Death by Chocolate Trifle

NY Times recipe from Dan Pelosi who states, “Death by Chocolate, which by name suggests that it’s so rich and decadent that it may cause one to simply expire, commonly takes the shape of a trifle dessert. It consists of layers of crumbled brownies or chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and whipped cream, plus a fourth layer that is either crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies or chopped up chocolate toffee bars. The assembled trifle is placed in the fridge to rest in peace until served cold. While often made with boxed cake, pudding mixes and Cool Whip, this recipe contains easy homemade versions of all three.”

I made this for a dinner party and adjusted the original recipe by adding raspberries and making it in three layers instead of two. It was a huge hit! It looked stunning and tasted amazing!

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Death by Chocolate Trifle

  • Total time: 3 Hours
  • Servings: 1 Large Trifle

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • Softened Butter or Nonstick Baking Spray, for the pan
  • 2 Cups (256g) All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Cups (402g) Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup (71g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 Cup (240ml) Hot Coffee
  • 1 Cup (240ml) Buttermilk
  • 1 Cup (240ml) Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Large or Medium Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Pudding

  • 1/2 Cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup (71g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1/4 Cup (32g) Cornstarch
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 4 Cups (960ml) Whole Milk
  • 4 Tbsp (57g) Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract

For the Whipped Cream

  • 1 Pint (475ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Fruit and Crunch Layers

  • 2 Cups (approx) Raspberries, Strawberries or other fruit that pairs well with chocolate
  • 1 Cup Chopped Chocolate Toffee Bars (such as Skor or Heath) or 1 Cup Crumbled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (such as Oreo)

Directions

  • 1)

    Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with softened butter or spray with baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, and then grease the paper with softened butter or spray with baking spray.

  • 2)

    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in coffee, followed by buttermilk and vegetable oil. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

  • 3)

    Make the pudding: In a medium saucepan, whisk to combine the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly as the mixture heats up and thickens. When thick and bubbling all over, about 12 minutes, remove from the heat. Immediately add the butter and vanilla and whisk until butter is fully melted. Pour pudding into a heat-proof bowl and cover the top of the pudding with plastic wrap, gently pressing it directly onto the surface so that it does not form a skin. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Pudding can be refrigerated up to 2 days.)

  • 4)

    Make the whipped cream: Add heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl with a spatula a few times and stopping when stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

  • 5)

    Assemble the trifle: Cut the cake into 2-inch squares. Arrange a third of the pieces in a pile at the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or a large bowl, avoiding large gaps between pieces. Don’t worry if they crumble. Spread a third of the chocolate pudding on top of the cake, gently pushing down as you go. Place a layer of the fruit on top of the pudding. Next, add a third of the whipped cream on top of the pudding, then sprinkle a third of the crunch layer pieces evenly on top. Repeat layering twice more, until you have filled the trifle dish. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Serve chilled, directly from the fridge.

Notes

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025378-death-by-chocolate