Black Forest Trifle - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 devil's food cake mix (18.25 oz box)
2 (15 ounce) cans dark bing cherries, pitted in heavy juice
fresh orange juice, as needed
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Chambord raspberry liquor or 2 tablespoons kirsch
4 1/4 ounces chocolate mousse mix (commercially prepared)
1 cup milk
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, pure
1 ounce chocolate shavings (optional)

Preparation

Bake cake according to package instructions. Cool. Cut 6 by 8 into 11/2\" squares.
Drain cherries and reserve juice. Add enough orange juice to cherry juice to equal 1 3/4 cups.
Heat juice and 1 cup of sugar to a light boil. Reserve remaining 1/2 cup of sugar for whipped cream.
Blend cornstarch with water. Add to boiling juice. Blend with a wire whip to thicken.
Add cherries and cook for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature and add Chambord. Chill to 40\u00b0F or less.
Whip mousse mix with cold milk and refrigerate to thicken slightly. Mix well with wire whip.
Whip heavy cream on medium speed. Add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and vanilla extract and whip until cream forms soft peaks.
Assemble in an 8\" round, 5\" deep glass trifle bowl.
Line the bottom of the bowl with 1 layer of chocolate cake cubes. Fit cake cubes tightly against sides of bowl. (This should take approximately half of the cake.)
Spread a layer of the cherries and sauce over the cake cubes, making sure they're visible against the side of the bowl. Then add a layer of mousse. Repeat the layers of cake, cherries, and mouse. Reserve 5 to 9 cherries for garnish.
Spread a layer of whipped cream over the top and garnish with the remaining cherries, along with chocolate shavings (if desired).