Luscious Gateau

Description
This luscious gateau filled with black cherries, kirsch and cream is a lot easier to make than you think.

Ingredients

 * 5 eggs
 * 9 oz / 250 g caster sugar
 * 9 oz / 250 g plain flour
 * 1½ oz / 37½ g cocoa powder
 * 2 tsp / 10 ml baking powder
 * 1 pint / 600 ml double cream
 * 4 tbsp / 60 ml kirsch
 * 1 lb / 450 g canned black cherries, pitted and well drained
 * 4 oz / 125 g plain chocolate, caraque or grated

Directions

 * 1) Preheat the oven to mark 5 / 375°F / 190°C.
 * 2) Grease and line base of tin.
 * 3) Place eggs and sugar in a bowl over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water.
 * 4) Whisk with electric beater until mixture is pale and thick and just holds the trail of the whisk (7-10 mins).
 * 5) Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk for a further 2 minutes while it cools.
 * 6) To help give the sponge a light texture, sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder onto a plate or bowl.
 * 7) Carefully and gradually fold flour into egg mixture, cutting through with a metal spoon or large spatula until evenly mixed, use a folding and cutting movement and make sure you get to the bottom of the bowl to mix in all the flour gently stir in 7-8 tbsp/105-120 ml hot water to soften the mixture slightly and give a lighter result.
 * 8) Spoon the mixture gently into the prepared cake tin and flatten the top, bake for 35-40mins or until just firm to the touch stand for 5-10 mins.
 * 9) Then turn onto a plate carefully remove the paper.
 * 10) Turn out onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold, when the cake is cold (don't try brfore or the sponge will crumble).
 * 11) Split carefully into 3 layers, whip cream until slightly stiff and set some aside for piping.
 * 12) Sprinkle sponge layers with kirsch, reserve 8-10 cherries for decoration.
 * 13) Place bottom sponge on a serving plate spread with one quarter of the cream and half of the cherries.
 * 14) Place the middle layer of sponge on top and spread with the second quarter of cream and the remaining cherries.
 * 15) Place the third layer of sponge on top of the cream cover the sponge with more cream and smooth out with a palette knife.
 * 16) Spread remaining cream neatly round sides with a palette knife.
 * 17) Pipe reserved cream around top edge of cake.
 * 18) Press small crumbled pieces of caraque (see bottom)round sides.
 * 19) Decorate top with cherries and larger pieces of caraque.
 * 20) Chill until required.
 * 21) Melt 4 oz / 125 g of dark coating chocolate and spread thinly and evenly on a cold surface or foil.
 * 22) Leave until cold but don't chill, using a large knife and with a sawing action hold the knife flat against the chocolate and scrape or push long curls of chocolate away from you.
 * 23) Keep going until you have a good thick curl, a stubbier thicker version can be made very easily with an open neatly cut can.
 * 24) Holding it almost upright pull the far side rim of the can across the chocolate.
 * 25) Store as before in a cool place but do not chill the caraque.