Chocolate Berry Trifle
Gorgeous summer berry trifle (made from scratch) that just happens to be gluten free and vegan friendly. You will need to start preparing for this the day before - the coconut cream must be refrigerated overnight.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Cake stand mixer
- 7 1/2 inch cake tin
- Trifle bowl
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup almond meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder gluten free brand
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons psyllium husks
- 1/2 heaped cup Medjool dates, pitted about 100g
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk full fat, from tin
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Espresso Syrup:
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Whipped Coconut Cream:
- 4x 400g cans full fat coconut cream, with no emulsifiers or thickeners chilled in fridge overnight
- 1/4 cup sugar - I used erythritol
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Couple of pinches fine sea salt
Berries:
- 3 punnets strawberries 750g total
- 1 punnet raspberries 125g
- 1/2 punnet blackberries 65g
Instructions
Chocolate Cake:
- Soak dates in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven at 180˚C / 360˚F. Line cake tin with baking paper and grease sides with olive oil.
- Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl, then transfer to food processor.
- Add all liquid ingredients including the dates, pulse till just combined - don't over-pulse or mixture will thicken too much due to psyllium husks. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for up to 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Once cooked, let cake cool, then transfer to a shallow dish. Prick holes with a fork all over the surface ready for the espresso syrup.
Espresso Syrup:
- Combine all ingredients, pour slowly over the cake until all is absorbed, then cut the cake into small cubes/slices ready for assembly.
Whipped Coconut Cream:
- Open up all four tins of coconut cream and pour out the liquid. Scoop the hardened cream into a bowl, and add sugar, vanilla, sea salt. Whip using a stand mixer for 5-10 minutes until completely smooth.
Berries:
- Wash, let dry, slice strawberries.
Trifle assembly:
- In a trifle bowl, add a layer of cake, followed by a generous layer of berries, followed by half the coconut whipped cream, then repeat.
- To decorate, add extra berries and fresh flower petals.
- Best made on the day you want to serve, preferably having not been in the fridge (will harden the coconut cream).
Notes
- Use a store-bought cake or make one up from the packet to save on time, otherwise, bake the cake the day before
- Seek out full fat tinned coconut cream with NO emulsifiers or thickeners. Why? Because these ingredients help reduce separation, and we actually want to separate the thinner liquid from the creamy fat.
- It’s helpful to put your coconut cream in the fridge upside down – so that when you open the can, the liquid is on top and can be drained easily.
- You need at least two can’s worth in the stand mixer at one time (this recipe uses four), otherwise, there isn’t enough volume to whip it real good.
- Sugar rather than liquid sweetener is preferable.
- The whipping time needs to be upwards of five minutes for the smoothest result.
- A strong cup of chai is an alternative to the coffee.
- Don't pour too much coffee over the cake - you want enough for it to be moist, but not enough so that once assembled you get a layer of liquid down the bottom.
- Best served within a few hours of making - if you refrigerate - the coconut whipped cream will harden (don't recommend).
- Nutrition panel is a rough estimate only folks.
Nutrition
Calories: 654kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 9gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 37gSodium: 146mgFiber: 7gSugar: 24gVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 80mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!