Description
A delicious and easy-to-assemble Black Forest Trifle that layers moist chocolate cake, tart cherries, creamy custard, and whipped cream. This dessert combines classic Black Forest flavors in a beautiful presentation, perfect for parties, make-ahead meals, or indulgent treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cake
- 1 chocolate sponge cake or brownie (about 8–10 oz), cut into cubes
- 2–4 tbsp kirsch or cherry liqueur (optional)
Cherries
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or canned sour cherries, drained with juice reserved
Custard
- 2 cups vanilla custard (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 large eggs (if making custard from scratch)
- 1/4 cup sugar (if making custard)
- 2 cups milk (if making custard)
Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar (optional, for sweetening whipped cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Toppings
- Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish
- Fresh cherries and mint sprigs (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chocolate Cake: Bake or use a store-bought moist chocolate sponge or brownie. Allow it to cool completely, then cut into cubes or slices that fit your trifle dish. Optionally, lightly soak the cake pieces with kirsch or cherry juice to add moisture and authentic flavor.
- Make the Custard: To make custard, whisk eggs, sugar, and milk on the stove over medium heat until thickened. Alternatively, use a high-quality prepared custard for convenience. Let the custard cool before assembling.
- Arrange the First Layer: Place a layer of soaked chocolate cake pieces at the bottom of a large glass trifle bowl or individual glasses.
- Add a Cherry Layer: Spoon tart cherries evenly over the cake layer, allowing some cherry juice to seep into the cake for added moisture and flavor.
- Pour Custard Over Cherries: Gently pour a generous layer of vanilla custard over the cherries, spreading it to cover the fruit evenly.
- Add Whipped Cream: Spread a thick layer of freshly whipped cream over the custard for a light, fluffy finish.
- Repeat Layers: Continue layering cake, cherries, custard, and whipped cream until the dish is filled, finishing with a top layer of whipped cream.
- Garnish and Chill: Sprinkle chocolate shavings or dust cocoa powder over the top layer of whipped cream. Refrigerate the trifle for at least two hours, or overnight, to let flavors meld beautifully before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for best flavor.
- Lightly soak cake pieces; avoid over-soaking to prevent soggy layers.
- Chill the trifle overnight for optimal flavor melding.
- Layer neatly in a clear glass bowl to showcase the beautiful colors and textures.
- Whip cream to soft peaks to maintain a smooth and fluffy texture.
- Frozen cherries can be used if thawed and drained well.
- Substitute gluten-free chocolate cake to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Vanilla pudding can be used as a custard substitute for faster preparation.
- Non-alcoholic versions can use cherry juice or simple syrup in place of kirsch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking and Layering
- Cuisine: German-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg