English Berry Trifle

My mum is from England and when I was growing up we always had a berry trifle for dessert on holidays.  I’m not a huge fan of jello, but there’s something about the combination of the jello and the cake in a trifle that makes it absolutely delicious.  I wanted to make this traditional recipe one that people with food intolerances could enjoy as well.  It was so easy to adapt it to make it allergy-friendly, and I promise the dairy and eggs won’t be missed.  The first time I made it for my family they had no clue I didn’t make it the traditional way (eggs in the cake, traditional whipped cream topping) until I told them after they had already eaten it.

This berry trifle is pretty quick to throw together, with baking the cake being the most time consuming part. I’ve included my favorite cake recipe which is pretty simple to make.  It makes more of a dense cake, which I think is perfect for the bottom layer of a dessert that will have liquid poured on top.  I’m going to be bringing this berry trifle to my family’s Easter brunch, but I don’t want to have to do a whole lot of work on Easter morning.  I’m making the cake the day before that way on Easter morning I just need to make the jello and the whipped cream topping.

If you are planning on making coconut whipped cream like I did in this recipe, make sure you read the notes at the end of the recipe first to ensure that your coconut whipped cream will turn out.  You can use regular full fat coconut whipped cream for the topping, but I always have the best luck with using Nature’s charm Coconut whipped cream in a can.  I find it at Sprouts.  Also, traditional English trifle has sherry in it, and I love how it tastes with that addition.  However, if you aren’t into boozy desserts or you want to be able to share with little ones too, you can just skip the sherry.  I promise it still tastes great!

Once your cake is made, tear it into 1 inch pieces and add to your serving bowl.  If you are making your trifle with sherry, pour the sherry over the cake and let it absorb for a few minutes before adding your fruit and jello.  

Pour your jello mixture over the cake and fruit and then put it in the refrigerator to set.

Once your jello has set, top with your coconut whipped cream and some extra fruit and enjoy!

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Berry Trifle

One of my favorite spring desserts, this recipe is light enough to enjoy after a yummy brunch with family.  It's dairy and egg free, making it perfect for your vegan friends.

Servings 10

Ingredients

Vanilla cake ingredients

• 1 ¾ C all-purpose flour
• 1 C sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ C coconut milk or milk of your preference
• ½ C applesauce
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 T apple cider vinegar

Trifle ingredients

• 1 C strawberries chopped
• 1 C blueberries
• 1 C blackberries
• 3 packs of strawberry jello mix
• 2 cans of coconut whipping cream
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 T vanilla extract
• ¼ C of sherry optional

Instructions

Vanilla cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit (180 degrees celsius).
2. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
3. Add coconut milk, applesauce, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar to your dry ingredients and whisk everything together well (no clumps).
4. Grease two round 7in cake pans and pour the mixture evenly into the pans.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. When the cakes are done you will be able to insert a toothpick into the middle and have it come out clean. If there is batter on the toothpick bake the cake for a few more minutes.
6. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely before removing from the pans.

   
   

Trifle:

1. Put six cups of water in a pan and bring to a boil. Add the jello mix to a medium sized mixing bowl and add the boiling water, mixing as you pour the water in.

2. Tear up one of the cakes into 1 inch pieces and add to the bottom of your serving bowl.  

3. If you are including sherry in your trifle, pour it over the cake and let it soak in for a few minutes. If you want your trifle to be alcohol free just skip this step.
4. Add the 3 cups of berries and pour the jello over the top. Refrigerate until the jello sets (I got fast-setting jello so it was firm in about thirty minutes, but check your box to make sure you allow enough time for it to set).
5. After the jello has set, it’s time to prepare the whipped cream topping. See my notes below before making the coconut whipped cream.
6. Add the coconut whipped cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to your chilled bowl and mix with a hand-held mixer on high. It takes about 3-5 minutes for the coconut whipped cream to fully whip up.
7. Add your coconut whip to the top of your jello, decorate with extra berries, and enjoy!
8. 
   

Recipe Notes

• Make sure your cans of coconut whipped cream are refrigerated. Also, put your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for a few minutes before you are ready to mix the whipped cream. I’ve learned that if everything is not extremely chilled, the coconut whipped cream will not whip up.  If you are using a regular can of full fat coconut milk, make sure that after it's refrigerated you only use the hardened part.  If you pour in the liquid as well then it will be too watery and won't whip up.  If you are using the Nature's charm coconut whipped cream like I recommend above, you can use the liquid as well as the hardened coconut cream.
• This cake recipe makes 2 cakes, but you only need to add one to the trifle.  You can frost the second cake for an extra dessert if you'd like.