Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour THREE 8 inch cake pans

In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 1 minute to blend.

Add softened butter a few pieces at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until the dry ingredients look like coarse sand and the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla until blended.

The method is important when using the Reverse Creaming Method. With the mixer on low speed, SLOWLY add approximately 1/2 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes at medium speed. Don't mix above medium speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each pour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Slowly add the cup of hot coffee and mix another 30 seconds until blended. The batter will be very runny. Don't worry!

Pour into 3 prepared 8" pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cakes 10 minutes on a rack and then turn out of the pans.

Drain the cherry syrup into a measuring cup...the juice/syrup will be about 1/2 cup or so. Add water to the syrup to reach the 1 cup mark. Set the cherries to the side and pour the one cup of liquid into a saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the cherry syrup mixture stir until well combined. When combined add it back to the saucepan of cherry syrup and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Keep in mind that it will thicken further as it cools. Gently stir in the drained, sliced cherries and Kirsch.

(If you want a sweeter filling, add sugar at this point. Taste and adjust to your liking, the same is true with the amount of Kirsch.)

I used a vegetable peeler to create chocolate curls and shavings. Just glide over the room temperature chocolate bars to create lots of curls and shavings.

Chill a glass/metal mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 10 minutes

Beat the heavy cream on high speed until it begins to thicken (to around the soft peak stage), then gradually add the confectioners sugar, continuing to beat until the stiff peak stage -- this can happen quickly so keep an eye on it. (Peaks hold their shape when the mixer is pulled from the bowl). Don't over-beat or you will wind up with butter! I like to do this step with a hand mixer but if you'd prefer, you can do it with the whisk attachment of your stand mixer.

Place first cake layer on your pedestal or cake base. Brush over the top with a thin coating of the Kirsch cherry liqueur. Follow with a layer of the cooled cherry filling. (I like to spread to about 1/2 inch from the edge of the cake.)

Spread a layer of whipped cream over the filling. Add the second cake layer.

Brush over the second layer with the cherry liqueur, and repeat the above steps. Add the third chocolate cake layer, brush with a light coating of the liqueur, and frost top and sides with whipped cream.

Press chocolate shavings around the side and on the top center of the cake. Pipe a border of whipped cream stars (I used an Ateco 869 but a Wilton 6B, 8B or your large star tip of choice is good.) I placed the fresh cherries into every other piped star so that they are evenly spaced.