The Dark Side of the Trifle

I had to make something decadent for a New Year's party. You could make the trifle, Joe pointed out. Yeah, but I've already made it twice this year. He said, You could make a chocolate trifle. It could be the 'Dark Side of the Trifle.'

Hmm... I thought about how I'd do it, then I did some research to see how other people have done it, and I found this gem of a recipe from Emeril Lagasse for Cranberry and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Trifle. But semi-sweet chocolate is just too... mild all by itself, so, to use Emeril's own words, I decided to kick it up a notch and added Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and bittersweet hot fudge sauce.

BAM!

(I can't believe I just said that.)

Emeril's individual recipes are in the extended post, but here's how I assembled my trifle:

Chocolate Cranberry Trifle
2 8" chocolate cakes
1 batch cranberry compote (1 batch should be just enough)
1 batch chocolate pastry cream
bittersweet or dark chocolate hot fudge sauce (I used Sanders for expediency.)
Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
Whipped cream (sweatened with a bit of confectioner's sugar, if you like)
Chocolate shavings

To assemble trifle:
Cut cake rounds into slices. (See my previous trifle recipe post for directions on how to do this.)

Spread Chocolate Pastry Cream in bottom of trifle bowl. Add a cake layer. Soak cake with chocolate liqueur. Add a layer hot fudge sauce. Add a layer of cranberry compote. Add chocolate pastry cream. Top with another cake layer and repeat until bowl is full. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings as desired.

I think in the future I will try a darker chocolate cake, or maybe add dark chocolate chunks to the cake.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Cake
by Emeril Lagasse

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan.
(Note: I made two recipes and used two 8" round cake pans. I had some left over batter.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the remaining butter and sugar. On medium speed, cream the mixture until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth.

Sift the remaining flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add one third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until it springs back when touched, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the pan. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. (My two cakes needed about an hour to cook.)

Cranberry Compote
by Emeril Lagasse

1 pound fresh cranberries
2 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups water
6 tablespoons cornstarch

Put the cranberries, orange and lemon zest, orange and lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and 1 1/2 cups of the water in a medium-size nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/2 cup of water and add to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, then stir constantly until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cool completely.

Yield: 4 cups

Chocolate Pastry Cream
by Emeril Lagasse

1 quart milk
2 cups granulated sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 large egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter

Combine the milk, sugar, chocolate, and vanilla in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to incorporate the chocolate. When the mixture comes to a gentle boil or simmers after about 5 minutes, take 1 cup of the chocolate mixture and add it to the yolks. Whisk well. Slowly whisk the yolks into the chocolate mixture. Cook over medium heat until it thickens slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Slowly stir into the hot liquid. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Cool completely and chill for at least 4 hours.

Yield: 8 cups

Comments

[Zarah Maria]

*trying to remove jaw - and saliva - from desk* GAAAH! Mmmmm. Looks YUMMY! And i loved the BAM!