Layers of creamy white chocolate cheesecake mousse, fresh raspberry sauce, and moist white chocolate cake!
When it comes to show-stopping desserts, trifles definitely take the cake! No pun intended.
Actually, pun TOTALLY intended…
Every time I make a trifle, people’s jaws drop as they admire the beauty of each exquisite layer. And in my opinion, you’re not going to find a more perfect dessert to reveal at your next holiday gathering. Trifles not only impress a crowd, but they feed a crowd too. So if you’re still on the hunt for a dessert that’s both divine and elegant, look no further than this White Chocolate Raspberry Trifle.
With layer upon layer of deliciousness, this trifle has all of the most blissful textures and flavors you could ever dream of.
Starting from the bottom and working our way up, we have soft and pillowy cubes of white chocolate cake. Then we have a dreamy creamy layer of white chocolate cheesecake mousse. I repeat: WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE MOUSSE. And finally, a layer of freshly-homemade raspberry sauce with a few extra raspberries sprinkled on top. It’s pretty much the holy trinity of deliciousness.
It’s AMAZING.
Anywho…before I inflate my ego too much, let’s delve into how this whole shebang is made. (Did I really just use the word, “shebang”?)
Since trifles can be a bit of an undertaking, I like to take shortcuts whenever possible. My first trifle shortcut is doctoring up a box of cake mix. Most standard cake mixes call for water, vegetable oil, and eggs, but I like to add a few other ingredients to enhance the flavor and texture.
The first flavor enhancer is instant white chocolate pudding mix. Vanilla pudding mix can also be used if you can’t find white chocolate. The pudding mix not only adds flavor but it also keeps the cake soft and moist. Sour cream is also added to keep the cake moist. (Sorry for saying “moist” so much.) For that classic bakery cake flavor, I like to add some vanilla along with a little bit of almond extract. A half teaspoon of almond extract might not seem like it makes much of a difference, but trust me, IT DOES.
As for the raspberry sauce, you’re free to use either fresh or frozen raspberries. The important thing is that you never EVER ruin your trifle by using canned raspberry pie filling or store-bought jam. The canned pie fillings rarely have actual fruit in them, and they simply can’t compete with the flavor of homemade. And besides, this raspberry sauce is an absolute cinch to make!
All you have to do is cook some raspberries in a medium saucepan until their juices start to release. Next, add a mixture of granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir everything together for a few minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. That’s it! Easy peasy, raspberry squeezy!
I think that’s how the saying goes…
The white chocolate cheesecake mousse is reason enough to make this trifle. It’s incredibly thick and creamy, and it tastes like pure unadulterated heaven. Literally.
The first step is to make up a batch of whipped cream by beating together some heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Once you’ve got nice stiff peaks, transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and return the bowl to the mixer. No need to clean the bowl out! Just switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment (or continue to use your beaters), and beat some cream cheese on high for about 2 minutes. You basically want to lighten it up a bit, so that it blends more easily with the melted white chocolate. I also like to add a few tablespoons of heavy cream to the white chocolate before heating it in the microwave since it thins the chocolate out a little, making it easier to combine with the cream cheese.
Once you combine the melted white chocolate with the cream cheese, it’s time to fold in the whipped cream. I usually beat in about a third of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture before folding in the rest by hand with a silicone spatula.
Now it’s time for the best part, in my opinion…assembling the trifle.
Start by cutting the cake into bite-sized cubes and placing about half of them into the bottom of a trifle dish or deep bowl. Then follow this up with half of your white chocolate cheesecake mousse. Pour half of the raspberry sauce evenly over the mousse, and sprinkle about 1.5 cups of fresh raspberries on top. Then repeat this layering process with the rest of the cake, mousse, raspberry sauce, and raspberries.
To finish it off, dress the trifle up with a few whipped cream rosettes and some good-quality white chocolate. I found these festive Lindt white chocolate snowflakes at Target.
I served this White Chocolate Raspberry Trifle at our Thanksgiving gathering, and needless to say, it was a tremendous hit. Not only were they impressed by how gorgeous it was, but they were scraping every last crumb and spot of sauce from their plates. I’d be surprised if you didn’t get the same reaction…
White Chocolate Raspberry Trifle
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant white chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Raspberry Sauce:
- 4 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
White Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse:
- 1 ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, divided
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces white chocolate
For Assembly:
- 3 cups fresh raspberries
- Freshly-whipped cream
- Lindt white chocolate snowflakes*
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir all of the cake ingredients together until smooth; batter will be thick.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely, then cut into cubes.
Make the Raspberry Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the raspberries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 3-4 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add mixture to the raspberries and continue cooking until it begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Mousse:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl and return bowl to mixer.
- Switch the whisk attachment out for the paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese on high until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white chocolate and 3 Tablespoons of heavy cream. Heat in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is smooth. Pour white chocolate into cream cheese mixture and beat until combined. Add a third of the whipped cream to the bowl, beating until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the remaining whipped cream by hand with a spatula.
To Assemble:
- Place half of the cake cubes into the bottom of a large trifle dish or bowl. Spoon half of the mousse on top, spreading evenly. Pour half of the raspberry sauce evenly over the filling. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries on top. Layer the rest of the cake on top of the raspberries. Spread the rest of the mousse on top. Pour the remaining raspberry sauce evenly over the filling.
- Pipe whipped cream rosettes along the border of the trifle and sprinkle the rest of the raspberries on top. Decorate with Lindt white chocolate, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.