i baked two dozen cupcakes for a buffet anticipating about as many attendees. the awful fact that i'd over-beaten the ingredients and created 24 tough cakes hit me when taste-testing the first cooled cake. taste: fine. texture: tough. throw them out? not a chance. i opted to reincarnate them into a dessert vastly more interesting and impressive than cupcakes. trifle!
the punch bowl i drafted into service (pictured) is ten inches in diameter and four-and-a-half inches deep. filling it required the quantities of ingredients listed below. you may use a smaller, formal, trifle bowl and need far smaller quanties.
cake - the equivalent of 24 cupcakes - tough, older or dried out is perfectly fine
sherry - one-half cup
berry preserves - one cup, loosened up to spread with a little water or warmth
berries in season - four pounds, cleaned, hulled and sliced
dr. oetkerpowdered organic vanilla pudding mix - three packages prepared with any non-cows' milk - makes six cups. dr. oetker is a canadian brand which also happens to be vegan. i buy it @ rainbow grocery or whole foods.
soyatoowhipped topping - optional. some people love a dessert finished with a whipped topping. i'm not one of 'em. however, if you are, try soyatoo. the look is beautiful. you can find it @ whole foods or rainbow.
mint for garnish
here's how to asssemble your trifle:
creating a pretty showpiece trifle take care, keeping an eye on the look of the bowl exterior. though i decorated the walls of the bowl pictured with strawberries alone, often the sides of trifle bowls reveal each defined layer.
have plenty of each ingredient on hand. trifles require a greater amount of materials than you imagine!
place a bed of cake in a single layer @ the bottom of your bowl
sprinkle the cake liberally with sherry
brush with preserves
scatter sliced strawberries over all evenly
cover with a thick layer of custard
repeat until the ingredients even with the rim of the vessel.
this may be asembled a day ahead and refrigerated till ready for garnishing and service. when served up, the whole will have become one sweet + cakey mess of comforting dessert. heaven. ;-)
oh, and by the way: sir 007 says "go vegan. why not?"
