Decadent Vegan Black Forest Trifle: A Showstopping Dessert Recipe
This decadent vegan black forest trifle is a fantastic dessert option for Christmas, Easter, or any celebration. Consisting of layers of soft chocolate cake, cherry compote, rich chocolate custard, and whipped cream, this is a showstopping pudding that feeds a crowd!
This chocolate cherry trifle is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made and eaten. It’s rich and decadently chocolatey, yet not at all heavy or cloying. The tartness of the cherry compote perfectly balances out the chocolate and cream, and all the different elements work together to create an utterly irresistible result.
This recipe will serve 10 to 12 people, making it a great option for a celebration dessert, especially since it can be prepared in advance.
What You’ll Need: Ingredients for Vegan Black Forest Trifle
Ingredient Spotlight: Choosing the Best Components for Your Trifle
Let’s dive deeper into the key ingredients that make this vegan black forest trifle so special:
Chocolate Cake: I’ve provided the recipe I use in the recipe card below, but you can also use your favorite chocolate cake recipe. My easy vegan chocolate cake (without the frosting) would work wonderfully if you prefer a recipe that doesn’t contain melted chocolate or yogurt. The key is to have a moist and flavorful cake that will soak up the delicious cherry compote.
Frozen Cherries: You’ll need a generous amount of cherries – a total of 700g pitted cherries for the compote. I find it easier and more cost-effective to use frozen cherries. They are readily available year-round and work perfectly in this recipe. Make sure they are pitted to save yourself some time and effort.
Vegan Whipping Cream: For the whipped cream topping, I recommend using a plant-based double cream that can be whipped to stiff peaks. Elmlea plant double cream works great. Oatly whippable cream is also a good option. If you’re not in the UK, ensure you use a cream that’s specifically designed for whipping, not a pouring cream. The texture and stability are crucial for the final presentation.
Cornflour (Cornstarch): This is essential for thickening both the cherry compote and the chocolate custard. I don’t recommend substituting it with another type of starch, as it could alter the texture of the components. Cornflour provides the perfect consistency without affecting the flavor.
Milk: I highly recommend using unsweetened soy milk, as it has a neutral flavor and a creamy texture. If you can’t use soy, a creamier milk like cashew or oat milk would be the next best choice. Avoid using thinner milk varieties, as they may not provide the desired richness to the custard.
Cocoa Powder: I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but natural cocoa powder should also be fine for the custard. However, I strongly recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the cake, as it provides a deeper, richer chocolate flavor and a darker color.
Chocolate: I recommend using around 70% dark chocolate to add a good level of flavor without being overly sweet. The bitterness of the dark chocolate balances well with the sweetness of the cherries and the creaminess of the custard.
Lemon Juice: A touch of lemon juice adds a subtle sharpness to the cherry compote, enhancing the overall flavor profile and preventing it from being too one-dimensional.
Alcohol: Kirsch is the most traditional choice for a black forest trifle, but I used cherry rum, which worked exceptionally well. Cherry brandy or amaretto would also be delicious options. If you prefer, you can omit the alcohol altogether. For a truly boozy trifle, consider sprinkling the layers of chocolate cake with a couple of tablespoons of your choice of alcohol in addition to adding it to the cherry compote.
Sugar: You’ll need caster or granulated sugar for the custard and compote, and icing (powdered) sugar for the whipped cream. Adding icing sugar to the cream helps stabilize it, preventing it from melting as quickly.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Assemble Your Vegan Black Forest Trifle
(Full measurements and detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)
- Step 1: Bake the chocolate cake and let it cool completely in the tin. This prevents it from becoming soggy when you add the other layers.
- Step 2: To make the custard, place the cornflour in a saucepan and whisk in the cold milk until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla extract. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming, until it thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted and smooth.
- Step 3: Pour the hot custard into a bowl. Cover the surface directly with cling film or baking paper to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the custard until it’s completely cold, ideally for at least 4 hours.
- Step 4: To make the cherry compote, heat the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until the cherries are defrosted and juicy. Mix the cornflour with cold water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Stir in the cherry rum (or other alcohol) and then refrigerate until completely cold.
- Step 5: To assemble the trifle, cut the cooled chocolate cake into cubes. Arrange a layer of cake cubes evenly in the base of your trifle dish.
- Step 6: Spoon half of the chilled cherry compote evenly over the cake layer, ensuring that the cake is well soaked.
- Step 7: Spread half of the chilled chocolate custard on top of the cherry layer. Ensure an even distribution for a balanced flavor in each bite. Repeat these layers – cake, cherries, custard – using up all the ingredients.
- Step 8: In a large bowl, whisk the vegan whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip, as this can cause the cream to become grainy. Dollop the whipped cream generously on top of the trifle shortly before serving.
Expert Tips for the Perfect Vegan Black Forest Trifle
- Be careful not to overbake the cake; otherwise, it can become dry. It’s ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- If, after chilling, you find that the chocolate custard has become lumpy, simply scrape it through a fine-mesh sieve to make it smooth again. This ensures a silky texture.
- Don’t add the whipped cream until shortly before serving, as it may start to break down after a couple of hours. The rest of the trifle can be assembled a day in advance and stored covered in the fridge.
- I decorated my trifle with some fresh cherries and chocolate shavings, but these are optional. A simple dusting of cocoa powder would work just as well for a more rustic look.
- To make chocolate shavings, simply hold a bar of chocolate over a sheet of baking paper and run a vegetable peeler down the side of the bar. This is an easy and elegant way to add a final touch of chocolate to your trifle.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Vegan Black Forest Trifle
Yes, apart from the whipped cream, all the other elements – cake, custard, and
compote – can be prepared 2-3 days in advance. In fact, it’s better to prep them at least a day in
advance of assembling the trifle, as the custard and compote need to chill completely and the cake needs to
be cold before slicing it. Store the custard and compote in covered containers in the fridge, and the cake
in an airtight container at room temperature.
The trifle can be assembled a day in advance of
serving; however, do not add the whipped cream until at most a couple of hours before serving.
No, the assembled trifle cannot be frozen, as it may become watery upon defrosting,
ruining the texture. I also do not recommend freezing the custard or compote in advance, as they are set
with cornstarch – freezing cornstarch-set mixtures can break down the starch molecules, causing the mixture
to become watery and separated upon defrosting.
Apart from the chocolate cake, all the other elements are gluten-free (be sure to
check the ingredients for things like the cream just to be sure, though).
I would recommend finding
a GF vegan chocolate cake recipe to use rather than swapping the flour in my recipe for gluten-free
flour.
You will need an approximately 20 cm/3-liter trifle dish or a large glass bowl. The
clear glass allows you to showcase the beautiful layers of the trifle.
More Vegan Celebration Desserts to Explore
Looking for more show-stopping vegan dessert ideas? Here are a few of my other favorites:
- Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake (Vegan)
- Passion Fruit Mousse Cake (Vegan)
- Pumpkin Tiramisu (Vegan)
- Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
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