Black Forest Trifle

Ingredients:

Black Forest Cake

• 2 cups premium flour + extra for dusting
• 1.5 cups of sugar
• 0.5 cup cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp of baking soda
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup of sour milk or kefir
• 0.5 cup rapeseed oil (canola)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup very hot strong coffee
• Special equipment: baking dish measuring 22x32 cm; trifle dish

Chocolate pudding

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup of sugar
• 0.5 cup cornstarch
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 4 cups skim milk
• 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Two 425g jars of canned pitted cherries, patted dry

Preparation:

1. Sponge cake:
   
   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 22x32cm (9x13in) baking pan. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add the sour milk, butter, and vanilla. Knead until smooth. Add the coffee and mix well. Pour onto the baking sheet and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
2. Let the sponge cake cool completely. Crumble it into medium-sized pieces, cover, and set aside.
3. Pudding:
   
   In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the milk. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 7–9 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low.
4. Mix a couple of spoons of the hot mixture with the egg yolks, then pour everything into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Stir constantly until the pudding thickens, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate.
5. Whipped cream:
   
   Using a mixer at high speed, beat the cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
6. Place half the sponge cake in the bottom of a trifle pan. Top with half the pudding, then half the cherries, and half the whipped cream. Repeat the layers one more time. Reserve a few cherries or sponge cake to decorate the top layer. Cover the trifle with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until tomorrow.