Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Butter and flour with cocoa powder three 8 inch (20 cm) round cake pans.

In a bowl, sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until the mixture is thick (the batter will fall back into the bowl in a ribbon-like pattern). Beat in the vanilla extract and kirsch.

Then sift about one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold in using a rubber spatula or whisk. Sift and fold in another third, and then fold in the rest.

Take 1 cup of the batter and fold it into the melted butter (to lighten it). Then gently fold it back into the egg batter. Fold in gently until well combine.

Pour evenly into the three cake pans, smoothing the top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (cake starts to shrink from sides of pan). Cool on a metal rack before removing from pan.

Pit and cut into halves most of the cherries, leaving about 10 for decoration on top of the cake.

Place the water in a small saucepan, along with the sugar, and heat until sugar has dissolved. Add in the pitted cherry. Cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the cherries, reserving the liquid.

Place the drained cherries in a bowl and toss with 1 tbs Kirsch. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside. Add 1 tbs Kirsch to the syrup. Let it cool.

In a mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, kirsch and sugar and stir to combine then beat the mixture just until stiff peaks form.

Assemble Cake:
Place one layer cake on a serving plate. Brush the cake layer with cherry syrup. Spread the whipped cream on the moistened genoise. Place the cherries and top with another layer of cake. Brush the second layer with the syrup. Spread the frosting over that layer of cake, cover with cherries and top with the third layer of cake. Brush with syrup and spread the remaining cream over top and sides of cake.

Decorate with fresh cherries and shaved chocolate. Cover and refrigerate the cake for several hours (or overnight) before serving.