Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Grease and line three 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tins.
Melt the butter and 75g of the dark chocolate in a small saucepan over a low heat.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, then mix in the sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt.
In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk together.
Now add the egg mixture and melted butter and chocolate mixture to your dry mixture along with the measured boiling water and whisk just until it’s smooth. Don’t over mix!
Pour your cake mixture evenly into your prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes, until the cakes are well risen and the sides are shrinking away from the tin – sometimes I swap the cakes on the shelves halfway through baking, to make sure they cook evenly. Turn out on to a wire rack, remove the lining paper and leave to cool.
While your cakes are cooling, grate 100g of the remaining dark chocolate and chill the shavings in the refrigerator.
Drain the canned cherries, reserving the juice, and set aside. Mix the cornflour with a little of the reserved cherry juice in a saucepan to make a paste, then stir in the remaining juice and 2 tablespoons of kirsch and bring to the boil, stirring. Cook until the mixture thickens and turns syrupy. Leave to cool.
Break the last of the dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Heat 250ml of the double cream in a saucepan, then pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stirring until it has melted.
Melt the white chocolate in another heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the base of the bowl touch the water). Holding each fresh cherry in turn by the stalk, dip them into the melted white chocolate, then leave to cool on a sheet of nonstick baking paper.
Whip the rest of the cream with the icing sugar in a mixing bowl until forming stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla and the remaining 2 tablespoons of kirsch.
If you’re like me, the kitchen will look like a war zone by now, so have a little tidy and a breather.
Put a bit of whipped cream on the centre of your serving plate and place your first sponge on top. Brush the sides with cherry syrup and spread the top with half of the raspberry jam, a layer of whipped cream and half of the drained cherries. Put the second sponge on top and repeat. Add the final sponge (upside down to give the top a flat surface) and brush the sides with the last of the syrup.
Pour the melted chocolate and cream mixture on the top. Spread whipped cream around the sides with a palette knife, then pipe the remaining cream around the top edge. Press the chilled chocolate shavings onto the cake sides with the palm of your hand and finally arrange your dipped white cherries on top. Even Sara Lee will be impressed!