Black Forest Trifle

I’m a fan of the messy, disassembled dessert, particularly when it’s topped with whipping cream. Trifle has been a tradition in our family for decades, but this year I thought I’d try something a little different, inspired by my niece’s favourite Black Forest cake. The combination of chocolate, cherries and whipped cream is perfect for a trifle – and it’s easy to find frozen cherries in the freezer section of the grocery store at this time of year. If you can’t find any – or just want to streamline the process – pick up a big can or jar of cherry pie filling.

Black Forest Trifle

1 chocolate cake or pound cake, diced or crumbled

Filling:
2 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Topping:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Crumble the cake into a large trifle dish, or individual serving dishes.

Meanwhile, simmer the cherries, sugar and cornstarch (if you like, stir the sugar and cornstarch together first in a small bowl to get rid of lumps) over medium heat until bubbling and thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spoon the cherry mixture over the crumbled cake, and top with whipped cream. Serves 6.