Black Forest Chocolate Cake 

· Separate white and yellow of eggs.

· Beat egg whites till stiff.

· Add sugar gradually and keep beating till all the sugar is used up.

· Add yolks.  Mix well.  Add essence.

· Add boiling water, ½ tablespoon at a time and beat more.  Beat till the mixture of eggs and sugar is thick, frothy and 3 times in volume.

· Sift flour (maida), and cocoa powder with baking powder.

· Fold in maida using a spoon adding half of it at a time.

· Put in a greased and dusted tin of 9 inches diameter and bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Centigrade or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

· When the sponge cake leaves or shrinks away from the sides of the tin, it is done.  The top of the cake is springy to touch and the cake springs back when touched lightly with a finger.

· Now, insert a knife or skewer in the centre, only if the cake springs back and does not form a depression, when touched lightly with a finger.  Remove the cake from the oven, make it cool and serve..

· Keep the milk chocolate with the wrapper, on the outer surface of a hot oven so that it melts slightly and becomes soft.

· Cool it in the fridge but do not make it very hard.

· With the help of a potato peeler, start peeling the back side of the chocolate on to a plate.  Lovely flakes will be ready.  These should be hardened by keeping in the freezer for half an hour.

· Keep cream in a small pan in the freezer for about half an hour.

· When the cream as well as the pan is properly chilled, add sugar and essence.

· Beat carefully till the cream is thick and can stand in soft peaks.  Put some in an icing gun and keep in the fridge.  Keep the rest of the cream also in the fridge.

· Remove seeds from the cherries, keeping aside a few.

· Add rum or essence to ½ cup cherry syrup.

· Cut the cake into two halves.  Soak both halves with cherry syrup. About 4 to 5 tablespoon of syrup only, are put on each piece of cake.

· Spread 2 tablespoon of cream icing on each piece of cake.

· Put deseeded cherries on the cream on one piece and cover these with the other piece of cake.

· Cover the cake completely with cream on all sides and the top.

· Level top and sides with a broad knife dipped in chilled water.

· Make a border on the edge by piping swirls of cream from the icing gun.  Place a cherry on each swirl.  Put flakes in the center.  Keep in the fridge.