1. First preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Apply oil and dust with flour a round baking pan with 9.25 diameter and which is 2.75 inches deep. In a bowl sieve cocoa powder and maida and set aside.

2. In a mixer add the eggs and beat on high. Slowly add one cup of sugar.

3. Add in the rum and beat till the mixture triples in size.

4. Now slowly fold in the cocoa maida mixture. Sieve it in again if possible this will ensure even distribution without deflating the egg mixture. Pour in the prepared baking pan.

5. Place in the oven preheated to 350 degrees F and bake for ~40 minutes. A toothpick should come clean when pierced in the center of the cake. Once the cake is done remove from the oven and let it cook completely.

6. While the cake is baking, do the other preparations to save time. Chop/grate the chocolate into thin shavings. Heat 1 cup of water with 1/4 cup of sugar.

7. Add cloves and rum. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat off and let it cool. This is your syrup to soak the cake.

8. Take cold whipping cream in a cold mixing bowl along with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and beat till it gets firm peaks.

9. Now you are ready to assemble the cake. Once the cake is completely cool, remove it from the baking pan and place on a rotating surface. Cut any hard corners. Pierce a knife through the center. Slowly rotate the base while cutting the cake into two layers. Now place one layer on the presentation plate and keep the other layer aside. Be very gentle as this cake can fall apart easily.

10. Now add syrup to the bottle layer. This will make you cake moist. Add half the syrup making sure you cover all of the cake evenly. Add half the whipped cream as well and spread it as evenly as possible. Evenly spread the sliced strawberries or cherries over the whipped cream layer. You can use cherries as well for this recipe and that is what is traditionally used. I like the taste of fresh strawberries compared to tinned cherries, hence my preference of fruit.

11. Gently place the other cake layer on top of the strawberry layer making sure is centered with the bottom one. Soak this cake layer as well with the remaining syrup.

12. Add the remaining whipped cream. Also apply whipped cream to the sides so you can put chocolate shavings along the sides. The cream helps them stick to the cake. Apply the chocolate shavings to the side as shown.

13. Decorate with fresh strawberries and more chocolate shavings on top. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!