Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

Love, love raspberries and chocolate together.  This trifle was talking to me. I decided to bring it to a function I went to. 

Yesterday, I had one of those stellar days when you get a ton of things accomplished.  I finished staining and polyurethaning my picnic table yesterday so it was ready for its debut.  Mind you it is an older one that was begging for some attention and to have a some breath blown into it.  It looks pretty good.  I had an umbrella that I picked up for free at a garage sale in town.  It had been lying around here as well.  It has a broken stick in it.  This umbrella is too nice to ditch.  It is one of those, go for 300 or 400 dollar type deals.  I duct taped the stick together with some paint stirers as braces.  Okay so I know it may not be pretty to everyone but I am pretty ecstatic about it.  I really must share a picture... and here it is...

There she is... ain't she pretty.  Well, she is to me.

Anyway, the only problem was that it did not fit into the hole in my picnic table.  So I busily sanded and everything worked out.

I also worked on my quilts.  I have several scrappy ones going along with The Farmers Wife Quilt. Cleaned. Ran errands. Put away a ton of stuff in my sewing room.  Phew I am totally jazzed.

 Get your spoon!

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle
I kind of pulled from a few recipes to make this one. Part from Land o Lakes website and part from Epicurious.  Make the pudding up ahead of time, like the day before so it is cooled but it comes together quicker.  I made mine the morning before the event that I was taking it to.  I wouldnt assemble it more than a day in advance though.


Sponge Cake

Sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pudding directions:

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

1 1/2 cups whipping cream (whipped)
1/4 cup Chambord or orange juice
1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam ( you can strain the jam with the seeds in it)
2 cups fresh raspberries
4 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet or bittersweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Fresh red raspberries, if desired
Fresh mint leaves, if desired

Cake directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment; grease paper.

Combine flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat 4 egg whites in small bowl at high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding 1/4 cup sugar, until glossy and stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 4 egg yolks and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at high speed, scraping bowl often until thick and lemon colored (5 minutes). Gently stir in beaten egg whites by hand, alternately with flour mixture, until just mixed. Its okay if you see a little streaking.

Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan, running a knife along the edges. Cool completely.

Pudding directions:

Combine together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes. (Mixture will be thick.) Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and chill pudding, its surface covered with wax paper (to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 2 hours.

Assembly directions:

Trim off edges of cake. Combine Chambord and jam and spread over cake. Cut into 24 (2 1/2x2-inch) rectangles or smaller in order to fit our container. Place 12 cake rectangles, jam-side up, in bottom of 2 to 3-quart glass serving bowl. Spoon half of pudding on top. Sprinkle with half of raspberries, half of chocolate and half of almonds. Spoon half of whipped topping over and then repeat layers.

Spoon remaining whipped cream on top of dessert. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves, if desired.

I love to pick raspberries.  Don't they look scrumptious?