DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE WITH BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• - About the chocolate sponge cake: The recipe calls for an 2x 8" pan at 325 c for about 35-40 minutes. I used my 9" pan which would give me a much thicker sponge cake. Naturally I had to either increase the baking time or the oven temperature, I chose the later but kept the baking time at 35-40 minutes. 35 minutes was perfectly enough. - To create the layers I cut the 9" cake in half and trimmed off the top. - I used 5 cups of brandied cherries as opposed to the recipe's 3 cups. I would still increase it to 6 cups. - I would probably eliminate the sugar in the brandied cherry recipe. - I reduced the cherry liquid to half a cup and spooned it over the cake layers. - I used 5 times the amount of mousse that Dorie's recipe called for. Which was just enough. Next time I might use a different mousse recipe just to see the difference. This one had way too many eggs. - I used my medium round pastry tip to do the doodling for the chocolate collar. - The cake tastes noticeably better when left in the fridge for at least 24 hours. -Let the mousse set and then top the layers and crumb coat the cake with it. It is much easier and eliminates the need for a pastry ring or acetate. - I used about a cup of fresh cherries (stems attached) plus sliced (didn't have slivered) pistachios to top the cake.