Spice Cake Pumpkin-Chai Trifles

Individual Trifle desserts are always crowd pleasers especially served in rustic Mason jars perfect for the fall season. Aromatic spice cake, homemade Pumpkin Pudding and Chai spiced Whipping Cream make these unexpected and a delight. Though this recipe makes pint size trifles, they certainly could be made smaller to yield a larger number dividing the ingredients equally between the serving jars, glasses or bowls. Gluten-free or with gluten depending on the spice cake used.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 2 30

Servings pint size Mason jar Trifles

Calories 601kcal

Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Ingredients:

6-7 cups Spice Cake (gluten-free or with gluten depending on your preference), cut into ¾ inch cubes

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pudding:

1/3 cup granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons Cornstartch
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
½ cup Pumpkin Puree (canned or fresh), lightly whisked for smoothness
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg , preferably freshly grated

Ingredients for Chai Whipped Cream:

1 ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons granulated Sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons prepared Chai Tea (can be purchased prepared in most grocery stores), chilled

Ingredients for Whipping Cream:

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon granulated Sugar
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Ground Cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

Instructions for Pumpkin Pudding:

Before starting place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl 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 and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Add the remaining milk and lightly beaten egg yolks to the mixture, whisking to fully combine.
Heat saucepan over medium heat until the mixture comes almost to a simmer and begins to show bubbles, stirring often using a heatproof spatula. 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.
Add the pumpkin, nutmeg and vanilla extract to the pudding; whisk briskly to fully combine.
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.
Pour pudding into a quart size Mason jar or an alternative container with a sealable top/lid. Seal and place in the refrigerator until fully set (approximately 1-2 hours).

Instructions for Chai Whipped Cream:

In a chilled mixing bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer), combine 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons and prepared Chai tea. Note: most varieties of Chai are very sweet. I recommend stirring the mixture before whipping and tasting it to ensure it is sweet enough for your preference, remembering it will be combined with sweet spice cake and the pudding. You can add more sugar if the flavor is not sweet enough to your taste before beating.
Mix on high to form semi-soft peaks.

Instructions for Whipping Cream:

In a chilled mixing bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer), combine 1 cups heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip to form soft peaks.

Instructions for assembling the Trifles:

Divide spice cake into 6 equal portions. Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and gently stir to soften.
In pint size Mason jars (or other equivalent sized serving container) place roughly 1/3 of a spice cake portion in the bottom of the jar.
Spoon approximately 2- 2 ½ tablespoons of the pumpkin pudding over the layer of spice cake. Followed by the same amount of Chai Whipped cream.
Add the second layer of spice cake repeating the layering of pumpkin pudding and Chai whipped cream.
Top with remaining spice cake, a dollop of the regular whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Repeat for remaining 5 trifles. Serve. Note: the prepared trifles, without the topping of whipped cream, can be sealed and refrigerated for a few hours before serving. When ready to serve add the whipped cream topping and cinnamon. The whipped cream is best prepared just before serving.

Notes

Note: the majority of the overall recipe time is the chilling of the pudding which is factored at 2 hours.

Pudding recipe adapted from Chow.com

Nutrition