For the cake: 6 oz Bittersweet chocolate

-- cut into bits 6 tb Unsalted butter

1 ts Vanilla extract

1 c Water

6 lg Eggs; room temp

1 c Sugar

1 c Cake flour

1/2 ts Salt

For the filling: 2 lb Canned sour cherries

-- drain, reserving the -juice 1 c Sugar

5 ts Cornstarch

2 tb Kirsch

For the syrup: 1/2 c Sugar

1/2 c Water

1 c Kirsch

Whipped cream topping: -- envelope unflavored -gelatin 3 tb Kirsch

3 c Well-chilled heavy cream

1/3 c Sifted confectioner's sugar

1 ts Vanilla

1/2 c Chocolate shavings and curls

Glaceed cherries for garnish TASTE SHOW #TS4803 AIR DATES: 1/15/96, 1/16/96, 1/20/96, 1/21/96 BLACK FOREST CAKE YIELD: 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 7-inch cake pans, line them with wax paper and butter and flour the paper. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water melt the chocolate with the butter, vanilla and water, stirring until smooth. Remove the pan from heat. Into a bowl sift together the flour and salt. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the eggs with the sugar for 5 to 10 minutes, or until batter ribbons when beaters are lifted. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined and fold in chocolate mixture gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into pans, smoothing the tops, and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of pans and invert onto racks to cool completely. -- See Part 2-- -----