If German cuisine is known for anything beyond schnitzel, warm potato salad and beer, it has to be German Chocolate cake. But as beautiful as the cake is, this trifle has it beat, hands down.

Not only is it far easier and quicker to make, but it also has this glorious fluffy chocolate mousse as an added feature that the cake doesn’t have. It takes the place of a lot of the coconut-pecan frosting, which can become cloyingly sweet, in excess.

So the next time you are called upon to provide a dessert, remember to consider trifles. They are quick, easy and amazingly versatile.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 German chocolate cake mix, prepared in 9×13 pan according to directions (cake only)

For the German Chocolate Mousse:

1⅓ cups milk

2 tsp unflavored gelatin

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 ounces Bakers German Chocolate, roughly chopped

4 cups Cool Whip, thawed

For the Coconut Pecan Filling:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

½ cup unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

1⅓ cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

DIRECTIONS

For the German Chocolate Mousse:

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, gelatin, and vanilla extract. Let stand for 3 minutes, then cook on medium-high heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge (~180F). Do not allow mixture to boil.

Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and cover for 5 minutes. Then use a whisk to combine chocolate until the mixture is smooth.

Pour mixture into a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the Cool Whip until fully combined. Do not whisk or beat. The chocolate mixture will still be quite thin so it may seem like it won’t come together, but keep working at it gently until it’s all one color.

Cover the mixture and chill for 3 hours until fully set.

For the Coconut Pecan Filling:

In a saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, evaporated milk, ½ cup butter, and 3 egg yolks.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla extract.

Cool until thick enough to spread or refrigerate until ready to assemble the trifle.

 

To Assemble the Trifle:

In a large glass trifle bowl, cover the bottom with chunks of the prepared cake. Layer with half of the chocolate mousse, and then spread with half of the coconut pecan filling.

Repeat the layers again so that you end with the coconut pecan filling on top. You will likely only use about ⅔ of the prepared cake. You can wrap and freeze the rest, or just keep it around for snacking!

Decorate with halved pecans, if desired. Keep refrigerated and serve cold.

 

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Quick Tip:  What to do if you don’t have a trifle bowl? No problem! You can use any type of bowls, glassware or stemware that would allow you to view the layers, serving the trifle as individual portions.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Erin Browne at browniebites.net