Cherry ChocolateTrifle
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Layered chocolate pound cake soaked in kirsch, topped with sour cherries, rich homemade chocolate custard, and clouds of whipped cream. A showpiece trifle for 18.
YIELD
18 servingsPREP
35 minCOOK
16 minREADY
14 hrsThis is the kind of dessert that hushes a room when you set it on the table.
Chocolate pound cake gets sliced, sandwiched with black cherry jam, and layered into a trifle bowl before a good soak of kirsch seeps into every crumb.
Drained sour cherries go on next, then a proper homemade chocolate custard made with bittersweet chocolate, egg yolks, cocoa, milk, and cream.
Let it all set overnight in the fridge, then finish with softly whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.
It feeds 18 and tastes like Black Forest cake’s more sophisticated cousin.
Chef’s Tips
- Stir the custard constantly over medium heat and never let it boil. Boiling curdles the egg yolks and ruins the silky texture.
- Keep a sink of cold water ready. If the custard pan gets too hot, dip the bottom in cold water and whisk hard to save it.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the warm custard to prevent a skin from forming as it cools.
- This must be assembled the day before serving. The overnight chill lets the flavours meld and the custard set properly.
Ingredients
Directions
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 plastic 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, totally needs about 4 minutes.
Alternatively you can add chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, ser aside while you work on with the custard.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and cream until warm.
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.
Mix 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 constantly.
Do not let boil, then it will split and curdle.
Keep a sink full of cold water so that if you feel the pan is too hot, you can put the bottom of the custard pan into the cold water and whisk constantly.
The custard will get darker as it cooks and the flecks of chocolate will melt once the custard has thickened.
It needs to be thickened, 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 plastic 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 keep in the refrigerator until set, and cover in plastic wrap overnight.
When ready to decorate, softly whip the cream for the topping and spread it gently over the layer of custard.
Shave or grate the dark chocolate over the top.
Serve.
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