Sometimes
inspiration springs from disaster. I was
making the Irish Stout Cake from Baking Pure and Simple and as I was taking it out of the oven with my new,
stiff hot pads I dropped it right on the edge of the oven rack, splitting it in
half. I quickly flipped it over and saw
that about half of it was fine, and half of it was smashed. So, I made it into this trifle and I think it
is my favorite trifle of all time! It
never would have happened unless I had dropped the cake. Since this was an impromptu inspiration I don't have a photo of this particular trifle. The closest I could find was for a trifle made with 3 kinds of mousse and strawberries instead of raspberries. Either way I think you get the idea...
Irish Cream Cheese
Mousse Trifle
Mousse Trifle
1 recipe Irish Cream Cheese
Mousse (below),
4 pints fresh raspberries, 3 pints rinsed once and dried with paper towel 3 times
½ cup raspberry jam (optional)
½ cup Simple Syrup (below)
¾ cup chocolate shavings
In
the bottom of a 5-quart trifle bowl begin with a layer of Irish Stout Cake, cut
side up. Top with half of the washed and dried fresh raspberries, lining raspberries up around the outside first then filling in the center with the rest and half the raspberry jam (if desired). Top with one third of the Cream Cheese
Mousse. Repeat the process with the remaining cake, another third of the mousse and washed and dried raspberries. Place the remaining mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe into rosettes around the edges of the trifle bowl
then make a circle of rosettes in the center of the top layer of
raspberries. Sprinkle the open area
between the whipped cream rosettes with the unwashed raspberries and the
chocolate shavings. Serves 16 to 20.
Irish Stout Cake
4
ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ cup
unsalted butter
1½
cups brown sugar
½ cup
molasses
2
eggs
2
teaspoons vanilla
1 cup
stout beer
2
cups flour
½
teaspoon salt
2
teaspoons baking soda
½ cup
buttermilk
Preheat
oven to 350°F. Melt the chocolate in the
top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over simmering water in a saucepan, set
aside.
Cream
butter and brown sugar. Add one egg at a
time, mixing until thoroughly incorporated and scraping down the sides of the
bowl after each addition. Add molasses
and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping down the bowl. Add a little of the batter to the melted
chocolate and stir to combine completely.
Add the chocolate mixture back to the batter and mix until combined.
Slowly
add the beer to the batter in intervals, scraping down the sides of the bowl
between additions. Sift the flour, salt
and baking soda. When the beer has been
fully incorporated, add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until
thoroughly combined. Add the buttermilk,
again scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until fully
incorporated. Add the remaining flour
mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour the
batter into a greased 10-inch round spring form pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden
pick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Simple Syrup
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
Combine
water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook on
high heat until boiling and sugar has dissolved. Cool.
Store in the refrigerator. Makes ½ cup.
Irish Cream Cheese Mousse
12
ounces cream cheese
1 cup
sugar
½ cup Irish cream liqueur such as Bailey's
1
tablespoon vanilla
1
quart heavy cream
Whip heavy cream and set
aside in the refrigerator. Using the
paddle attachment of your mixer, cream the cream cheese and the sugar. Stop mixing and scrape down the bowl at least
once then resume mixing. Add vanilla and continue to mix, stopping to scrape down the sides often. Add the Irish cream liqueur and scrape down the sides at least once during mixing. When
the cream cheese mixture is soft and well combined, fold the whipped cream into
the cream cheese mixture in thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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