BLACK FOREST TRIFLE
When Mama Paige said she would work on a plant-based Black Forest Trifle recipe for the March Collection, I chuckled a little. This recipe was one of the first desserts my mom taught me how to make after we both realized that baking wasn’t my strong suit. I’d just messed up another chocolate cake recipe, and she taught me how to turn a ruined cake into a delectable trifle. Now trifles are one of my favorite desserts to make and eat – especially Black Forest Trifle.
If you are not familiar with a trifle, it is not only a coverup for a bad cake; it is like having all the delicious parts of a dessert layered in a bowl. Traditionally, a trifle is composed of cake pieces, jelly, custard, fruit, and cream. You can mix and match different flavor profiles with the various layers. You can make it as big or as small as you like. Some trifles are super fancy other or haphazardly thrown together. It’s really up to you. Do you see why I love trifles? The options are endless!
This trifle recipe is based on the Black Forest Cake and is so easy to make. It is layered with chocolate cake, chocolate yogurt, chocolate bar shavings, cherry pie filling, and cheesecake filling. Mama Paige made a chocolate cake for this recipe, but you can use a store-bought chocolate cake to make it even easier. This recipe is on the larger side. If this is too much for one sitting, feel free to pair it down to create individual desserts to enjoy later. Your final masterpiece should be stored in the refrigerator and tightly covered. The trifle will be good for up to 3 days. But, trust me, it won’t last that long.
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Let’s get into the Recipe!
This recipe is semi-homemade. It’s a great recipe to make when you have last minute dinner guests or get invited to a potluck and don’t know what to bring. So let’s get started!
Grab your favorite clear glass salad or mixing bowl. If you want to get fancy, you can use a Trifle Bowl. Make sure your bowl is clean and lint-free. You don't want any additional particles in the trifle. The first layer of your trifle will be the chocolate cake crumbles. Dependent on the container's size, you will use about half the chocolate cake crumbles but feel free to use your best judgment. The next layer will be one container of vegan chocolate yogurt followed by a sprinkle of about 1.5 tablespoons of chocolate bar shavings. You won't see this layer in the trifle once it's complete, but the flavor payoff is worth it.
On to the fourth layer – cherry pie filling. This is my favorite layer of the trifle. I love the tartness the cherry pie filling adds to the trifle. Next, add a layer of vegan cheesecake filling. Only use half of the recipe amount. Follow the cheesecake layer with another layer of the remaining chocolate cake crumbles. Then, another layer of the remaining cheesecake filling. The next layer will be the second container of chocolate yogurt, followed by another layer of 1.5 tablespoons of chocolate bar shavings. The final layer is the remaining cherry pie filling. If you are using one can of pie filling for the whole recipe, you may not have a solid cherry layer. If this is the case, make a smaller circle of cherries in the center. If you are using two cans of pie filling, you will have enough for a solid layer of cherries.
Now, let's garnish! Garnish with the remaining chocolate bar shavings. If you have reserved any of the Cheesecake filling, pipe the design of your choice. Mama Paige opted for a heart-shaped design. I thought it was super cute! Cover the trifle and refrigerate. Serve chilled. If covered properly, this trifle will keep for about a week in the fridge.
Here are few notes to keep in mind when making this trifle:
Chocolate Cake: You can use more or less chocolate cake in the trifle. It's all up to you.
Cherry Pie Filling: If you want thicker layers of cherry pie filling, use 2 cans of the cherry pie filling for this trifle - one can for each cherry layer.
Cheesecake Filling: If the filling is too stiff to spread easily, either add a teaspoon of lemon juice to thin the filling or warm in the microwave for about 6 seconds.
Decorative Topping: If you want to decorative topping, reserve a quarter cup of cheesecake filling and make another 1.5 teaspoons of chocolate bar shaving. Use these ingredients to make the design you want.
Black Forest Trifle
Ingredients
- 3 C. vegan chocolate cake, broken into pieces about the size of a dime (see below)
- Double recipe of vegan cheesecake filling (see Cheesecake Filled Strawberries recipe)
- 2 @ 16-ounce cans of cherry pie filling
- 2 @ 6-ounce containers of vegan chocolate yogurt
- ¼ C. shaved dark chocolate
Instructions
- Select a 2-quart clear glass salad or mixing bowl. Or, you can dress it up with a 3-quart Trifle Bowl.
- In the bowl's base, place and spread 1 ½ cups of chocolate cake crumbs.
- Next, layer one container of vegan chocolate yogurt.
- Next, sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons of the chocolate bar shavings over the Chocolate Yogurt.
- Next, layer about half of the cherry pie filling.
- Next, layer about half of the cheesecake filling.
- Next, layer the remaining chocolate cake crumbles.
- Next, layer the remaining cheesecake filling.
- Next, layer the second container of chocolate yogurt.
- Next, Sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons of chocolate bar shavings over the top of chocolate yogurt.
- Next, layer the remaining cherry pie filling for the final layer.
- Garnish with remaining Chocolate bar shavings. If you have reserved any of the Cheesecake filling for garnishing, pipe the design of your choice.
