Black Cake | Raspberry Trifle
Black cake is more than a nostalgic dessert for Benny and Byron, it is the fabric of their family origin. When estranged siblings meet for their mother’s funeral they are handed a USB with a handwritten note attached,
“B and B, there’s a small black cake in the freezer for you. Don’t throw it out.”
The USB contains hours of audio from Eleanor, finally sharing her life story so that her children might better understand their own heritage.
I enjoyed the overall story and exploring how the foods of our roots show up uniquely and bring us together. The short chapters switch perspectives quite often and so, at times I wished it would stay with one character’s perspective a little longer. If you enjoy origin stories and short chapters, this book is for you!
Black cake is a dessert of Caribbean origin that has been influenced and shaped by other countries. Trifle, historically an English dessert, was served on special occasions by Ma, my South African great grandma. The custard-y dessert has been claimed by my family and many others, our roots shaped by South Africa's ties to the commonwealth.
“We cannot always say at which point one culture ends and another begins’, she said, ‘especially in the kitchen.”
Do you have a family recipe that is almost a secret because the directions are so vague? My Great Grandma’s trifle recipe reads as “a sponge cake, raspberry jam, custard, sherry and so on, with loose measurements (or none!) and even looser directions. For you, I’ve put together measurements and (hopefully) clear directions below. It may look complicated but the short version is to, cut the cake into rounds. Place a round of cake in the bottom of each jar. Layer with custard, fresh raspberries, and whipped cream. Start with cake again and repeat the layers.
Vegan Mini Raspberry Trifles
Makes 6 pint sized mason jars
Ingredients
1 ¾ cup of prepared Custard (dairy-free)
Vegan Vanilla Sponge Cake
Whipped Cream (dairy-free)
¼ cup of fresh orange juice or sherry
½ cup of raspberry jam
2 clam shells of fresh raspberries
Instructions
*Please read the recipe all the way through before beginning. I have split the directions into two days. You can make the Mini Trifles all in one day as long as your cake and custard are completely cooled.
Day one
Make vanilla sponge cake in a 9x13 pan. Cool completely then cover to store overnight. I halved this recipe from Loving it Vegan and baked for 14 minutes.
Make custard and chill.
Custard Ingredients
1 ¾ cup of oat milk (I used Earth’s Own barista blend, as it is creamier)
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
Custard Instructions
Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Continue whisking as you pour in the oat milk, making sure there are no lumps. Over medium heat whisk and bring it to a simmer. Let simmer for about 5 minutes to cook the starch. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Scrape into a bowl and cover with saran wrap directly on the custard. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
Day TWO
Prepare the whipped cream.
Whipped cream Ingredients
1 cup of Silk Non-dairy whipping cream
3 Tbsp icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 pkg of Whip It stabilizer (optional, see note below)
Custard Instructions
With a mixer, beat the whipping cream and Whip It stabilizer until stiff peaks form, mix in vanilla and icing sugar.
*Note: Whip It stabilizer is optional but highly recommended. If you plan to pipe your whipped cream this will help it hold its shape, follow the directions on the Whip It package.
Assemble the Mini Trifles
Prepare the Vanilla Sponge Cake by brushing orange juice or sherry over the top of the cake. Spread raspberry jam over the top of the OJ or sherry on the cake. Cut the cake into 12 circles with a round cookie cutter or the top of the glass the trifles will be assembled in. I used a round cookie cutter that is about 5.5 cm across and the cakes fit perfectly into half-pint mason jars.
Place a round of cake in the bottom of each jar (cake that has been topped with raspberry jam). Add a layer of custard to each jar, this will be about half of the custard split between the 6 jars. Add a layer of fresh raspberries. Add a spoonful of whipped cream, this will be about half of the whipped cream split between the jars. Add another round of cake, then split the remaining custard between the jars, then another layer of raspberries, then finally top with whipped cream.
Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Tip: use a fork poked into the top of the cake rounds to lower it into the bottom of the mason jar.
Tip: Freeze the cake scraps to make cake pops if your family doesn’t eat all the scraps first
Hi, I’m Beth! I’ve been inhaling books and baking from the time I learned to read…
