Chocolate Cherry Trifle Recipes

Steps:

• For the whipped layer: In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, blend the cream cheese, sugar and soft drink mix powder until smooth. Scrape down the insides of the bowl intermittently to fully mix. Add the whipped topping and mix until one color, scraping down the sides to incorporate. Gently fold in the chopped cherries.
• For the cake layer: Add the reserved cherry water and almond extract to a spray bottle and shake to combine (see Cook's Note).
• Layer the bottom of a trifle dish with one layer of the chocolate cake treats. Spray the cake layer with a few nice spritzes of the cherry water mixture; this shouldn't make them dripping wet--just moist with a light saturation (think about how you use cooking spray). Top the cake layer with half of the whipped layer, then repeat with another cake layer, cherry water spritz and whipped layer. Top with the almonds.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve with ice cream or sorbet.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1-3/4 cups of milk and pudding mix. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. In another large bowl, beat the whipped topping mix, vanilla and remaining milk until stiff peaks form., Cut cake into 1/2-in. cubes; place half in a 3-qt. glass bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cherry juice. Top with half of the pie filling, half of the pudding and 1/4 cup of chocolate syrup. Repeat layers. Top with whipped topping and remaining syrup. Sprinkle with coconut and almonds. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Steps:

• Put the custard into a pan with the chocolate pieces. Gently heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted into the custard. Cover with cling film and cool.
• Arrange the brownies in the base of a trifle bowl. Drain the jars of cherries, reserving the liquid, and scatter over the brownies. Drizzle over 100ml reserved liquid. Spoon the cooled chocolate custard over and chill while you make the topping.
• Lightly whip the cream with the crème fraîche and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Chill until ready to serve, then pile on top of the trifle and decorate with grated chocolate and fresh cherries, if you like.

Steps:

• Slice the chocolate pound cake and make jam sandwiches with the cherry jam, and layer the bottom of a large wide trifle bowl.
• Pour over the cherry brandy so that the cake soaks it up, and then top with the drained cherries.
• Cover with cling wrap and leave to macerate while you make the custard.
• Melt the chocolate on low to medium heat in the microwave, checking after 2 minutes, though it will probably need 4 minutes. Or you can place it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, ser aside while you get on with the custard.
• In a saucepan warm the milk and cream.
• Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl.
• Pour the warm milk and cream into the bowl whisking it into the yolks and sugar mixture.
• Stir in the melted chocolate, scraping the sides well with a rubber spatula to get all of it in, and pour the custard back into the rinsed saucepan.
• Cook over a medium heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time. Make sure it doesn't boil, as it will split and curdle.
• Keep a sink full of cold water so that if you get scared you can plunge the bottom of the custard pan into the cold water and whisk like mad, which will avert possible crisis.
• The custard will get darker as it cooks and the flecks of chocolate will melt once the custard has thickened. And you do need this thick, so don't panic so much that you stop cooking while it is still runny. Admittedly, it continues to thicken as it cools and also when it's chilling in the refrigerator. Once it is ready, pour into a bowl to cool and cover the top of the custard with cling wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
• When the custard is cold, pour and spread it over the chocolate cake layer in the trifle bowl, and leave in the refrigerator to set, covered in cling wrap overnight.
• When you are ready to decorate, softly whip the cream for the topping and spread it gently over the layer of custard. Grate the chocolate over the top.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line the bottom of (2) 9" round pans with parchment.
• Combine the clarified butter and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Set aside somewhere warm (you want the butter to stay melted).
• Combine the flour with 6 tbl.
• of the sugar and sift TWICE.
• Set aside.
• In the mixer, combine the eggs and rest of the sugar.
• Place the mixing bowl in a large pan of hot (not boiling, very hot tap water is good) water, and mix with your hand (kids love this part) until the eggs are warm (body temp).
• Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on high speed until cool, light and at the ribbon stage (when you lift the beaters, ribbons of batter fall back into the bowl and don't disappear very quickly).
• Now, everyone says to use a rubber spatula, but I find it much easier to use my hand to do this next part.
• Sprinkle about 1/3 of the flour onto the eggs and quickly and gently fold into the batter.
• Fold in half the remaining, then the rest.
• Take about a handful of the batter and mix into the small bowl of butter and vanilla until well combined.
• Gently fold that back into the batter.
• Divide between the pans and bake about 25 to 30 minutes- the cakes should BEGIN to shrink away from the side of the pans.
• Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a flat surface and let cool completely before peeling off the parchment.
• Set aside.
• Make the cherry filling: (Since it's not cherry season, I'm giving you my version using canned cherries.) Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low heat until the liquid becomes heavy and syrupy.
• Take of heat and let stand until cool.
• Make the mousse: Melt the chocolate and water in the microwave at 30% power for 2 minutes.
• Stir until smooth.
• Let cool.
• Whip the cream until soft peaks form, not too stiff.
• Set aside.
• Wipe your mixing bowl out with a dash of vinegar.
• Add the whites and whip until stiff, but not dry.
• Fold one fourth of the whites into the white chocolate.
• Scrape the remaining whites and whipped cream on top of the chocolate and fold together.
• Chill until needed.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE TRIFLE: Slice each cake in half.
• Discard one layer.
• Put about 1 cup of the mousse in the bottom of your serving dish (preferably a see-through trifle dish or bowl so you can see all the pretty layers).
• Place one slice of cake on top and press down lightly so it lays even in the dish.
• Ladle some of the cherry syrup onto the cake so it soaks in.
• Put about 1 1/2- 2 c.
• mousse on top and top with half the cherries.
• Place another cake layer on top, and repeat.
• place the last layer of cake on top and using a cake circle press down evenly so all the layers are even and look pretty through the sides of the bowl.
• Sprinkle the remaining cherry syrup over top of the cake layer and top with remaining mousse.
• Decorate with shaved white and dark chocolate.
• Refrigerate until service.
• **NOTE:If you have some home canned cherries, use them, they will be so much better.
• If you have access to fresh cherries at any time simply use 1 lb.
• of them, and poach them in red wine or port, sugar and the lemon slice.

Steps:

• Make pudding with the milk. Let chill a few hours.
• Cut up the chocolate pound cake and put half in a medium to large pretty glass bowl.
• Mix cherries and flavoring.
• After pudding has thickened, layer 1/2 the cherries over the cake in the bowl.
• Cover that with half of pudding.
• Cover that with half the whipped cream.
• Repeat layers. You may need more whipped cream to cover the whole bowl if you are more generous with the whipped cream.
• To step up the chocolate a notch you could use a package of mini chocolate chips to make one more layer on top of the whipped cream, for decoration.
• Chill for about a half hour or so, then serve.
• Doubled with everything but the cake, this overfilled a 9x13 pan, to estimate size. Cooking includes chill time.

Steps:

• Line a 900g loaf tin or terrine with baking parchment. Tip the cherries into a sieve over a saucepan and drain off the syrup. Bring the syrup to a boil and simmer until it thickens and is reduced by half, about 5 mins, and stir back in the cherries. Spoon the cherries and syrup into the base of the tin and leave to cool.
• Whip half of the cream until it thickens but is not stiff, spoon this in a layer over the cherries. Cut the brownie or cupcake into pieces and make a layer on top of the cream. Melt 100g chocolate carefully in a small pan and leave to cool a little.
• Tip the mascarpone into a bowl and add the remaining cream and the icing sugar, whisk together with electric beaters until they are just combined and the mixture is thick, stir in the melted chocolate with a spatula. Spoon the chocolate mixture on top and smooth the surface. Put the trifle into the fridge for 30 mins.
• Melt the remaining chocolate in the same way, leaving to cool a little and pour it onto the trifle, tip the loaf tin back and forth to make a thin, even layer. Wait for the chocolate to set and then cover the tin or terrine and put it into the freezer. Freeze for up to 1 week.
• To serve, take the tin or terrine out of the freezer and leave it to sit for 10 mins, then tip it out onto a serving plate. The syrup from the cherries will run down the sides a little, leave the trifle to sit for another 20 mins before cutting into slices to serve.