Semi-homemade Black Forest Cake

Ingredients

• 1 chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients as specified on the box)
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon triple sec*
• Fresh cherries
• 4 ounces dark chocolate (e.g. Hershey's Special Dark), grated. (Grate with a food processor or a box grater and chill until ready to use).

Directions

1. Prepare cake according to package directions in two 9" round cake pans. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack
2. For the whipped cream icing:
   1. In a cold bowl, begin whipping cream with an electric mixer.
   2. Add sugar and triple sec.
   3. Continue whipping until the cream is firm. Keep chilled until ready to use.
3. Place one cake layer on the serving plate or a cardboard cake circle. If you are assembling directly on your serving plate, I suggest sliding strips of foil or waxed paper under all the edges to catch drips and keep your plate clean.
4. Spread with a thin layer of cherry pie filling. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the filling.
5. Top with the second cake layer.
6. Ice top and sides with the remaining whipped cream.
7. With cold hands carefully press grated chocolate around the outside edges of the cake. This is a messy process. And warm hands melt the chocolate shavings. Trust me.
8. Decorate the top with washed, pitted, fresh cherries.
9. Keep the cake refridgerated until ready to eat.