Vegan Black Forest Trifle

This vegan trifle has layers of chocolate cake, creamy chocolate custard, macerated cherries and whipped dairy-free cream. It's just like a classic German gateau but easier to prepare and assemble!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Resting Time4

Total Time5 30

Cuisine: American, Australian, British, German-inspired, Vegan

Ingredients

Dairy Free Chocolate Custard

▢ 4 cups (32 oz or 1L) dairy-free milk
▢ ⅔ cup (75g) cornstarch / corn flour
▢ ½ cup (85g) roughly chopped vegan chocolate or chocolate chips
▢ ⅓ cup (55g) granulated, brown or coconut sugar, to taste

Cherry Compote

▢ ~5 cups (3 lb or 1.4kg) pitted morello cherries in juice, jarred or canned (this is about 2 large jars)
▢ ½ cup (60g) cornstarch / corn flour
▢ ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, or sweetener to taste
▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste (optional)

For assembly

▢ 3 cups (24 oz or 720g) dairy-free whipping cream, as needed
▢ ~3 cups (420g) fresh, jarred or canned cherries

Instructions

To make the cake (preferably one day before serving):

Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F). Line 2 x 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans or a large sheet tray or parchment paper.
Sift your dry ingredients if they're lumpy. Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.
Pour the batter into your cake tin(s). Bake for 20 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean. Allow the cake(s) to cool in their pans.
Cover the cakes and chill in the fridge until needed. Chilled cakes are easier to handle!

To prepare the chocolate custard:

Add around 1 cup (250g) of the dairy-free milk and all the cornstarch to a large saucepan and whisk until there are no lumps of cornstarch.
Add the remaining ingredients and place the saucepan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce to medium heat for 10-15 minutes while whisking frequently until it thickens to just before your ideal consistency or when it thickly coats the back of a spatula. Cook it longer if you'd prefer a thicker custard.
Remove the custard from the heat. Set aside to cool, whisking it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill until needed (note 2).

To make the cherry compote:

Drain the cherries reserving all the juice. We need about 3 cups (720g) of liquid for this so measure your juice and add extra water to make it 720g.
Add all the juice, corn starch, sweetener and optional lemon juice to a very large saucepan or pot. Mix until combined. Place over medium heat and heat until thickened. Add the cherries and take the saucepan off the heat. Allow to cool until needed (note 3).

Assemble the vegan trifle (a few hours or a day before serving):

Whip the cream according to packet instructions.
Cut your cake into 1 inch cubes or crumble into small pieces.
Your vegan trifle can be assembled in whichever order you like. However, this is how I assembled my trifle: place half the cake pieces into the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) trifle dish or large glass bowl. Fill any holes with more cake to form an even layer. Layer with half of the cherry compote, half of the chocolate custard and half of the whipped cream. Repeat all the layers.
Top your vegan trifle with fresh cherries. Chill until ready to serve. Leftovers can be stored covered in the trifle dish for up to 3-5 days.

Notes

For a gluten-free vegan chocolate cake, use a good quality 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. Or use 1 ¼ cups (125g) almond flour and ¾ cup (120g) gluten-free all-purpose flour.
If you make your custard a day in advance and it sets, use an immersion blender or hand whisk and mix it vigorously until there are no lumps.
If you make your compote a day in advance and it sets, reheat it over low-medium heat in a saucepan and add a little water if needed. Gently mix until the compote is jammy again.

Nutrition

Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!