Photo: Chocolate Cherry Trifle Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (approximately 12 ounces each) chocolate pound cakes
- 1/2 cup black cherry jam
- 1/2 cup cherry brandy
- 2 cups drained bottled sour cherries (recommended: Morello)
Custard:
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70 percent cocoa solids, chopped
- 1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa
Topping:
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1-ounce bittersweet chocolate
- Special Equipment: Large wide trifle bowl
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, 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 plastic 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.
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By Chef #1399614
Layton, UT
on January 01, 2012
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Pull up a stool to the stove because you are going to be there for a while stirring this custard. I cooked it in an old-school double boiler on med-low heat and it took 45 mins. It came out perfect that way though. I only gave this recipe 3 stars because of the cake. I had to make my own pound cake (because where do you live that you can run to the store and get a ready made chocolate pound cake? I had a real good old recipe from Southern Cakes but still didn't really care for it. If I try this again, I will use an ordinary German chocolate or Devils Food cake. Something sweeter and more moist. Also, way too much whipped cream is called for. I made this trifle into single servings for New Years Eve because I think it presents better that way and there was also too much cake and not enough custard. So, do with that what you will.
By kgull
on December 25, 2011
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When someone wants you to bring the desert to a large formal dinner party, this is the one to bring. It will look great no matter what and the cake will be perfect after all the added jelly, custard and cherries. I made the chocolate pound cakes (recipe from Swansdown and the custard the day before the dinner and placed it in the refrigerator. I allowed the custard to set up overnight and spooned it over the cherries eight hours before dinner and added the whipped cream and chocolate shavings just before serving time. Important; Custard will thicken more than you think during cool down. I kept checking the temperature of the custard by tasting with a spoon and never stopped stirring with a wire whip.
By glinesc_9296340
Traverse City, MI
on December 21, 2011
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This is a wonderful, rich chocolate dessert. If you cook the custard on a relatively low heat so it won't curdle it may take 30 minutes or more to thicken so you must be patient. I made this for a Christmas party last Saturday and we finished the last tonight for dessert (Wed and my husband thought it was better tonight at 4 days old, so it does keep. I am making it again for Christmas Eve. I found the cherries in the foreign food section of our local Meijers. They are from Hungary--they are labeled Sour Cherries in light syrup. I used skim milk the first
time and 2% this time and 60% chocolate (Ghiradelli and it is plenty dark chocolatey and rich.
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