Search Over 15,000 Recipes

Advanced Search

Ingredients

Exclude

Cuisine
Collections
Chef Name
Show Name

Recipes from: Celebrity Chefs
Member Chefs
Both
Recipes must have: Video Photo

Chocolate Cherry Trifle

Recipe by Nigella Lawson from Nigella Feasts

Pin It

A sure fire crowd pleaser from Nigella

Ingredients

2 chocolate pound cakes, approximately 12 ounces each
½ cup cherry jam
½ cup cherry brandy
2 cups drained bottled sour cherries recommended: morello

Custard

4 oz bittersweet chocolate minimum 70 percent cocoa solids, chopped
1 1/3 cups milk plus 1 tablespoon
1 1/3 cups heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon
8 egg yolks
½ cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Topping

3 cups heavy cream
1 oz bittersweet chocolate grated

Measurement Conversion Calculator

Method

Slice the chocolate pound cake and make jam sandwiches with the cherry jam, and layer the bottom of a large wide trifle bowl.
Pour over the cherry brandy so that the cake soaks it up, and then top with the drained cherries.
Cover with cling wrap and leave to macerate while you make the custard.
Melt the chocolate on low to medium heat in the microwave, checking after 2 minutes, though it will probably need 4 minutes. Or you can place it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, set aside while you get on with the custard.

Custard

In a saucepan warm the milk and cream. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk and cream into the bowl whisking it into the yolks and sugar mixture.
Stir in the melted chocolate, scraping the sides well with a rubber spatula to get all of it in, and pour the custard back into the rinsed saucepan.
Cook over a medium heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time. Make sure it doesn't boil, as it will split and curdle. Keep a sink full of cold water so that if you get scared you can plunge the bottom of the custard pan into the cold water and whisk like mad, which will avert possible crisis.
The custard will get darker as it cooks and the flecks of chocolate will melt once the custard has thickened. And you do need this thick, so don't panic so much that you stop cooking while it is still runny. Admittedly, it continues to thicken as it cools and also when it's chilling in the refrigerator.
Once it is ready, pour into a bowl to cool and cover the top of the custard with cling wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
When the custard is cold, pour and spread it over the chocolate cake layer in the trifle bowl, and leave in the refrigerator to set, covered in cling wrap overnight.

Topping

When you are ready to decorate, softly whip the cream for the topping and spread it gently over the layer of custard. Grate the chocolate over the top.

No Rating

Notes & Tips

Recipe taken from Nigella Lawson's new cookbook FEAST.

Recipe Rating

What do you think?

Nellie13 December 2011

I just love watching her show

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
raygen May 2011

mmmmmmmmmm yuumy!!

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Abby9 April 2011

MMMMMM maybe it might work but cherries have a much better tang as for raspberries in which or more...........sour

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
fruitybees March 2010

would this recipe work with raspberries in place of cherries? and raspberry jam obviously.

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
LC March 2010

Would anyone know a non alcoholic substitute instead of Cherry Brandy? I prefer not to use alcohol in my recipes when consumed by children.

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
- Huda Abu Hamdia April 2010
  
  actually i used berries juice .. u can do the same if u like..
  
  Report abuse
The Bard March 2010

Nigella's trifle ain't no trifle ... it's a kind of heart attack. Love it!

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Lucy54 January 2010

Yum!!

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Huda Abu Hamdia January 2010

another thing, on her show, she used to make the custard : 6 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs , and actually i made it that way ..

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
- mona May 2011
  
  salam. what do u use to replace the cherry brandy?
  
  Report abuse
Huda Abu Hamdia January 2010

made this one many times now, it waaaaaaaaaw .. BUT, i did a twist, instead of the drained cherries, i used cherry pie filling , love it so .. my friend it allot better with the pie filling.. anyways.. it's great really ..

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Sharon184 December 2009

Will definately try this one....soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Krystyna3 December 2009

Thinking of a working girl's cheats version of buying a good quality store bought chocolate custard instead of making it. Hope it works...

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Helena16 October 2009

hope can make it as nigella did..

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Sarah August 2009

I made it for a dinner party and everyone found it MUCH too rich, I suggest using normal cream instead of 'heavy' (marginally less fattening that way too) and regular or dark chocolate instead of the 70% cocoa stuff. Also couldn't find any 'cherry brandy' so used 1/2 regular brandy and 1/2 juice from the bottled cherries.

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Smita July 2009

very tempting....hmmm.

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
SOUSOU May 2009

I love nigella's recipes

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Cherryl Duff-Tytler April 2009

This is a gorgeous dessert although I cheated !! I used a pkt of choc mousse mix with half cream/milk and a slab of dark choc melted (in place of the custard) and covered the top with little (bought)meringues rather than cream. I also used Cointreau + a little cherry liquid as I was out of Cherry Brandy. A very popular dessert and dead easy !

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
Annie-M April 2009

Im making this for Easter lunch but I don't have cherry brandy. can I use Kahlua?

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
- Tommy April 2009
  
  Believe me its worth going out and buying the cherry brandy. It makes the dessert as great as it is. Kahlua will cause the coffee to take over the cherry flavours
  
  Report abuse
jackicam February 2009

made this one on the weekend. It was incredible! The chocolate custard is DREAMY but was feeling kinda guilty while I was making it cause it uses heavy or double cream. I should have substituted single cream to ease my conscience. I'm sure as heck glad I tried it though

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
JF15 January 2009

Only seen Nigella make it but i am trifle freak and am looking forward to trying it YUMMO!!!

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
- Nick December 2010
  
  Did you end up making it? I made it last Christmas and I'm doing it again this year. It is fantastic!!!! Everyone loved it. Best ever trifle.
  
  Report abuse
JO27 January 2009

perfect nigella recipe.

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
inchy January 2009

we made this for christmas lunch it was a fantastic change to a basic trifle the bowl was scrapped clean

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
michelle December 2008

its mouth watering...

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
CW73 December 2008

Delish

Reply to this comment | Report abuse
More
You will need to be a member to leave a comment - Log in / Register

Add a new comment

Name:

E-Mail:

Password: