Champagne Trifle

5 from 1 vote

Trifle or Cupcakes - your choice!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cake servings or 12 cupcakes

Calories: 497kcal

1 white cake mix
sparkling wine to replace the water called for in the cake mix Prosecco works well.

1 cup + 1 tablespoon (250 + 15 ml) sparkling wine Same sparkling wine as you used for the cake and cream
1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
2 ½ cups (325 grams) icing sugar
sprinkles for decorating

1 ½ cups (210 grams) frozen sweet cherries or roasted pear, diced or fruit of your choice

Make cake mix according to instructions on the box EXCEPT replace the water called for with sparkling wine. Bake according to instructions for cake or cupcakes depending on which you are making.
While the cake or cupcakes are baking, make the pastry cream.

Whisk cornstarch into first ¼ cup (60 ml) cream. Set aside.
Bring the remaining cream, sugar, sparkling wine to a boil over medium heat.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg and egg yolks together and beat in the cream and cornstarch mixture.
Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) of the hot champagne/cream mixture into the egg/cream mixture. Whisk it constantly so the hot mixture does not cook the egg mixture.
Whisk the egg/cream mixture into the remaining cream/champagne mixture on the stove. Allow to heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. As soon as it is thick remove from the heat and beat in butter and vanilla.
Allow the pastry cream to cool slightly and cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the custard so it doesn't form a skin. Cool completely.

While the cake/cupcakes and pastry cream are cooling make the frosting.
Simmer 1 cup (250 ml) of sparkling wine in a sauce pan until reduce to about 2 Tbps (30 ml). Allow it to cool.
Cream butter and icing sugar together. When thick and fluufy add the 2 Tbsps (30 ml) reduced champagne and the 1 tablespoon (15 ml) champagne and beat well. Add more icing sugar if necessary to maintain a firm mixture that will hold its shape.

When the cake is cool break it into small pieces.
In a 10" (25 cm) trifle bowl, (preferably a see through glass bowl with high sides) layer ½ the cake pieces on the bottom of the bowl. Layer the pastry cream over the cake layer. Add the fruit layer over the pastry cream. Top with the remaining half of the cake pieces.
Pipe the icing over the top cake layer in a decorative pattern. Decorate with gold sprinkles or decorations of your choice.

When cupcakes are cool carefully scoop out a hollow in each cupcake (you are going to replace the hollowed out bit later). Fill the hollow with a dollop of pastry cream.
Trim the bottom of the hollowed out piece flat and replace it over the pastry cream filling to complete the cupcake top again.
Pipe the frosting on each cupcake and decorate with sprinkles as desired.

The Trifle and Cupcakes can be made a day or so ahead. They stay wonderfully moist.

They also freeze well. Defrost decorated Trifle or Cupcakes at room temperature and serve.