A New Twist on Berries
Red White & Blueberry Trifle
By Angela Capelli
Red Velvet Cake has become a family favorite and I have
figured out a way to add some sweet and juicy health benefits to it! We are
so fortunate that local supermarkets provide fresh berries year round;
however we are especially fortunate to live in this area where fresh berry
season at the local farms has arrived! Turning this already sweet, moist and
tasty cake into a trifle will help make all of your patriotic summer
celebrations even more spectacular.
Red Velvet Cake is a rich and sweet cake with a
distinctive dark red to bright red color; most popular in the south. Its
popularity increased after the 1989 movie “Steel Magnolias” was released.
Red Velvet Cake is commonly referred to as the “chocolate cake of the
South”. There are so many versions of this cake (and I have tested quite a
few) so I am passing my favorite one on to you. If you are pressed for time,
Duncan Hines makes a wonderful box mix.
Cake
3 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2
(9-inch) cake pans and line each pan with a round of parchment paper. Whisk
together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Cream the butter, sugar and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3
batches alternating with the buttermilk. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until
a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pans.
Let cool completely before frosting.
Trifle
1 1/2 pints of heavy whipping cream.
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 quart fresh strawberries and/or raspberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Whip heavy cream until light and fluffy, adding
powdered sugar and vanilla. Wash berries, slice strawberries (reserving
large strawberries for top), and mix in large bowl with granulated sugar and
lemon juice. Assemble trifle in bowl beginning with cake layer on the
bottom. Spoon on whipped cream, then berry mixture and so on finishing with
cream and berries on the top.
Angela Capelli is a Mathematician, Mom and believes
that baking is chemistry.
E-mail Angela Capelli at foodbites@curiousparents.com
with any questions, comments, suggestions or baking tips that you may have.
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