I used to love trifle at Christmas BBQs when I was a kid. Well, at least I loved the custard, jelly, and cream. I hated those lady's fingers sponges soaked in sherry. Who's fingers look like that anyway? My version is healthier, tastier, and kinder. Try it with different fruits and berries. I promise you will love it!
INGREDIENTS
Vanilla cake
2 cups gluten-free flour
½ cup almond meal
2 tbsp flaxseeds, ground
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla powder*
1 ¼ cups soy milk
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Chocolate custard
500ml soy milk
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup corn flour
Cherry sauce
2 cups cherries, pitted
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 lemon, juiced
Vanilla Cream
250 g silken tofu
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
To serve
Fresh cherries, pitted
Frsh mint leaves
METHOD
Cake layer
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 20x10cm square cake tin with baking paper.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla powder together. Place the soy milk, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl and mix well.
Add this wet mix to the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together (don’t over-mix as you will knock out the air bubbles). Pour into the cake tin and bake for 20 minutes until the top is lightly golden and springy to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Custard layer
To make the custard, add the soy milk, maple syrup, cocoa, and cornflour to a medium saucepan. Mix with a whisk and heat on medium heat, stirring constantlyk until it thickens.
Cherry sauce
To make the syrup, place the cherries, maple syrup, and lemon juice with ½ cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Blend on high speed to create a smooth cherry sauce.
Vanilla cream
In a high-speed blender, blend the tofu, maple syrup, and vanilla until very smooth.
To assemble
When the cake is cooled, slice into about 1 cm thick slices. Place a layer of the cake onto the bottom of a glass serving dish. Cover this cake layer with fresh cherries, dollops of custard and cherry sauce. Alternate layers with cake, custard, and cherry sauce until all of the cake is used or the dish is full.
Finish the top with the vanilla cream, fresh cherries, and sprigs of mint. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Best if prepared the day before serving.
*Vanilla powder only contains whole vanilla beans, no other additives. This can be found at most good health food stores or online.
Serves 8
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