Mandy’s “Make It Work” Chocolate Trifle

This Easter I had promised my friend Alisha that I would bake her something special for Easter dessert—mostly because she’d given up sweets for Lent and had been asking me for something chocolate since sometime in early March.

My plan was a chocolate layer cake with chocolate ganache filling and a white icing. I was going to call it a “Tuxedo Cake” or something all cutesy like that. But you’ll notice the use of past tense in those sentences. I WAS going to do all of those things. Then, after baking the layers for the cake, tragedy happened when I was attempting to get them out of the pans and onto the cooling rack. Please don’t write in with all kinds of tips on how to get cakes out of pans. I know them. I did grease the pans. I did everything you were supposed to do. These things just happen sometimes. But when faced with making the cake over again or finding a way to use the crumbled layers I had, I chose the option that seemed to require less work and came up with this recipe.

Ready?

1. Make your favorite chocolate cake recipe. You can even use cake mix if you want. I made a recipe called “Deep Dark Chocolate Layers” that I’ve made several times before and I think it’s my favorite chocolate cake recipe of all time. Chocolate cakes can easily get dry and this one is very moist. (I did get this recipe from a cookbook and I’ll insert the name and give credit later this afternoon. I don’t have the book with me and can’t remember the particulars.) Anyway, the cake I made includes these ingredients:

1. 2 cups white sugar

2. 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3. 3/4 cup HERSHEY®’S Cocoa Powder

4. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

5. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

6. 1 teaspoon salt

7. 2 eggs

8. 1 cup milk

9. 1/2 cup vegetable oil

10. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

11. 1 cup boiling water

You simply mix the dry ingredients, then add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and mix that on medium speed for a couple of minutes. Then, you add the boiling water and give that a whirl in the mixer, being careful because this makes the batter very thin and splashy. Then, you pour the batter into your pans and bake and 350 for about 30-35 minutes. (I remembered all of that, except the ingredients, which I googled!) Pictures from the process:

2. After your cake has cooled, crumble or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Layer these into the bottom of a pretty bowl.

3. The next layer is coffee chocolate ganache. To make ganache, warm 3/4 cup of heavy cream in the microwave for about a minute or 90 seconds. Mix in about 1/4 -1/2 tsp of instant coffee granules to the hot cream, then whisk in 1 cup of chocolate chips and stir until melted. Stick the whole thing in the freezer and stir every five to 10 minutes until it’s reached a pudding like consistency. Pour the entire batch of ganache atop the chocolate cake layer and smooth to the edges of the bowl. Ganache process pics:

The trifle in process:

4. Cover the ganache layer with another layer of chocolate cake pieces.

5. The next layer is coffee whipped cream. To make, combine 1 cup cold heavy cream, a couple tablespoons of granulated sugar, a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee granules (to your taste) and a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract to take the edge off the coffee flavor. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, use the whisk attachment and let it whir away until soft peaks form. Don’t let the mixer go on much past this stage, though, because at some point, the whipped cream will break down and you might have something that better resembles butter than whipped cream. After your whipped cream is all whippy, smooth it over the cake layer.

6. Add another layer of chocolate cake pieces.

7. Top the chocolate cake layer with a layer of plain chocolate ganache. Follow the same instructions I gave above, only don’t add the instant coffee granules. When it’s the right consistency, spread the ganache on the chocolate cake layer.

8. Add another layer of chocolate cake pieces.

9. Top the trifle with almond whipped cream. To make, simple whisk together 1 cup cold heavy cream, a couple tablespoons of granulated sugar, and a small amount of almond extract. When it’s smooth and creamy and whipped, spread it on the top of the trifle and take a step back and admire your work. Or eat a few bites of the leftover whipped cream (if there is any!).

10. Top the cake with toasted almond slices, chocolate curls, a little chocolate syrup or whatever combination suits your fancy. Then, ENJOY!

Ingredients: • Whatever it takes to make your favorite chocolate cake • 3 1/2 cups heavy cream • 2 cups chocolate chips • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, plus 1/4-1/2 tsp for ganache • About 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar • Almond extract to taste • Toasted almonds, chocolate sauce, or chocolate curls for topping/decoration

Difficulty level: Medium, but only for making the ganache and whipped cream which take a little care. The assembly is EASY!

Soundtrack: Keith & Kristyn Getty “Awaken the Dawn” It was an Easter cake; it should be made with accompaniment proclaiming Christ’s resurrection!