Pancho Cake

Make the sponge cake. Beat the eggs for at least 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Without stopping the mixer, gradually add the sugar toward the end.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually fold the dry mixture into the beaten eggs, gently stirring with a spoon using bottom-to-top strokes.

Pour the batter into a greased pan (I used a 22 cm diameter pan). Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C. Bake for approximately 30–35 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

Let the finished sponge cake cool completely on a wire rack for 1–2 hours.

Thaw the cherries and drain off the liquid (save the liquid). Sprinkle the cherries with powdered sugar.

Chop the walnuts into large pieces.

Make the cream. Whip the heavy cream until thick and stiff.

Add the sugar and sour cream, then beat until smooth and the sugar is fully dissolved.

Cut the sponge cake into 2 unequal pieces (the bottom layer should be about 1–1.5 cm thick).

Cut the top portion of the sponge cake into cubes or pieces about 2–3 cm on each side.

Assemble the cake. Place the bottom layer of sponge cake on a large plate. Soak it with the drained cherry liquid (about 6–7 tbsp). Spread a generous layer of cream over the cake base.

Arrange 1/2 of the cherries and 1/2 of the walnuts on top of the cream.

Generously dip the sponge cake pieces in cream on all sides and arrange them in a single layer on the base. The pieces along the outer edge should be placed at a slight angle to help form a mound shape. Don't skimp on the cream — about 2/3 of it should be used during the assembly.

Place half of the remaining cherries and half of the remaining walnuts on top.

Add another tier of cream-dipped sponge cake pieces on top, making this layer smaller in diameter.

Add the remaining cherries and the remaining walnuts.

Add the final tier of cream-dipped sponge cake pieces on top.

Coat the entire cake with the remaining cream using a spoon.

It should look something like this. If the cream drips down onto the plate, scoop it back up with a spoon and spread it over the top.

Make the chocolate glaze. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a small saucepan along with the butter. Create a double boiler — set the saucepan with the chocolate over a pot of water (the water should not touch the bottom of the saucepan). Melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth.

Transfer the glaze to a piping bag (if you don't have one, put it in a sturdy zip-lock bag, seal it, and snip off a small corner). Drizzle a pattern over the cake (simply pour stripes of glaze over the cake, passing over the top each time). Alternatively, instead of melting the chocolate, you can grate it on a fine grater and sprinkle it over the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 3–4 hours to let it fully soak.

Here's what a slice of the cake looks like inside.

Pancho Cake in all its glory.