Black Forest cake

Ingredients:

• 1 dark chocolate cake mix (or your own from scratch)
• 1/4 c. kirsch (cherry brandy)
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 16 oz. heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
• Maraschino cherries, drained, optional, for garnish
• milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish

Preparation:

Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.

Make cake, following package directions. Bake cake, as directed, in two 9-inch layer cake pans.

When cool, sprinkle kirsch over both cake layers.

Chill electric beaters and large mixing bowl; beat cream until it thickens slightly, gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until thick enough to hold its shape.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assemble cake; place one layer on serving plate and spread its top with 1/2-inch thick layer of whipped cream and strew the cherries over the cream leaving about 1/2 inch margin around border of cake with no cherries.

Set other layer on top of cherries and spread top and sides of cake with remaining cream, shape whipped cream into decorative swirls on top.

With fingers, gently press chocolate curls into cream on sides of cake.

Garnish top with drained maraschino cherries, if desired, or with a few remaining chocolate curls.