Chocolate-Cherry Kuchen

3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) can pitted sour red cherries
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream

Melt butter or margarine and chocolate together over hot water. Add sugar to beaten eggs gradually while beating. Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture; beat hard for 1 minute.

Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt. Drain cherries thoroughly; add to flour mixture, and stir into chocolate-egg mixture. Stir in vanilla extract.

Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool.

Whip cream; spread between layers and on top of cake. Chill.