FESTIVE TRIFLE CAKE
I love a good trifle but can’t be bothered to store a trifle dish for 364 days of the year. Here’s my answer to this quandary: a trifle made in a cake instead of made of cake. The cake portion is a classic Victoria sponge, itself a type of pound cake. In other words, it’s buttery in all the right ways. It and the delicious curd can be made a day ahead but should be assembled a few hours before you plan to serve the dessert.
CAKE
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup (250 mL or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
4 eggs
Zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup (60 mL) milk
CRAN-POMEGRANATE CURD
1 cup (250 mL) fresh cranberries 1 cup (250 mL) pomegranate juice 1 cup (250 mL) sugar
6 tbsp (90 mL) butter, softened 3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 cup (60 mL) Grand Marnier, divided 11/2 cups (375 mL) whipping cream
1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar, sifted
1/4 cup (60 mL) pomegranate arils
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
2 Butter and flour sides of an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.
3 For the cake, in a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4 In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating to incorporate before adding the next. Add zest, milk and reserved flour mixture. Stir until just combined. 5 Scrape into prepared pan, level batter and arrange on a baking sheet (this will aid in preventing the bottom and sides of the cake from becoming too dark). Bake on centre rack for 50 to 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove to a rack and let cool to room temperature. If making ahead, leave in pan and cover with plastic wrap once cooled. Store at room temperature for up to 1 day.
6 For the curd, combine cranberries, pomegranate juice and sugar in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Tip out into a blender and purée. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Add butter and whisk to combine.
7 In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolks. Add about half the cranberry mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in remaining cranberry mixture and return to pot. Set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto surface; let cool. If making ahead, refrigerate for up to 2 days.
8 A few hours before you plan to serve it, remove cake from pan and discard parchment. Level top of cake with a serrated knife. Using a small plate as a guide, cut a 3/4 inch (2 cm) deep circle into top of cake, leaving 3/4 to 1-inch (2 to 2.5 cm) border around edge. Cut a cross-hatch pattern within the circle, again about 3/4 inch (2 cm) deep. Remove cubes of cake within circle. Brush hollow with 3 tbsp
(45 mL) Grand Marnier. Fill with curd and level; cover top with plastic wrap. Let stand for 1 to 3 hours to allow liqueur to soak in.
9 When ready to serve, whip cream and icing sugar to medium peaks. Add remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) Grand Marnier; combine. Top cake with cream and sprinkle with pomegranate arils. Serve straight away.
Serves 8