Incredible Vegan Trifle! This British favourite has layers upon layers of vegan sponge cake, mixed berry compote, vegan custard, vegan whipped cream and fresh fruit. Dessert doesn't get better than this!
1½ to 2 x 9 oz (266ml) tubsSo Delicious Cocowhip, or approx 2 cups (480 ml) any other vegan whipped cream
For assembly
½ cup (120ml)liquor or juice of choice , such as orange liquor, limoncello, brandy, sweet sherry, marsala, freshly squeezed orange juice, pomegranate, grape or cranberry juice.
Approximately 400 - 500 grams / 14 - 17ozfresh berries or other fruit, optional but recommended
decoration for the top, I used chopped pistachios & pomegranate arils. You could use sprinkles, berries, flaked almonds.
Instructions
For the cake
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease then line an 8 or 9 inch cake pan.
To a mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk, melted butter/oil, vanilla & vinegar. Using a spatula mix together to form a thick batter.
Spoon into the cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the pan for 10 minutes then tip out carefully onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely then wrap and store until you want to assemble the trifle.
Add the cornstarch, sugar, salt and turmeric to a saucepan. Add a little of the milk very gradually, stirring as you go to work out any lumps until you have a nice smooth paste. Gradually add the rest of the milk while stirring.
Place the pan over a medium-low heat and stir gently but constantly, making sure you cover the bottom surface of the entire pan with your stirs. Do not stop stirring or lumps will form. Keep going until you have a smooth, thick custard. It should take about 10 minutes and will be like a thick sauce or gravy in texture. It should easily coat and cling to the back of a spoon and if you run your finger down the back of the spoon a clear, clean line should remain.
As soon as it reaches that stage turn off the heat, then add the vanilla extract and vegan butter. Stir until the butter is melted and incorporated then cover and leave to cool.
For the compote
Add the frozen berries, sugar, lemon zest and juice to a pan. Turn the heat to medium and wait until the berries have mostly defrosted. Do not add any liquid, other than the lemon juice. Give it a good stir, bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook away uncovered until reduced by half. You will be able to see when this has happened by the berry juice marks on the side of the pan. It will take a good 30 to 35 mins and will still look quite liquidy when done. Once reduced, turn off the heat, allow to cool then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate. It will thicken up a lot as it cools.
To assemble
Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes. Discard the edge pieces (by discard I mean eat ;O). Place the cubes in the bottom of a trifle dish or large glass bowl. It should be a nice thick layer. At this stage you can scatter some optional fresh berries in amongst the cake cubes if you want to.
Carefully drizzle the liquor/juice over the cake making sure it covers evenly.
Spoon the compote evenly over the top making sure it goes right to the sides. If using fresh fruit, scatter some over the compote.
Give the custard a quick whisk, then spoon evenly over the compote. Give the bowl a gentle shake to even the top then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the custard firms just a little before you add the cream.
You can add the final cream layer now or just before you serve. Add as much as you have room for in your bowl. Swoosh it about with a spatula to make it look pretty then decorate. I love to use chopped pistachios and pomegranate arils because they look pretty and the crunch is really nice with the soft trifle.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight) before serving. This allows the flavours to come together nicely and also lets the layers firm up and settle. You'll have a much easier time serving!
Notes
Making in advance & storingThe cake, compote and the the custard can all be made well in advance. The cake up to 3 days before (or you can freeze it for up to 3 months), the compote up to a week before and the custard up to 3 days before.For the best eating experience the trifle itself should be assembled no earlier than the day before you need it, but leftovers will keep for 4 or 5 days if covered in the fridge.