Gluten-Free Black Forest Cake

This Gluten-Free Black Forest Cake combines rich chocolate cake, layers with cherry syrup, and slightly sweetened whipped cream frosting.

Preheat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line two 6 inch round cake pans with greaseproof/baking paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Add the granulated sugar and salt, and whisk well. Add the eggs, yogurt, water, vanilla extract and vegetable/sunflower oil. Whisk well, until you get a smooth cake batter.
Evenly distribute the cake batter between the three-lined cake pans, and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 40 minutes or until spongy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Combine sugar, with water, lemon juice, and salt in a 3-quart pot over medium heat. Add cherries. Heat on medium for 6-7 minutes or until lightly boiling. Reduce heat to medium/low. Cook 5 minutes while stirring frequently.
In a small bowl stir together cornstarch with ¼ cup water. Add the mixture to the syrup and stir. Heat to desired consistency. The syrup will thicken slightly when cooled. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the ripeness of cherries.

Place the heavy whipping cream and confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Beat on high with a handheld electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Place one layer of cake on a serving plate, top with ⅓ of the whipped cream, and the same amount of the cherry syrup. Repeat with the remaining layers, top with the fresh cherries. Drizzle with the remainder of the syrup and top with chocolate shavings if desired.