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200g chocolate curls 
1/2 batch Chocolate Sauce
Instructions:
To Make the Cherry Filling:
Mix corn starch slurry – In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add 200g (half) of the cherry juice or water and corn starch. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside. If using water, add the food color (optional) at this point and mix until evenly mixed in.
Prepare cherries and begin cooking – Chop the cherries into small pieces and add half of them to a large saucepan along with the sugar, cherry juice (or water), lemon juice, and salt. Set the other half aside for later. Stir continuously and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Then lower to medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Finish cooking – Add the corn starch mixture, purple and red food gel (optional) and stir through until the mixture turns glossy and thickens. Stir for another 2 minutes then turn the heat off and add the remaining cherries and the kirsch. Stir through and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool at room temperature. This mixture can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
To Make the Simple Syrup:
Add the sugar and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, take off the heat and add the kirsch. Mix and set aside to cool completely before using.
To Make the Chocolate Sponge Cake:
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 150°C / 300°F (170°C / 340°F for no fan). Spray only the bottom (not sides) of two 20cm / 8-inch cake tins with oil spray and line the bottom with baking paper.
Combine dry ingredients – To a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Whip egg whites – To a separate large bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Use an electric hand beater to whisk until frothy. Slowly add 105g (half) of the sugar while the mixer is on high speed. Once all the sugar has been added, continue mixing for 90 seconds. The mixture will thicken and become glossy. Take care not to overwhip the mixture.
Whip the egg yolks – To a separate bowl, add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, water, and vanilla extract. Use your electric hand mixer to whip until pale, thickened, and creamy, about 5 minutes. The mixture should fall off in ribbons when you lift the beaters.
Fold in dry ingredients – Sift 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture and use a spatula to fold through. Then repeat with another 1/3 of the dry ingredients until all of it is combined. Take care not to overmix.
Fold in the meringue – Add half the meringue and gently fold through with a spatula. Then add the other half and repeat.
Bake – Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake in the middle rack of your oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before carefully running a knife around the sides to release them. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To trim cakes – Once the cake is completely cooled, trim each cake in half to give you 4 layers of cake. Set aside.
To Make the Chantilly Cream:
Prepare mascarpone cheese – Add the mascarpone to a large mixing bowl (glass or metal) and use a spatula to stir and break up as some brands can be firmer than others.
Whip remaining ingredients – Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and use an electric hand mixer fitted with beaters, or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip on medium-high speed until you reach stiff peaks, about 3-4 minutes. The cream should be smooth but stiff. If it looks split or separated, it means you’ve overwhipped it.
To Build and Decorate:
Add your first layer of cake to your serving plate. Brush with simple syrup and add about 1/4 cup of Chantilly cream. Fit the end of a piping bag with an open star tip and pipe a tube of frosting around the top of the cream. Add 1/3 of the cherry mixture and spread evenly using a spoon. Then add the next layer of cake and repeat until all layers are stacked.
For the top of the cake, repeat this process but add chocolate sauce instead of cherry filling. Coat the sides of the cake with cream. Stick the chocolate shavings around the sides of the cake.
To finish, pipe swirls of cream on top of the cake and add cherries on top of each swirl.
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