Fresh Fruit Trifle

Posted on March 24, 2010 by kitchenbelle

 

The birthdays of my mother and my brother are within just a few days of each other.  The members of my family don’t love sweets as much as I do, and when I bake a cake for them I tend to eat the biggest piece of all! Last year I made this orange coconut cake for my mom’s birthday. But this year, rather than make two frosting-laden cakes (one for my brother and one for my mother) I decided to do something a little lighter and fresher.  A birthday trifle seemed like a perfect option. It is light because it is made with fluffy angel food cake and it incorporates all fresh fruit.  Additionally, it isn’t wrapped in a thick layer of sugary frosting. 

This trifle was so creamy and delicious!

Notes/Thoughts:

  • Everyone agreed that the cinnamon really added the flavor that pulled the entire dish together.
  • Feel free to “make it yours” by adding fruit you like and omitting those you don’t.
  • Trifles are just so pretty to look at! Best of all they don’t really require much skill.  You can’t really do anything “wrong” because in the end everything mixes together!  
  • For the pudding I used this recipe, the filling for Boston Cream Pie, and I was very happy with it.  It is very fresh and creamy.  I find boxed puddings to be a little sweet, but by all means, you could definitely substitute store-bought pudding here.
  • I purchased a round angel food cake from the bakery of my grocery store for $4.99 and I was very happy with it.  However, you could absolutely make your own angel food cake and use it in this recipe.

Fresh Fruit Trifle:

Fruit

  • approximately 1 pint of fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
  • approximately 1 pint of fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained, hulled and sliced (save one whole berry for garnish)
  • 2-3 fresh peaches, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Pudding

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups light cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    • Garnish and Assembly

    • one store bought angel food cake (or you can bake your own)
    • one small container of Cool Whip or whipped cream

    Make the pudding:

    In a saucepan bring the butter, milk, and light cream to a boil. While this mixture is cooking, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl and whip using a whisk.

    When the cream/ milk/butter mixture reaches the boiling point, whisk in the egg mixture and cook to boiling.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent it from burning.  As it begins to thicken, clumps may form.  Use a whisk to smooth it out. Boil for 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to press the pastry cream through a strainer into a bowl.  Whisk in vanilla extract. Cover the surface with plastic wrap touching the pudding.  (This prevents a film from forming.)  Chill for about one hour. 

    Prepare the fruit:

    Combine all fruit, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and use a wooden spoon to toss well to combine.  Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

    Assemble:

    Slice angel food cake into one-inch thick pieces and layer on the bottom of a glass trifle dish, covering the bottom of the dish.   Spoon half of the fruit mixture on top of the angel food cake.  (Be sure to drizzle any liquid that formed from the fruit and sugar. Don’t waste it!) Spread half of the pudding over the fruit mixture.  Repeat these layers until you have used all of your components. Top final layer with Cool Whip (or whipped cream) and garnish with a berry, if desired. Keep refrigerated until just before serving.

    Recipe inspired by French Vanilla Summer Trifle on MyRecipes.com.

    Filed under: blueberry, cake, Cool Whip, Dessert, pudding, strawberry, vanilla, VEGETARIAN | 5 Comments »

    Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling

    Posted on February 22, 2010 by kitchenbelle

    I am crazy about these chocolate cake and chocolate frosting recipes!  As you can see I have used them here and here and here.  The cake is so rich and moist!  The frosting is fluffy and sweet, but not too sweet.  These recipes have been very good to me.  (I originally found them on Annie’s Eats. Thanks Annie!)

    Well this past week my parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary! (Isn’t that fantastic?) We made dinner for them and of course I was in charge of the cake.  I was set on using this chocolate on chocolate combination, but I really wanted to add a new spin with an elegant flair.  I decided to use raspberry filling!  I used Wilton’s recipe and I am so happy with how it turned out!

    The raspberry and chocolate combination was really fantastic!

    Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling:

    For the cake:

    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup boiling water

    For the Filling:

  • 1 16 ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

    • For the Frosting:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

    • Garnish:

    • chocolate chips (optional)
    • fresh raspberries (optional)

    Bake the cake:

    Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round baking pans.

    Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).  Pour batter into prepared pans.

    Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely.

    Make the frosting:

    Melt the butter in a medium bowl.  Stir in the cocoa.  Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.  Add small amount additional milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.

    Make the raspberry filling:

    Drain raspberries, reserving liquid. Add enough water to liquid to equal 1 1/4 cups. In large saucepan, combine liquid, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice; mix well. Heat and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Cool completely. Stir thawed raspberries into cooled mixture.

    Assemble the cake:

    Level off both cakes using a serrated knife. Place bottom cake on a cardboard cake circle.  Pipe a ring of the chocolate frosting around the outside edge of the cake.  Fill the area inside the ring of frosting with a thick layer of the raspberry filling.  Place the second cake layer on top. Frost the sides of the cake layers with chocolate frosting.  Pipe a decorative border of the chocolate frosting on top of the cake.  Fill the area inside this border with a thick layer of the raspberry filling.  Garnish with chocolate chips, fresh raspberries, and/or additional frosting if desired.

    Filed under: cake, chocolate, Dessert, frosting, raspberry | 8 Comments »

    Heath Bar Chocolate Cake

    Posted on December 11, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    Wow–the days and weeks have gotten away from me! I came down with a nasty cold after Thanksgiving and I am not, what you might call, a quick “rebounder.”  I take some time to bounce back!  I am working on it, though.  With the help of some roasted garlic cloves I hope to be 100% soon!  Needless to say, I have not been cooking anything too snazzy in the kitchen as of late.  Roasted winter vegetables, simply grilled steaks, some pasta, sweet potatoes, and beans are pretty much it.  That said, I hope to get back on it and squeeze in some fun holiday treats before the season spirals away from me. 

    I recently did some baking  for my wonderful co-worker, Jill, who is getting married in the Bahamas next month.  We had a surprise shower for her at work and I made this celebration cake for the gathering.  It is an adaptation of Annie’s Eats Cookies and Cream Cake, which won me our office bake-off.  This time, instead of crushed Oreos I used Heath Bar chocolate bits folded into the whipped cream filling. 

    I must say I was quite pleased with the result.  The chocolate cake is rich and moist, the whipped cream filling is light and fluffy, yet not too sweet, and the Hershey’s chocolate frosting is fudgy and delicious.  I’d say this cake has mass appeal, which makes it perfect for an office occasion or a party where you might not know everyone’s tastes. 

    Heath Bar Chocolate Cake:

    For the cake:

    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup boiling water

    For the filling:

    • 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
    • 1/8 cup confectioners’ sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 bag of Heath Bar chocolate bits 

    For the frosting:

    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 2/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
    • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
    • 1/3 cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

    To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round baking pans.

    Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).  Pour batter into prepared pans.

    Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely.

     To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.  Beat on low speed until all sugar is incorporated; increase speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in candy pieces with a rubber spatula.

     To make the frosting, melt the butter in a medium bowl.  Stir in the cocoa.  Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.  Add small amount additional milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.

     To assemble the cake, slice two cakes in half cross-wise using a serrated knife.  Place one cake layer on a cardboard cake circle.  Pipe a ring of the chocolate frosting around the outside edge of the cake.  Fill the area inside the ring of frosting with a thick layer of the cookies and cream mixture.  Repeat with remaining layers. Place the last cake layer on top.  Frost the sides of the cake layers with chocolate frosting.  Pipe a decorative border of the chocolate frosting on top of the cake.  Fill the area inside this border with a thick layer of the cookies and cream mixture.  Garnish with extra candy pieces and chocolate frosting.

    Adapted from Annie’s Eats.

    Filed under: cake, candy, chocolate, Dessert, frosting, icing | 6 Comments »

    Mini Chocolate and Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

    Posted on November 16, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    October

    I am very late in sharing with you these little bites of heaven!  I made them for a Halloween potluck luncheon and everyone seemed to really enjoy them.  The cakes are very puffy and fluffy.  The filling is light and sweet.  The pumpkin gives the filling an orange tint.  (If you want to be especially festive you could add a few drops each of yellow and red food coloring to enhance the orange/black contrast!)  These were great for Halloween, but I think they are a very nice fall treat in general.  They would certainly add some spunk to a traditional Thanksgiving table.  (Minus the eyeballs, of course!)

    I love packaging treats individually these days!  I just can’t get enough of it!  Not only does it look super cute, but I find people enjoy slipping a treat into their pocket or purse for later–especially after a heavy meal.

    Here are some other treats I have wrapped individually:

    Kitchen Sink Cookies

    Better than Brownie Cookie Peanut Butter Sandwiches

    Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Pink Frosting and Sprinkles

    Mini Chocolate and Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:

    Cakes

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    • Filling

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • Pinch of nutmeg

    • Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

    Place butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

    Drop about 2 teaspoons dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks.  Cool completely.

    In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whip until smooth

    Spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

    Adapted from Martha Stewart.

    Filed under: cake, chocolate, cookies, cream cheese, Dessert, Fall, frosting, pumpkin | 6 Comments »

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

    Posted on October 31, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    o

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!

     Halloween is truly one of my favorite holidays.  I have so many great childhood memories associated with Halloween.  Every year my grandmother, who was the type of woman who always looked for a reason for a celebration, would have an over-the-top Halloween party in her basement.  I remember going to her house days prior to decorate and prepare.   We would tie strings from the ceiling pipes in preparation of the doughnut eating contest.  We’d tape black cat and witch cardboard cutout decorations to the walls and the mirror behind the bar.  We’d fill a bucket of water so that we could bob for apples.  (Those were the days when bobbing for apples was fun and not fearful–no one seemed to worry about transmitting viruses like they would today!)  We’d even create a haunted house in the unfinished portion of the cellar!  After my grandmother died my mom continued the tradition by having Halloween parties and always keeping the holiday fun and festive.  What’s funny is we don’t really have any traditional family foods or recipes associated with Halloween.  It’s more about using it as a good reason to have some fun.

    I always look for a reason to bake sweet treats and there is certainly not a shortage of Halloween-centric desserts!  From the moment I saw this cake on Smitten Kitchen I couldn’t let it go.  The chocolate ganache seemed like the perfect canvas for a spider web and the chocolate peanut butter combo speaks for itself. I would say this is the perfect dinner party dessert.  It has that wow factor and the richness means a small slice goes a long way.  You will not be sorry you made this cake!

    Notes:

    • I only have two round cake pans so I made a double rather than a triple layer.  (I used the leftover batter and frosting for cupcakes!)
    • Deb stresses the fact that these cakes are really soft and somewhat difficult to work with. I highly suggest you follow her advice and wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze prior to frosting with a crumb coat.  Return the assembled and crumb-coated cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frosting with your final layer of frosting.  Refrigerate again before topping with the warm ganache.

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake:

    2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 1/2 cups sugar
    3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup vegetable oil
    1 cup sour cream
    1 1/2 cups water
    2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 eggs

    Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans.

    Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

    Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

     To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

    To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips.  Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.

    Peanut Butter Frosting
    Makes about 5 cups

    10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
    1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
    5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
    2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

    In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

    Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

    Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
    Makes about 1 1/2 cups

    8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used the Scharffen Berger Chocolate I received in the swag bag from BlogHer Food)
    3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
    2 tablespoons light corn syrup
    1/2 cup half-and-half

    In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

    Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

    Adapted from Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

    Filed under: cake, chocolate, cream cheese, Dessert, Fall, frosting, icing, Peanut Butter | 4 Comments »

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