Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round baking pans, dust the insides with cocoa powder, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly to combine the dry ingredients.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add the hot water or coffee while whisking, pouring slowly so the eggs do not cook.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry mixture. Mix on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until fully combined; the batter will be very thin.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, using a kitchen scale if desired to ensure equal portions.
- Bake the cakes for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cherry Liqueur Syrup
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let simmer for 1 minute, then take off the heat.
- Stir in the cherry liqueur and allow the syrup to cool fully before using.
Whipped Cream Frosting
- In a chilled mixing bowl, whip the cold cream and sifted powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form. Keep cold until you are ready to use.
Chocolate Bark (optional)
- Melt the dark chocolate bar over a double boiler or in the microwave in 20-second increments until fully melted.
- With a large offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate in a thin layer over a large sheet of parchment paper.
- Starting from the short side, roll up the parchment. Place the roll on a baking sheet, and refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate is firm.
- Unroll the parchment to break the chocolate into large shards for cake decoration.
Assembly
- Carefully slice each cooled cake horizontally in half to create four thin layers in total.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush it generously with cherry syrup.
- Spread about 1 cup of whipped cream over the layer, then evenly cover with about 1 cup of halved cherries, gently pressing them into the cream.
- Repeat the layering procedure with the remaining cake layers, syrup, whipped cream, and cherries. Use the last of the whipped cream to frost the sides and top of the cake.
- Decorate the cake with chocolate bark shards, chocolate shavings (made with a peeler), and additional cherries or whipped cream rosettes as desired.
Nutrition
Notes
For a non-alcoholic version, you can replace the cherry liqueur with a cherry-flavored syrup or omit it entirely. If fresh cherries are unavailable, use thawed and drained frozen cherries or cherry pie filling, though the sweetness will differ. The cake layers and syrup can both be prepared a day in advance and stored separately; however, it's best to whip the cream and assemble the cake the day it will be served. To keep the whipped cream stable, use very cold utensils and ingredients. Store the finished cake, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days—after that, the cream and cherries may weep and make the cake soggy. Freezing is not recommended after assembly since the whipped cream will break upon thawing.