1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Butter and flour the sides of a 27 cm springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.

2. Sift the flour with the cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.

3. In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined. Place the bowl over a bain-marie, and heat the eggs and sugar until lukewarm to the touch while whisking continuously with a hand whisk. (Do not overheat lest you get a dry génoise).

4. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and beat on high speed until the batter has cooled and tripled in volume; when you lift it with the whisk, it will fall back down like a ribbon. Add the vanilla and rum and beat them in. (Don’t bang the whisk against the side of the bowl when done!)

5. Using a spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the batter in 3 additions.

6. Lighten the hot butter by mixing into it 1 cup of the batter, then gently fold it into the rest of the batter.

7. Transfer the batter into the pan and bake for 18–22 mins until a toothpick inserted into its center comes out clean.

8. Remove the cake from the pan while hot: run a knife around the edge of the pan then turn it on a wire rack and release the cake. Leave it for 10–15 mins, then turn it on its top and let it cool completely.

Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:

1. In your mixing bowl, place the whipping cream, icing sugar, and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and wire whisk in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. 

2. In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 tsp gelatin powder on 8 tsp cold water. Let it bloom for 5 mins.

3. Start whipping the cream until soft peaks.

4. Heat the gelatin in the microwave in short bursts, stirring after each burst until the gelatin is completely liquid.

5. If it is too hot, wait for it to cool down, don’t let it crystallize again. It should be liquid when used.

6. Start whipping the cream again, and pour in the gelatin in the form of a stream; beat until stiff peaks. Refrigerate.

   Assemble Cake:

7. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake — only at the time of assembling — into 2 layers.

8. Turn over the top layer of the cake (top of cake becomes bottom) and place on your serving plate. Generously moisten it with soaking syrup, frost it with half the cream, and top it with half the cherries.

9. Generously moisten the second layer of cake with syrup and lay it on top of the frosted one.

10. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining cream and top it with the rest of the cherries.

11. Decorate with chocolate shavings (by scraping a chocolate bar with a potato peeler) or with chocolate curls.