Fresh Fruit Trifle
Super light and fluffy angel food cake layered with homemade pastry cream, chantilly cream and fresh berries.
Equipment
- 1 sifter
- 1 Tube Pan
Ingredients
Angel Food Cake
- 12 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice OR 1 tsp cream of tarter
- 1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated or superfine sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/4 cup (144g) cake flour spooned and leveled
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Pastry Cream
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 6 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (90g) granulated sugar scant cup
- 2 cups (480mL/16oz ) milk
- 6 Tbsp (84g) salted butter room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
Chantilly Cream
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar spooned and leveled (OR 1/4 cup/50g granulated sugar)
- tiny pinch fine sea salt
- 2 cups (18oz) heavy whipping cream cold (18 ounces in weight, not fluid ounces)
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
Berries
- 20-24 oz fresh mixed berries strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries
- 1/4 cup (60mL/2oz) lemon juice juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
Instructions
Angel Food Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F/176C convection (325F/163C conventional) and line two un-greased 8 inch baking pans with parchment paper or use a tube pan.
- Make sure to clean your pan, metal bowl and whisk for the stand mixer well. I wipe it with a little vinegar after cleaning to make sure there is no greasy residue.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer with the lemon juice (or cream of tarter) and turn the mixer up to medium-high speed.12 large egg whites, 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Beat for a minute or so and when the egg whites look frothy, stream the sugar into the bowl with the mixer going. It should take about a minute to get all the sugar in slowly.1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated or superfine sugar
- Continue beating for a few minutes, just until the meringue reaches a soft peak (see image in blog post). Add the vanilla and mix again just until it's combined.2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Sift in the cake flour and salt, turn the mixer up to medium-low speed, just until the flour is mostly combined, about 30-60 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the edge of the bowl and fold the batter a couple more times until it's well combined.1 1/4 cup (144g) cake flour, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- Spread the cake into two UN-GREASED 8 inch cake pans. Make sure to spread the batter evenly with an offset spatula or spoon because the lack of fat will prevent it from spreading and if left uneven, it will bake uneven.
- Bake for about 25 minutes. Press gently on the top center and there should be a slight bounce/resistance and no wet batter.
- Remove from the oven and flip over onto a cooling rack (not a flat surface or it will sweat) and allow it to cool completely to room temperature, 1-2 hours.
Berries
- Slice the fruit as desired - I sliced everything to about the size of an average blueberry.20-24 oz fresh mixed berries
- Toss in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice and let it rest for a while.1/4 cup (60mL/2oz) lemon juice, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- Before assembling, strain the fruits from their juice and keep both.
Pastry Cream
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt aggressively for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture becomes smooth and runny, with no more chunks.2 large eggs, 6 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 cup (90g) granulated sugar
- In a medium saucepan (preferably stainless steel or nonstick – avoid aluminum), heat the milk over medium heat, just until it comes to a simmer.2 cups (480mL/16oz ) milk
- Temper the eggs by streaming half of the milk into the egg mixture while continuing to whisk.
- Dump the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, while whisking continuously.
- Within 1-3 minutes, the mixture should start to thicken, continue whisking.
- Once it's starting to stick to the pan, whisk aggressively for another 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl with the butter and vanilla.6 Tbsp (84g) salted butter, 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
- Allow the heat from the pastry cream to melt the butter for a second and then gently whisk it. It may separate at first but it'll come back together as you whisk it.
- The pastry cream should be smooth and silky now, if you have any lumps, feel free to push it though a sieve.
Chantilly Cream
- Sift the powdered sugar and salt into the bowl of the stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer).1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar, tiny pinch fine sea salt
- Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla bean paste on top and beat at medium-low speed for about 1-2 minutes, until it starts to thicken.2 cups (18oz) heavy whipping cream, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes, until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't over-beat passed this.
- Use the rubber spatula to scrape the edge of the bowl and fold it a couple of times to make it smooth and silky.
Assemble
- Once the angel food cake has cooled completely, use a large serrated knife to slice it into 1 inch cubes.
- Spread 1/3 of the angel food cake into the trifle dish and drizzle 2-3 Tbsp of the fruit juice on top.
- Spread 1/3 of the pastry cream on top, followed by 1/3 of the fruit and 1/3 of the chantilly cream. Repeat with the rest of the layers.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour to set and serve fresh!
Notes
Best served fresh but can be stored covered in the refrigerator for a few days.
*if you're having trouble with the cake rising, you can add 1 tsp baking powder to it.
Nutrition
Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 7gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 148mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1gSugar: 46gVitamin A: 707IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!