Cherry Almond Christmas Trifle
The ideal make-ahead Christmas dessert,. Sour cherries, almond cake, and cream cheese whipped cream combine to make a light, show stopping dessert that's best served a day or even a few days after it is assembled.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- Trifle bowl
Ingredients
Almond Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 3 eggs
Cherry layer
- 48 oz sour cherries in syrup Morello recommended, Amarena probably acceptable substitute
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds **Optional
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar *or more, to taste - but should be less sweet to balance the sweetness of the cake and cherries
Instructions
Almond Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 round baking pans slightly larger than your trifle bowl (recommended 8 to 9 inch round cake pans).
- Measure all ingredients into larger mixing bowl. Blend on low speed to combine, then beat for 3 minutes on high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally.
- Pour into baking pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for about 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling prior to trimming for assembly.
Cherry Layer
- While cake cools, open jars of cherries. Drain cherries, reserve syrup.
- Pour reserved syrup into a small sauce pan and simmer on medium heat until reduced to about half the original volume. Set aside to cool.
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- Beat cream cheese in stand mixer with paddle attachment until softened. Add sugar and beat just to combine.
- Switch to whisk attachment, add cream a little at a time and mix on low just to combine with softened cream cheese.
- Once all heavy cream is added, increase to medium speed and whip just to firm peaks. Be careful to not over beat or whipped cream may break. Place in refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Trifle Assembly
- Cut cakes down to about 1 inch tall using a cake leveler or a long knife. Cut outside edges of cake to match the diameter of your trifle bowl - use a paper template to guide you.
- Place one cake layer into bottom of trifle bowl. Top with half of the drained cherries. Drizzle reduced cherry syrup on top of cherries. *Sprinkle optional toasted sliced almonds here if using.
- Spoon cream cheese whipped cream into a piping bag or a gallon sized zip-top bag. Cut off corner of the bag and pipe filling onto cherry layer. Alternately, spoon half of the filling onto the cherry layer, being careful to not smear the filling onto the glass bowl.
- Repeat layering remainder of cake, cherries, syrup, and filling. Reserve a bit of the filling layer to make decorative dollops around the outside edge. Fill the center with shaved chocolate and/or toasted, sliced almonds.
- Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 to 2 days before serving.