Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Preheat oven to 175°C. Butter two 20cm round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 75g sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with remaining 75g sugar until pale and thick, about 3 minutes.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add to the yolk mixture alternately with orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Beat until just combined — the batter will be quite thick.

Fold a large spoonful of meringue into the chocolate batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites in two additions. (Use a light hand here — we want to preserve the airiness from the meringue.)

Divide batter between prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks.

Once completely cool, slice each cake horizontally to create 4 thin layers. Brush each layer generously with Kirsch.

For the buttercream, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar, then espresso. Beat until smooth and spreadable.

Place bottom cake layer on serving plate. Spread one-third of buttercream over surface and press one-third of cherries into the cream. Repeat with remaining layers, finishing with the top layer.

Whip cream with sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Cover entire cake with whipped cream, creating decorative swirls.

Using a vegetable peeler, create chocolate curls from the dark chocolate. Garnish cake with remaining cherries and chocolate curls. Pipe rosettes around the edge if desired. (For the best chocolate curls, make sure your chocolate is slightly warm but not melted.)