Grease a cake pan with butter and dust it with flour. A bundt pan is the most popular choice for marble cake, but a springform pan will also work.
Separate the eggs. In a bowl, cream the yolks together with the butter and half of the sugar until foamy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
Mix the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Combine it with the butter-sugar mixture. Then, carefully fold in the beaten egg whites.
Divide the batter in half. Mix one half with the cocoa powder and milk.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pour the dark batter into the baking pan, drain the cherries, and place them on top of the batter.
Now pour the light batter into the pan and create the signature marble pattern with a fork.
Bake the cake for about an hour. Let it cool for another 30 minutes before removing from the pan. If you so wish, frost with chocolate icing or dust with powdered sugar before serving.
