Blueberry Trifle Recipe & Photo

rifles have long been a favorite party dessert of the English. They are traditionally served in a large glass bowl so all the layers can be clearly seen and enjoyed. A trifle's sequence of layering begins with slices of cake on the bottom, followed by a sprinkling of alcohol, then a layer of fruit and/or jam, then a creamy smooth custard layer, softly whipped cream, and finally the trifle is garnished with crushed cookies, sprinkles, or more fruit. Although this Blueberry Trifle breaks from tradition in that it is made in individual servings, it still follows the classic sequence of layering; pound cake, blueberry sauce, fresh blueberries, a cream made with heavy cream and mascarpone cheese, all garnished with crushed gingersnap cookies.

The beauty of a trifle is that variations exist for every layer. If you don't like pound cake, then a sponge, butter cake, or ladyfingers can be used. Next, Grand Marnier is sprinkled over the pound cake. Any spirit can be used to soak the cake or you can omit it altogether. Blueberry Sauce is then poured onto the cake but you can replace it with a favorite jam or preserve. Other berries or even peaches, pears, kiwi can be used in place of the blueberries. The next layer is typically a custard or pastry cream followed by whipped cream. For this recipe, I have replaced the custard and whipped cream layer with a delicious creamy smooth layer of softly whipped cream that is combined with mascarpone cream. The trifle is decorated with crushed Gingersnap cookies (store bought or home made). Toasted nuts or fruit could also be used to top the trifle. This trifle recipe does benefit from chilling in the refrigerator for at least four hours before serving.

This recipe makes 4 individual 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) servings or 6 - 1 cup (240 ml) servings.

Read more about the English Trifle..

Pound Cake: Cut eight 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) slices of pound cake. Measure the diameter of the trifle glasses and, using a cookie cutter, cut the pound cake slices into eight rounds so they will fit snugly into the glasses.

Mascarpone Cream: Place the heavy whipping cream, mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whip until soft peaks form.

To Assemble the Trifles: Place one round slice of pound cake in the bottom of each trifle glass. Sprinkle each slice of pound cake with about 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier. Next spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of Blueberry Sauce on top of each round of cake. Cover the sauce with a few of the fresh blueberries. Place a large dollop of the whipped cream/mascarpone mixture on top of the berries. Repeat the layers, starting with the pound cake. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours to allow the flavors to mingle.

Just before serving sprinkle each trifle with come crushed Gingersnap Cookies.

Makes 4 - 1 1/2 cup servings or 6 - 1 cup servings.

Components of Trifle:

8 - 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) slices of Pound Cake (home made or store bought) (can also use a sponge or butter cake or ladyfingers)

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other spirit, optional

1 cup (240 ml) Blueberry Sauce

1/2 pound (227 grams) fresh blueberries (approximately 2 cups)

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

2-3 tablespoon (24 - 36 grams) granulated white sugar

2/3 cup Mascarpone Cheese

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 crushed Gingersnap cookies (home made or store bought)

Mascarpone - pronounced mas-kahr-POH-nay. It is a soft unripened cheese that belongs to the cream cheese family. It comes from Switzerland and Italy and is a thick, buttery-rich, sweet and velvety, ivory-colored cheese produced from cow's milk that has the texture of clotted or sour cream. It delicate and mild flavor is great with fresh fruit and is probably best known for its use in Tiramisu. Produced mainly in the fall and winter it is sold in plastic 8 ounce tubs and can be found in specialty food stores and in the deli section of some grocery stores.

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