Black Forest Trifle

Cook’s Name: Crystal Maleski

Town: Long Grove

Type of dish: Dessert

What’s special about this recipe? A dessert that looks fancy but isn’t hard to make.

What you’ll need:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix or make your own chocolate cake
• 2 (15 ounce) cans pitted Bing Cherries
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream ( you could substitute cool whip if desired)
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 14 maraschino cherries, well drained
• 1 (1 ounce) square semi sweet baking chocolate

Directions:

1. Drain the juice from the canned cherries into a 1 cup measuring cup, add the brandy and stir.

2. Prepare cake as directed (except substitute 1/4cup of the water needed for 1/4 cup of the cherry/brandy juice) and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes in a 10"x15" glass pan. Let cool and cut into 1" cubes.

3. Meanwhile, soak the drained black cherries in the remaining cherry/brandy juice (what is left after 1/4 cup has been used for the cake).

4. When you are ready to serve, or up to 1 hour before serving, drain the cherries (save the juice) and make the whipped cream (skip this step if you are using cook whip!). The whipped cream is made by pouring the heavy whipping cream in a bowl and using a stand mixer or hand mixer to whip the cream. When it is almost whipped, and forms stiff peaks, add the sugar and continue to whip for another minute to blend. Reserve 3/4 cup of the whipped cream to use for the top of the trifle.

5. Assemble the trifle in the following manner in a large glass serving bowl or trifle bowl:

• In the bottom place 1/3 of the cubed cake. Sprinkle 1-2 Tablespoons of the cherry/brandy on top
• next add 1/3 of the whipped cream
• then add 1/3 of the drained cherries

Repeat these layers 2 more times ending with the reserved whipped cream.

6. Place the maraschino cherries on top and use a vegetable grater to finely grate a portion of the semi-sweet chocolate on top of the cherries.

Serves 10

What else you need to know:
It’s helpful to have a trifle bowl or a large pretty glass bowl so all of the layers can be
seen.