I’m partnering with Greek Gods Yogurt today to bring you this Black Forest Trifle, an easy and stunning twist on an elegant dessert, perfect for holiday dinner parties.
Since early October I have been in the “it’s the holidays” state of mind. We have been busy, busy, busy and have been enjoying and indulging in all kinds of fun, food and seasonal festivities.
It’s now November and it doesn’t look like things are slowing down at all and I am not complaining! I absolutely LOVE this time of year, LOVE the hustle and bustle, and LOVE all the fun traditions and festivities.
In the coming weeks we have Friendsgiving, my birthday, real Thanksgiving, a graduation, a whole slew of holiday parties including both of our family’s holiday parties, our own annual white elephant/ugly sweater party and then a few parties I plan for clients, and of course Christmas and New Year’s too.
See LOTS going on but lots of FUN!
Since we attend or host so many events during this time of year, I am always trying to change up the recipes I make for the various dinner parties. Part of this is because there are so many seasonal flavors and special holiday recipes, specifically desserts, that I love and so I try to make it all in these short months.
In fact, it is like my friends and family expect and look forward to these holidays JUST to see what desserts I show up with and to see if I can “out do myself” from the previous event. Thus, my mind is constantly churning and brewing up all kinds of new desserts to wow my dinner guests.
Today’s recipe, this Black Forest Trifle, is my latest “over the top” holiday dessert! I was inspired by the new line of chocolate yogurt from Greek Gods Yogurt to create this dessert. I am already a HUGE yogurt eater and if you look at the dessert section of this blog, I’m also obviously a HUGE chocolate lover too, so I knew I would LOVE this new line of yogurts! 🙂
I’ve always added yogurt to a lot of my baked goods to keep my cakes and breads moist and flavorful, but I also like using yogurt in desserts in other ways as well. It is perfect to freeze for yogurt pops and to use as a replacement for whipped cream, but this chocolate version is even more rich and indulgent! Perfect topping with some strawberries and chocolate chips for when that late-night chocolate craving hits!
This trifle recipe is basically a “deconstructed” Black Forest Cake but still a dessert with all that “WOW” factor. This Black Forest Trifle has all the classic elements of a Black Forest Cake but I also added the new Greek Gods Chocolate Cherry Yogurt as one of the trifle layers for added flavor and texture. Even though I have a trifle bowl, and would definitely dish this up in a trifle bowl if I were bringing this to a holiday party, I think individual desserts are always fun, so if I were serving this trifle at a dinner party in my own home, I would serve it in small glass jars, like I’ve done here.
Either way this Black Forest Trifle will definitely be a showstopper this holiday season!
- Chocolate Cake Layer:
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup Greek Gods Cherry Chocolate Yogurt
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup strong brewed hot coffee or warm whole milk
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- Cherry Layer:
- 2 16-ounce bags frozen cherries, thawed
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
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- Whipped Cream Layer:
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- -
- Chocolate Yogurt Layer:
- 2 cups Greek Gods Cherry Chocolate Yogurt
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- Chocolate Garnish:
- 1 premium chocolate bar
- To make the cake layer: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray and dust pan with about 2 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl whisk, together yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in the hot coffee, whisking just until combined.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack and cool completely. Once cake is cooled completely, invert cake on a large cutting board and cut cake into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
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- To make the cherry layer: Strain the thawed frozen cherries in a bowl, reserving the juice. Whisk the cornstarch into the bowl with the cherry juice, whisking until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Meanwhile in a small saucepan, whisk together water and sugar. Bring the sugar water to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cherries and cherry juice mixture and boil for 8-10 minutes or until the cherries begin to burst and the sauce is thickened.
- Remove cherry filling from heat and cool completely. If needed, additional water can be added to thin the cherry filling.
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- To make the whipped cream layer: In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract until soft peaks are formed.
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- To make the Black Forest Trifle: Arrange several pieces of cake on the bottom of a large trifle bowl or individual glass jars; making sure enough cake covers the entire bottom of the bowl/jars.
- Top the cake layer with ½-3/4 cup the cherry filling, spreading the cherry filling evenly over the cake pieces. Top the cherry filling with approximately ½-3/4 cup Greek Gods Cherry Chocolate Yogurt, spreading evenly over the cherry filling. Top the chocolate yogurt layer with ½-3/4 cup prepared whipped cream, spreading evenly over the chocolate yogurt.
- Repeat the layering process with the remaining ingredients until the trifle bowl is full and finishing with whipped cream on top. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape the edge of the chocolate bar to form chocolate curls. Top the whipped cream with chocolate curls and serve immediately or store for up to one day in the refrigerator.
The new line of Greek Gods Chocolate Yogurt comes in three flavors, Mocha Cherry and Strawberry. To find Greek Gods Yogurt in your area, check out their online store locator. And be sure to take advantage of their current coupon before heading to the store. For more delicious recipes featuring Greek Gods Yogurt visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!
Disclosure: This sponsored blog post was written by me on behalf of Greek Gods Yogurt. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Because of sponsors like Greek Gods Yogurt I am able to continue to bring you all the content I feature here.
