Ingredients

First, make the crumb (can be done a day in advance).

1. Prep the oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients, then add the butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, 30 seconds.
3. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the butter. Beat on low for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the dough starts to come together in small clusters and crumbs.
4. Bake the crumbs. Use a rubber spatula to spread the clusters on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, using a bench scraper to break them up every 4 to 5 minutes. After 20 minutes, the crumbs should still be slightly most to the touch at that point. They will harden and dry as they cool.
5. Store for assembling the layer cake. Cool the crumbs in the pan on a wire rack completely before storing or using in the recipe. The crumbs will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 1 week. The crumbs will also keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 month.

Next, make the cake.

1. Prepare according to package directions, and bake in a 9×13 pan or sheet pan. Allow to cool before assembly.

While the cake cools, prepare your ganache.

1. Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
2. With a metal spoon or small silicone spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream.
3. Let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken while you prepare the frosting. It will fully cool within 2 hours.

Next, make the frosting.

1. Pulverize your freeze dried cherries in a food processor until they are a dust, with no big chunks. You can run it through a fine mesh sieve to make the frosting come out smoother, if desired, but it’s not necessary.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft, about 1 minute.
3. Add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Beat on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated.
4. Add your freeze dried cherries, another ½ cup sugar and the cream. Add more sugar as needed to thicken the frosting. Beat on medium speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

When everything is ready and cooled, assemble your cake (I do it Milk Bar style).

1. Using a cake ring, cut out two 6-inch circles from your 9×13 sheet of cake. Cut two half circles with what remains.
2. Then, using the 6-inch cake ring lined with acetate, start assembling your cake. Place the two half circle in the bottom of the pan, and add in extra cake in the middle if needed to fill it out. Gently spread with a thin layer of the cherry frosting. Sprinkle with chocolate crumb. Drizzle with chocolate ganache. Add another layer of cake on top, and follow the same order, using up the ganache, but saving a few crumbs if desired for decoration. Then, put on the top layer of cake. If you’re going to frost the entire outside of your cake, put it in the fridge or freezer for 2-3 hours. If you’re doing a bare-sided cake, then frost the top of your cake, decorate with crumb as desired, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. If you’re frosting the outside of the cake, wait until it is frozen, then remove the cake ring and acetate, and frosting while it’s cold. Then, refrigerate until ready to serve.