Making a trifle from leftover cake

October 31, 4:34 PMChicago Baking ExaminerNancy Yos

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Chicago Baking Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Not quite the best way to begin?

Photo by Nancy Yos

If you've got any of that chocolate pound cake leftover, you might want to use it up by making a trifle, a dessert of layered cubes of cake, fresh fruits, and pudding, all garnished with a generous topping of whipped cream.

An absolutely classic recipe, from Mrs. Beeton's Household Management published in 1861, is a bit more elaborate. It calls for the making of a "whip" of egg whites, sherry, cream, and sugar, followed by the assembly of the trifle -- sponge cakes and "ratafias" are placed in a large bowl, soaked in sherry and brandy, and then covered with lemon zest, sweet almonds, and a layer of fruit jam. Then a homemade custard is poured over all this, and finally the "whip" is "heaped lightly" over all, and garnished with "crystallized sweetmeats or flowers."

For a more up to date but still properly English recipe, you might try this, from Allrecipes.com:

English trifle

• 2 (8 or 9 inch) white cake layers, baked and cooled
• 2 pints fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 2 bananas
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 12 maraschino cherries

1. Slice the strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar. Slice the bananas into rounds and toss them with the orange juice. Combine the pudding mix with milk and mix until smooth. Cut the cake into one inch cubes.

2. Layer the bottom of a large glass bowl with half the cake cubes. Follow with half the quantities of the various fruits, and half the pudding. Repeat the layers in the same order.

3. In a medium bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks and spread over the trifle. Garnish with almonds and cherries.

Would your chocolate cake do for this? And note, this recipe excludes any liqueurs. Wouldn't a nip of something make it even nicer?

If you happened to have gone shopping for trifle ingredients without any real recipe in your mind, just a vague understanding that trifle is cake, cream, and fruit, well then -- your blend of chocolate pound cake, thawed frozen raspberries, whipped cream, and a splash of Hershey's syrup might not quite be what either you or Mrs. Beeton had in mind. Lucky that chocolate in general is such a forgiving ingredient to work with.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like: What is chocolate?; Pecan torte with mocha filling and sauce Jose; Hot fudge water pudding