Description
This Black Forest Trifle is a decadent layered dessert featuring chocolate cake cubes, a rich cherry compote, stabilized whipped cream, and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Perfect for gatherings, it combines the classic flavors of Black Forest cake in an elegant, easy-to-assemble trifle format.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cake
- 1 chocolate cake mix, baked according to box directions for 9×13 pan
- 1 1/2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cherry Compote
- 4 cups dark, sweet, pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 8 teaspoons cold water
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare cake cubes: Score the baked chocolate cake into small cubes and set aside.
- Make cherry compote: In a medium saucepan, add the cherries. In a small bowl, whisk together water, cornstarch, and lemon juice to form a slurry. Pour the slurry over the cherries and heat the mixture over medium heat. Add sugar and stir well. Bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring frequently, until the cherries soften and begin to burst. If desired, gently mash the fruit to break it up. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts and then set the compote aside to cool completely.
- Prepare gelatin mixture: Add cold water to a small saucepan and sprinkle in the gelatin. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken. Heat over low heat while stirring constantly until the gelatin dissolves completely, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly but do not let it set.
- Whip stabilized cream: In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar until soft peaks form. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly drizzle in the gelatin mixture. Add vanilla extract. Increase speed to high and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Assemble trifle: In a large glass bowl or individual trifle cups, layer the cake cubes, cherry compote, whipped cream, and chocolate chips. Repeat the layering process, finishing with a layer of chocolate chips on top. Press down gently on the cake layer if needed to fit more layers.
- Chill: Refrigerate the assembled trifle for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld and the whipped cream to stabilize.
Notes
- You can stabilize whipped cream by adding cream cheese or instant pudding mix as alternatives to gelatin, but gelatin maintains the pure taste best.
- Using frozen cherries for the compote is acceptable; just ensure they are fully thawed before cooking.
- For an extra burst of cherry flavor, consider adding a splash of cherry liqueur to the cherry compote.
- The trifle can be made a day in advance, which enhances the melding of flavors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
