Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray 2 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms of each pan with parchment cake circles. Spray each pan again. Sprinkle each pan with 1-2 teaspoons flour, tilting the pan to coat all areas. Knock out excess flour from each pan and set aside.

Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour hot coffee over them. Whisk gently until chips have melted completely.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well blended. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat eggs on medium high speed until lighter in color, approximately 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk and vanilla.

On low speed, add liquid ingredients into eggs.

Add chocolate and coffee mixture and mix on medium speed until well blended.

On low speed, add dry ingredients and blend well. Batter will be thin.

Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes.

Cool cakes in pans for approximately 15 minutes. Flip cakes out onto foil lined cake circles or onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make 1 recipe Chef Gail’s Cherry Filling. Allow to chill until cold.

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil stirring until sugar dissolves, approximately 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and whisk in Kirshwasser. Allow to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whip attachment, mix mascarpone, sugar and vanilla on low speed.

Gradually add heavy cream on low speed until well combined.

Beat on high speed until the mixture creates stiff peaks.

Transfer cream filling to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.

Set one cake layer onto a serving platter.

Using a pastry brush, brush cooled syrup all over cake.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with some of the mascarpone whipped cream and pipe all around the edge of the cake to create a wall to prevent the cherry filling from going down the sides of the cake.

Pipe an approximate 2 inch round of mascarpone whipped cream in the middle of the cake.

Carefully fill the space between where the mascarpone whipped cream was piped around the edge and the center with the cherry filling. Spread evenly.

Flip second layer on top of first layer. Press down gently to adhere.

Using a pastry brush, brush any remaining syrup over the top layer. Using an offset spatula, carefully spread whipped cream frosting all over top and sides of cake.

Pipe any remaining whipped cream decoratively on the top using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Decorate the sides of the cake with chocolate shards. If desired, place Bada Bing cherries, decoratively on top of cake.

Chill cake until firm.