When I was growing up my maternal grandparents lived in San Francisco. For those who know ‘the City’, as my Grandmother always referred to it, they were on Russian Hill, facing Coit Tower above the bustling intersection of Columbus and Bay streets.
There was no more fantastic location to me. When we’d come to California to visit them we spent all our time out exploring. They were a few blocks from the cable car turnaround for the line that went downtown.
Fisherman’s Wharf was a few blocks over from that. But my all-time favorite walk was to the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory by the bay.
At the time it was a working factory. As you’d near the building you could smell the chocolate which was as close to a Willy Wonka experience as I could imagine.
I loved being able to see the chocolate being made behind glass partitions and have a sample at the end. Watching the silky, molten chocolate being poured was pure magic!
At the time Ghirardelli chocolate really could only be purchased locally.
However thanks to international logistics and the internet, anyone can order Ghirardelli chocolate online or find it in the local grocery stores.
My fond memories and positive experiences beckon me whenever shopping for chocolate chips and I always go for Ghirardelli first.
I keep a variety of their chips and bars in my freezer, ready for any unanticipated tap on the shoulder from my chocolate recipe muse!
I have found myself over the past few years really enjoying darker chocolates the best. A higher cacao content provides a truer natural chocolate flavor to me. I feel it offsets the sweetness of any confection it’s partnered with, making both flavors stand out more fully.
Recently I’ve been experimenting with Ghirardelli’s 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate.
The chips are larger and flatter than most baking chips, making them very quick and easy to melt into a rich, creamy consistency.
The bittersweet chocolate also provides a more significant flavor ‘bite’ when nested in something like a cookie. The chips are all natural and made with quality ingredients therefore adding a deep, authentic flavor to whatever they are added.
As I have been dreaming up special Valentine’s Day confections, I wanted to make a special Trifle.
My kids asked immediately if I would please make homemade Chocolate Pudding and the ball starting rolling quickly toward Heavenly Chocolate Raspberry Trifles.
Chocolate and raspberry are a quintessential flavor combination that I love.
For the cake, with my Grandmother in mind, I used a gluten-free Angel Food Cake.
Angel Food cake feels to have become lost behind the current day fascination with the more dazzling salted caramel, Cake Pops, and Cronut confections.
This dessert seemed a perfect place to incorporate Angel Food cake along with the luscious, flavor-packed Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding, fresh Raspberries and a bit of whimsical whipped cream and sprinkles to top it all off! Indeed the combination of varied flavors and texture were a hit with my taste testers as I know they will be with yours as well!
Heavenly Chocolate Raspberry Trifles
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Chocolate Pudding:
- 1/3 cup granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 3 large egg yolks , beaten lightly
- 3 tablespoons unsalted Butter; each tablespoon cut roughly into 4 pieces (does not need to be precise)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao chips
Other trifle ingredients:
- 1 Angel Food Cake (homemade or store bought; I made a gluten-free Angel Food Cake from a Kinnikinnick mix); cubed to make 6 cups (there may be leftovers)
- 3 cups Fresh Raspberries , rinsed and placed on a kitchen or paper towel to dry
- Whipped Cream (store bought or home prepared) to top trifles
- Valentine’s sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
Instructions for the Chocolate Pudding:
- Before beginning, place a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof mixing bowl which holds 4 cups volume or more, and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt; whisk to combine fully.
- Pour ¼ cup of the milk into the dry mixture in the saucepan and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Add the remaining 1 ¾ cups milk and the lightly beaten egg yolks to the mixture, whisking to fully combine.
- Heat saucepan over medium heat, stirring often using a heatproof spatula, until the mixture comes almost to a simmer and begins to show small bubbles. Reduce heat to low, continuing to stir constantly, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan while stirring, until the pudding thickens (5-10 minutes).
- Continue to stir the pudding constantly. When the pudding can be spooned onto the top of the pudding mixture and it holds its form, rather than melting back into the mixture, it should be removed from the heat (approximately 5 additional minutes).
- Add the butter to the pudding mixture; stir until butter is fully dissolved.
- Pour pudding mixture through strainer, using the stirring spatula to press the mixture through the strainer, as well as scraping the outside of the strainer into the bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract and chocolate chips, stirring until the chocolate is fully melted and combined with the rest of the pudding.
- Pour pudding into a quart size Mason jar or an alternative container which will hold up to 4 cups with a sealable top/lid. Seal and place in the refrigerator until fully set (approximately 1-2 hours).
Instructions to assemble the Heavenly Chocolate Trifles:
- For larger Trifles, select a serving glass or Mason Jar which holds 2-2 ½ cups volume. Place 1 cup of the cake cubes at the bottom of the glass, followed by ½ cup chocolate pudding. Layer on ½ cup raspberries and finish with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkles. If desiring smaller servings, the ingredients may be divided in half and layered into serving glasses holding 1 ½ cups volume to make 12 servings.
Recipe Notes
The majority of the Total Time is due to the pudding chilling which can take up to 2 hours.
This post was sponsored via Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Katie says
So delicious! The mix of ingredients is just right!
Jacque Hastert says
The combination of raspberry and chocolate is heavenly! I can’t wait to make this dessert and enjoy it with my family!
Amanda says
I love an easy dessert that still looks impressive!
Sara Welch says
What a great looking dessert, and easy too! Looking forward to enjoying this after dinner tonight, indeed!
katerina @ diethood.com says
WOW! Such an incredible dessert! A must try!
Carrie Robinson says
The chocolate & raspberry combo is one of my favorites! What a dreamy dessert. <3
Katherine says
What an awesome spin on trifle! I love that it has angel food cake.
Dannii says
This is pretty much my perfect dessert. It would be amazing for a dinner party.
Beth says
These trifles are so delicious! My husband thought he was in heaven! I will be making this often. Raspberries and chocolate go so well together!
Jessica Formicola says
These trifles look SO elegant! Off to the store to get everything I need to make hem for Valentine’s Day dessert tonight!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Everyone at my house loved it! Tasted SO good!
Lisalia says
YUM the perfect valentine’s day dessert! We LOVE this. I just wish I could make mine look as gorgeous … alas I don’t use sprinkle candies. Still so yummy.
Rachael Yerkes says
My most favorite dessert of all time, hands down!
Lauren Kelly says
There’s nothing better than fresh, homemade pudding! This looks incredible!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
Such a gorgeous dessert option, Toni!
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says
My grandmother lived in the Bay Area too, and we always called it The City =) We’d get dirty looks if we ever said ‘Frisco. Those trifles are gorgeous.
EA-The Spicy RD says
These look absolutely amazing! I have such fond memories of going to Ghirardelli Square as a kid with my parents and having a huge butterscotch sundae. I took my kids there last summer-so much fun 🙂
Toni Dash says
Isn’t it funny that we remember those types of details, like what type of Sundae it was?! It’s the same for me. There is something magical about the place and certainly the chocolate!
cheri says
Love this combination, great pics!
Toni Dash says
Thank you Cheri! So glad you like them.
Kim Bultman | a little lunch says
Toni, you & your chocolate recipe muse can think up desserts like this anytime! The layers allow each flavor to shine before melding together in heavenly bliss. (I think cupid was tapping you on the shoulder, too!) I fell in love with Ghirardelli chocolate when a friend brought some back from San Francisco to share, long before they were available locally. Can’t imagine how sublime it was to see it and smell it in person. Great story — great recipe!
Toni Dash says
Kim thank you for your thoughtful comment. I feel fortunate to have ‘met’ Ghirardelli when it was not available everywhere as it built my appreciation of it on a few different levels. However now that life is about easy access and speed acquisition, I’m glad to be able to pop down to my local market or on Amazon.com and buy it in a quick minute. It’s fun that there are so many different types of chocolate to work with and this bittersweet chocolate pudding is really fantastic!
Jo-Lynne Shane {Musings of a Housewife} says
I LOVE chocolate and raspberry together. Your photography on these is stunning!
Toni Dash says
YOU are a peach; thank you!
Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says
I have a weak spot for trifles. There’s something about the combination of fresh fruit, cake, pudding and whipped cream that I really love. I think using an angel food cake is perfect. It’s so much lighter than a dense yellow cake and would let that glorious chocolate pudding shine.
Toni Dash says
I agree Christiane! I’m a Gemini so always love ‘options’ and having these three distinctly different ingredients plus marrying them together is perfect to me. The angel food cake IS lovely in it; being a bit lighter with its own individual charm!