Double Chocolate Trifle

There are desserts, and then there are celebratory desserts. This Double Chocolate Trifle is a recipe from a California chef we admired for years. Biba Caggiano was an Italian born, Sacramento California restaurateur and cookbook author. One of our favorite cookbooks was the “Love Cookbook,” that she co-authored with Leo Buscaglia. We’d been to her restaurant. Biba passed away in 2019 but we love recreating many of her recipes over the years.

This delicious Trifle is perfect for a special occasion dessert. It is sure to wow your friends and family in both presentation and deliciousness!

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As with most recipes you’ll find here, start with some good prep. Chop both chocolates. Note: get the best quality chocolate you can, as it does make a difference. We like Ghirardelli as a good mid-priced, yet high quality chocolate.

One thing I like about this recipe is using a store bought pound cake. (One less step) The recipe called for the pound cake to be cut into 1/4 slices. We followed that for the first layer. We then realized they were too thin, so on the following layers we widened the cut to about 1/2 an inch.

Do you have a double boiler? If so, use it with slightly simmering water below the bowl of chocolate. We don’t have a double boiler, but a perfectly sized bowl over the pot of water, works just as well.

Let the chocolate cool before completing these steps or the eggs will “scramble”. We just let the metal bowl cool on the granite counter without refrigerating. While waiting for the chocolate to cool it’s a good time to make the whipped cream. Note, you will need whipped cream for both the white and dark chocolate mousse, so make each of them in separate containers. Keep cool in the fridge while completing the other steps.

When the chocolate is cool it’s time to make the mousse. Using a hand mixer, add the eggs, a bit at a time into the cooled chocolate. Don’t over beat it! The eggs should be just incorporated. Next add the whipped cream, using just a spoon. Set this mixture in the fridge for a few minutes while working on the next steps.

Now the layering of the Trifle begins. Place the cake at the bottom of a deep glass bowl. Brush with a bit of the rum. It will all soak in.

Note about the rum. We were serving this to our grandchildren, among others, so we did not want the alcohol content. Simply, simmer the rum for about 5 minutes and it removes most of the alcohol, making it kid friendly.

As we said, this recipe is not complicated, just a lot of steps. There are two full pints of raspberries called for in this dessert. They will puree down to a sauce in this step. It’s ok to leave a handful out to use for the topping.

The raspberry sauce is pretty simple, raspberries, sugar and fresh lemon juice. Using a food processor, blend all together.

I was not convinced that this step was needed, but look how beautiful that raspberry sauce is once strained. It needs the seeds removed to add to the perfection of the dish.

Now, spoon some of the lovely raspberry sauce over the top of the layer of pound cake. This is where we learned that our pound cake slices were too thin. The amount of raspberry sauce was overwhelming for the small cake slices, and covered them rather than soaking into the layer.

The next step is to spoon some of the delicious chocolate mousse over the raspberry layer.

The last step in cooking is to make the white chocolate sauce. As with the semi sweet chocolate, melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Add the water and grand Marnier. Let cool.

Fold the cooled white chocolate into the other batch of whipped cream. This step should be done right before you’re ready to add the white chocolate layer.

After adding another layer of raspberry sauce, another layer of pound cake and a brush of rum, it’s time to add the white chocolate mousse layer.

You’re almost there! On top of the final layer of pound cake, spread the remaining raspberry sauce. It’s now ready for the final layer.

Spread the final layer of chocolate mousse over the raspberry mixture. It’s starting to look like the masterpiece that you’ve worked so hard for.

Once complete, cover tightly with a lid or carefully with plastic wrap. We actually just used an inverted dinner plate to cover it that made a nice “lid” without messing with the mousse. Let it set overnight in the refrigerator. We actually let it sit for 48 hours and it was perfect when we were ready to serve.

A Decadent Dessert Perfect for Your Guests!

It’s pretty to look at but even better when served as it’s so delicious! Before serving top with some shaved chocolate (use a potato peeler!) and a few saved raspberries.

Yield: 10

Author: Biba Caggiano

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Double Chocolate Trifle

This decadent Double Chocolate Trifle is a chocolate lovers dream. All eight layers of it!!

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MInactive time: 12 HourTotal time: 13 H & 50 M

Ingredients

For the Dark Chocolate Mousse

• 1 lb. semisweet chocolate, cut into small piece
• 5 large eggs, beaten in a medium bowl
• 2 cups heavy cream, beaten to a medium-stiff consistency

For the Pound Cake and Raspberry Sauce

• 2 (1 lb each) store-bought pound cakes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup dark rum (that can be simmered for a couple of minutes to remove the alcohol or use rum extract)
• 2 pints fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Juice of one large lemon

For the White Chocolate Mousse

• 1/2 lb good quality white chocolate, cut into very small pieces
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier (can substitute orange juice or vanilla extract)
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, beaten to a medium-soft consistency
• Fresh raspberries or chocolate shavings to top the Trifle

Instructions

1. Prepare the Chocolate Mousse: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl or in the top part of a double broiler. Set it over 2 inches of simmering water. Stir a few times until melted. Set aside to cool. Add the eggs to the cooled chocolate, a little at a time, beating at low speed with a hand mixer or wire whisk. (Do not overbeat or the chocolate will become too stiff. Thoroughly fold the whipped cream into the chocolate.
2. Arrange 1/2 of the pound cake slices in the bottom of a deep lass bowl. Brush with the rum. Combine raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Put the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds.
3. Spread 1/3 of the raspberry puree over the cake. Next Spread half of the dark chocolate mousse over the raspberry puree.
4. Place half of the remaining pound cake slices over the chocolate mouse, brush with rum. Top with half of the remaining raspberry puree. Set aside.
5. Prepare the White Chocolate Mousse: Put the white chocolate, water and Grand Marnier in a medium bowl or top par of a double boiler. Set over 2 inches of very gently simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled white chocolate a little at a time. Immediately spread the mousse over the raspberry puree.
6. Place the last layer of the pound cake sliced over the white chocolate. Brush with the rum. Spread the remaining raspberry puree over the cake. Top with the remaining dark chocolate mousse. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
7. All the above steps can be done 1-2 days ahead of serving.
8. Just before serving, decorate with fresh raspberries and/or shavings of white and dark chocolate. Enjoy!