Preheat oven to 180 ° C and grease and dust a 8" cake tin.
In a mixing bowl add the dry ingredients, stir and make a well in the centre.
Add in the wet ingredients one by one. Gently fold in everything.
In an another bowl mix instant coffee powder with boiling water.
Add it in the cake batter and mix well. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove the cake from oven and let it cool completely.
Make the whipped cream
Take heavy cream in a chilled bowl and beat for 2 minutes using electric whisk with chilled beaters.
Add icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk again till stiff peaks are formed.
Keep in refrigerator until use.
Prepare Cherries Compote
Wash and chop the cherries, remove pits and place them in a mixing bowl with sugar. Muddle with back of spoon and let the cherries rest for 2-3 hours. Save the sugar cherry water to soak the cake sponge.
In a mixing bowl, add the cherries and mix them with 1/4 cup of whipped cream. Set it aside in a refrigerator.
Frost the Cake
Divide the cake sponge into two equal halves with the help of a sharp knife.
Cool the halves before frosting. Brush them with the sugar cherry water.
Place the first layer of cake on the board and coat it with whipped cream.
Arrange the cream cherries in the center and sandwich with other halve of the cake.
Coat this layer with whipped cream, and crumb coat the whole cake.
Place it in a refrigerator to set. Remove from fridge and add another layer of cream frosting. Use an offset spatula and dough scraper to even the layers.
Decorate the cake
Fill the rest of the frosting in a piping bag with a star nozzle and make floral designs on the top.
Arrange cherries over the flowers. Scribble the top and bottom with chocolate shavings. Place in a refrigerator to set.
Allow it to stay at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Cut in slices and enjoy.
Notes
You can prepare the cake sponge a day before and frost it next day. Keep the cake halves wrapped in a cling wrap in the refrigerator.
Make sure not to over whip the cream or else it will become butter.
Adjust sugar as per your taste.
If your are using canned cherries, use the cherry water to brush the cake.