light and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
2. Switch to paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.
3. Gradually add cream cheese while mixing on medium speed.
4. Add reserved cherry syrup and Kirschwasser.
5. Mix until smooth and homogeneous.
6. Use immediately.

Dark Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients

• 200 g dark chocolate (70%)
• 30 g grapeseed oil

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate to 40°C (104°F) using a water bath or microwave.
2. Stir in grapeseed oil until smooth.
3. Cover and leave at room temperature until needed.

Tip

If microwaving, heat in short bursts and stir between each interval to avoid scorching the chocolate.

Assembly

Ingredients

• Chocolate sponge layers
• Kirsch-soaked sour cherries
• Reserved cherry syrup
• Sour cherry cream cheese frosting
• Dark chocolate glaze
• Fresh cherries for decoration

Instructions

1. Transfer a small amount of frosting into a piping bag fitted with a 10 mm round tip.
2. Brush sponge layers generously with reserved cherry syrup.
3. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or turntable.
4. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge and spread about 220 g frosting across the layer.
5. Scatter kirsch-soaked cherries over the frosting, pressing lightly.
6. Repeat layering until all sponge layers are stacked.
7. Finish with the final sponge layer on top.
8. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the cake.
9. Wrap the cake with acetate film and secure with an adjustable cake ring.
10. Refrigerate for 12 hours to stabilize.
11. Remove ring and acetate.
12. Apply a final smooth layer of frosting over the entire cake.
13. Chill for another 3 hours.
14. Warm glaze to 35°C (95°F) and pour over the top.
15. Spread gently so drips run down the sides.
16. Pipe frosting swirls around the edge using a 16 mm open star tip.
17. Decorate with fresh cherries.
18. Refrigerate up to 72 hours.