Black Forest trifle

Name: Black Forest trifle
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 900 ml double cream; 200 g white chocolate, finely chopped; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste; 75 g milk chocolate, finely chopped, plus extra for decoration; 225 g fresh cherries, halved, plus extra for decoration; 225 g Bonne Maman Cherry Compote; 150 ml cherry brandy or kirsch

Is there anything more nostalgic than a Black Forest gâteau? Author and The Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber has reinvented the retro dessert in trifle form, swapping custard for whipped chocolate ganache and topping it with juicy cherries. Gloriously rich and creamy, it's a great festive dessert to share with a crowd. Bring on the luxe factor with more of our Christmas dessert recipes. Follow Edd on Instagram.

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Vegetarian

Serves12
CourseDessert
Prepare30 mins
Cook45 mins
Total time1 hr 15 mins
Pluschilling + cooling

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900ml double cream
200g white chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
75g milk chocolate, finely chopped, plus extra for decoration
225g fresh cherries, halved, plus extra for decoration
225g Bonne Maman Cherry Compote
150ml cherry brandy or kirsch

For the cake

175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
175g light brown soft sugar
3 large free range eggs
125g self raising flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp whole milk

Put 200ml double cream and the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then remove from the heat and stir in 400ml double cream and the vanilla bean paste; set aside. Put 100ml double cream and the milk chocolate in another heatproof bowl and set over the same pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then stir through the remaining 200ml double cream. Cover and chill both bowls for at least 4 hours (up to 24 hours).
For the cake, preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas 4. Lightly grease a 20cm square cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding the next. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, then gently fold in to form a smooth batter. Add the milk and mix briefly. Scrape into the lined tin and spread into an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back to a light touch. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into two layers, then cut each layer into small cubes.
In a bowl, mix the cherries into the compote; set aside. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the chilled cream mixtures separately until they just start to hold soft peaks. Scatter a third of the cake pieces into the bottom of a 20cm-diameter trifle bowl. Drizzle over 50ml cherry brandy and dot over a third of the cherry filling. Add half of the white chocolate cream and spread into an even layer. Repeat this layering two more times, adding the milk chocolate cream as the final layer. Grate a little milk chocolate over and decorate with a few cherries. Chill for a few hours before serving