Help me tweak my Black Forest Cake Trifle

[DebinD]

I'm making a black forest cake trifle for a Christmas Party -

I'm trying to make it easy for me to make and super yummy

So I'm making a super easy brown Velvet Bundt Cake

Whipped Cream

Stonewall Kitchen Cherry pie filling with kirsch

Chocolate Mousse (includes alcohol)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/go...

So my questions are

1) Should I make the whipped cream alcoholic too?
2) What alcohols should I use for the mousse and the whipped cream. I have some creme de cacao that will go along with the kirsch.

[juli5122]

Did you see Nigella's version ? Maybe it will give you ideas.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ni...

[DebinD]

Ohhh ideas indeed! thanks.

[souschef]

This is not part of a usual Black Forest cake, but in a trifle I like to use pastry cream that has been lightened with whipping cream.

[Hank Hanover]

The only thing I would caution you about is which cherry flavored liquor you are going to use. I used Kirschwasser 80 proof (40% alcohol) in my black forest truffles once. It was like lighter fluid. I ended up using DeKypers cherry brandy (18% alcohol). It actually tasted like cherries.

If you insist on using another type of alcohol, Ameretto would, imo, probably be best.

Another suggestion would be to consider vanilla mousse instead of whipped cream. It would be more hassle but even fancier. I would, also, sprinkle chopped walnuts of almonds in the trifle.

[DebinD]

Thanks. I think I have used Kirschwasser in the past -but let it age about a week or so in the cherries. I don't have that time this week so I'll be careful to watch the alcohol content.

I was thinking of using vanilla vodka as the other alcohol.

[hotoynoodle]

most vanilla vodka tastes horrible. it's all chemical flavorings. please don't use that. i also don't understand why you'd put that in chocolate mousse?

[foodie06]

Agree. You don't want the whole thing to either become so boozy tasting it will be overpowering or have a mish mash of too many flavors that won't be appetizing. The almond will highlight the flavor of the cherries. I would leave it at just adding 1 liqueur flavor to enhance not overpower.

[DebinD]

Okay okay -i'm just kicking around ideas. My original thought was creme de cacao in the chocolate mousse.

[hotoynoodle]

kirsch in the cherries will be plenty. alcohol in the cream may affect its integrity, so not necessary. it will hold up better without it. booze in the mousse may conflict or overpower the stuff in the cherries, so i'd forgo it.

[foodie06]

If I was going to add anything I would use amaretto in the mousse and you could use that or almond extract in the whipped cream.

[DebinD]

Hmmm -interesting. I think that could be really interesting. Hmmm

[DebinD]

I'm just worried that as a trifle you may not get some of everything in a serving and without the cherries there would be no kick.

[hotoynoodle]

then instead of a trifle bowl, put it in a flat casserole dish, like tiramisu.

[DebinD]

Well now I'm actually thinking of getting those little chocolate desert cups and using those. But they can be quite expensive. I may try the casserole dish but that requires me to actually work at making it look nice. Thanks.

[hotoynoodle]

lol, all that has to look "nice" is the cream over the top. :)

those chocolate cups are nice, but fussy to fill with a cake-based dessert.

[DebinD]

Yeah I've not used the cups before. Hmmm.

[Hank Hanover]

Chocolate cups are easy enough but I wouldn't use those with a trifle. Maybe just a mousse garnished with a raspberry.

If I wanted to make individual trifles, I would use champagne glasses. The biggest appeal to a trifle besides ease in making is it is pretty through clear glass.

You can make a chocolate cup by painting 3 or 4 layers of chocolate onto the inside of a foil muffin liner, then peel the liner away.

[chowser]

I had something like that in a shot glass that was the perfect size, pretty, easy to serve and you got everything in one bite.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Use it to brush the cake, or sprinkle a bit over the cake as you layer it in the trifle bowl, and in the cherries. I'd just use the kirsch both places, and not introduce a competing flavor, or put it in the mousse.