Trifle

A Trifle is a classic British dessert made with sponge fingers soaked in alcohol such as Curacao, sweet sherry or Madeira wine, port, ginger ale, and even coffee liqueur. It is then topped with a generous amount of sweet, whipping cream, and then decorated with preserved fruit, chocolate curls, or a dusting of some cocoa powder.

This elegant dessert is often presented as a crowd-pleasing element to end a sumptuously prepared meal.

Trifle Trivia

• Former pastry Chef to the royal family Carolyn Robb shares the trifle recipe that Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Princes William and Harry adored. It was surprisingly nontraditional; some would not even call it a trifle! It features the rich textures of cream, the tartness of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, ending with the refreshing scent and taste of mint.

Trifle Buying Guide

Trifles are available in bakeries and cafes. You can choose from different cake bases including vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and mocha. You can also use the classic vanilla whipped cream or add some natural colors and flavors to elevate your dish. Finally, the garnish can be anything from fresh or dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, or even melted chocolate, and some syrups.

Some people prefer to buy ready-made butter cakes or ladyfingers for the base.

Trifle Production & Farming in Texas

Trifles are such a treasured dessert. It’s best to buy all-natural ingredients to make one for yourself. There are many farms in Texas which produce organic dairy products such as eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and cream.  Wild berries and organic fruits are also grown all over the state. Moreover, artisan preserves such as jams and jellies can be bought from small producers in farmer’s markets.

Preservatives and Chemicals

Trifles are not meant to be eaten daily, so you won’t have to worry about all the chemicals and preservatives that are commonly added to desserts. However, some people do like to take shortcuts by using store-bought sheet cakes, ladyfingers, or biscuits for the base. Processed whipped cream and other syrups are commonly used as additional ingredients. In that case, you should watch out for additional preservatives, artificial sugars, and artificial flavorings that are added to the ingredients.

To avoid these, you can make your cake base, cookies, or ladyfingers; you can even use fresh milk or cream from the nearby dairy farms, and explore the farmers’ market to select the seasonal fruits for your trifle.

Packaging

Trifles are a showstopper dessert. Thus, it needs an equally elegant server to show-off all the layers. Trifles must always be served in glass, trifle bowls with long stems to accentuate the layers.

You can also use footed ice cream bowls and shot glasses for individual servings.

Enjoying Trifles

Home-made trifles can be refrigerated for a day and must be consumed within 2-3 days. Keeping it longer will make the cake soggy. It would be unappetizing to eat such a mushy blob of cream and cake.

Storage

Keep the trifles refrigerated to keep them from spoiling. Cover your leftover trifles with plastic wrap and keep them for up to 3 days. The best time to eat the trifle is when it has spent at least an hour in the fridge. You can also freeze your trifle and defrost it when needed.

Cooking

Make your home dinners more romantic with these decadent trifles. The rich flavors of chocolate chips, pound cakes, and cappuccino are perfect to impress your date.

Trifle For Two

Ingredients:

1 package or 3 ounces softened cream cheese

4 tsp instant cappuccino powder or any sweetened, instant coffee powder

2 tsp sugar

2 cup whipped cream

2 slices pound cake, cut into cubes

¼ semi-sweet chocolate chips

Note: You can add additional whipped cream and some chocolate chips for the topping.

Procedure:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, coffee powder, and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat the whipped cream. Mixing half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Set aside the remaining half.
3. Divide the pound cake into two and place at the bottom of the dessert glasses.
4. Top with the cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with some chocolate chips.
5. Dollop the remaining whipped cream mixture and garnish with more chocolate chips.

Options:

1. You can use some chocolate curls or chocolate pearls for a more sophisticated look.
2. Brush your pound cakes with some coffee liqueur to transform into a tiramisu-like dessert.
3. Replace coffee powder with fruit syrup, jams, or jellies for a fruity dessert. Just make sure it pairs well with dark, milk, or white chocolates. Strawberries, blueberries, and apricots are great options.
4. You can also use some toasted nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and pistachios to add some crunch.