Publised on 29/11/2023. Last Updated on 29/11/2023 by Richard
My take on a classic English vegan trifle! Layers of moist vanilla cake, tangy raspberry compote, vanilla custard and vegan whipped cream for the ultimate dessert.
Oh my actual gosh folks - this vegan trifle is an actual certified game changer. It's simply so delicious! This vegan trifle recipe is a deep-dive into the world of plant-based decadence. This 100% vegan dessert combines layers of moist vanilla cake, vibrant raspberry compote, velvety custard, and pillowy whipped cream.
Whether you're a seasoned vegan or perhaps you're preparing a holiday dinner for a vegan, this trifle is a true bloomin celebration for literally anyone who tastes it!
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🍰 A Note on Cake Layer Options
The heart of any vegan trifle lies in its cake layer, and I'm happy to offer you two enticing options! You can either opt for the light and fluffy homemade cake, which is detailed in full down in the recipe card. Or alternatively, you can use vegan ladyfingers.
If you can find vegan ladyfingers in the store, then good for you! This is a nice easy option! If not, I've got a totally foolproof recipe for you right here! Whichever route you choose, rest assured that the result will be nothing short of gosh darn spectacular.
🍒 Ingredients for Vegan Trifle
Alright! Gather your kitchen essentials and let the vegan trifle magic begin! The full recipe is at the bottom of the page, but here's a list of everything you should grab from the pantry!
Cake:
- Plant milk
- Silken tofu
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Corn starch
- Caster sugar
- Baking powder
- Fine sea salt
- Vegan butter
Compote:
- Frozen raspberries
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
Custard:
- Cornflour (cornstarch)
- Plant milk
- Vanilla extract
- Caster sugar
- Vegan butter
Whipped Cream:
- Vegan whipping cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla
For Serving:
- Fresh raspberries
- Flaked, toasted almonds
- Fresh mint
🥣 How to Make Vegan Trifle
Again, the full recipe is at the bottom of this page, but here's a little breakdown of the four main steps to make this vegan trifle.
1. Make the Cake Layer: Blend together plant milk, silken tofu, and vanilla extract. Mix dry ingredients and bake. Once cool, cut the cake into cubes and arrange in the bottom of a trifle bowl!
2. Make the Compote Layer: Simmer frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice until a vibrant compote forms. Set aside to cool then pour over the sponge cake layer.
3. Make the Custard Layer: Whisk together cornflour, plant milk, vanilla, and sugar over heat until thickened. Add vegan butter, stir until smooth, and cool. Top the compote layer!
4. Whip Up the Cream: Beat vegan whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla, continuing to whip until stiff peaks form. Top the trifle with the whipped cream and chill!
🔀 Substitutions and Swaps!
- Experiment with different berries or fruits for the compote to suit your taste. Cherry, blueberry or even something tropical like mango would work beautifully!
- Consider gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version of the cake. The only source of gluten in this vegan trifle recipe is in the cake, so this is an easy switch!
- Coconut oil can be a substitute for vegan butter in both the cake and custard.
🔪 How To Serve Vegan Trifle
Layer the cubed cake, compote, custard, and whipped cream in a trifle bowl. If you don't have a trifle bowl, just a large glass mixing bowl or salad bowl will be fine. Allow it to chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, for flavours to meld and for the custard to set.
Before serving, top with fresh raspberries, toasted almonds, and a sprig of mint. The spooning out is the best bit, so get your serving bowl ready and dig deep to make sure you get a bit of every layer! It makes a great fruity summer dessert or alternatively a wonderfully festive Christmas dessert.
🤷♀️ Vegan Trifle FAQs
A: Absolutely! In fact, the flavours intensify with time. Prepare it a day ahead and store in the fridge for optimal results. Alternatively, if you'd like to prepare even earlier, make all the layers and store separately in the fridge. Assemble the day before serving.
A: No, although many traditional trifles are made with jelly (or jello) many recipes use fresh fruit instead. This recipe uses a tangy fruit compote in place of jelly.
A: Yes, of course. I like to use Elmlea or Coconut Collaborative. If you'd like to make the whole thing from scratch, you can find my vegan whipped cream recipe here!
There you have it – a tantalising Vegan Trifle that not only satisfies your sweet tooth but also celebrates the versatility of plant-based ingredients. Fancy something different next time? Why not try my Vegan Tiramisu or maybe my Vegan Matcha Tiramisu? Baking for a birthday? Find my flawless Vegan Birthday Cake recipe right here!
Vegan Trifle
Equipment
- oven
- Blender
- Medium bowls
- stand mixer or electric whisk
- 20x20cm cake tin
- Trifle bowl
Ingredients
If Using Lady Fingers
- 1 batch vegan lady fingers
If Using Cake
- 90 ml soy milk unsweetened and unflavoured at room temperature, or any other plant milk
- 180 g soft silken tofu at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 225 g plain white flour
- 1.5 tablespoon corn starch
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 225 g caster sugar aka superfine sugar in the US
- 135 g vegan butter at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon extra melted
For the Compote
- 400 g frozen raspberries
- 125 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Custard
- 2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 450 ml soy milk unsweetened and unflavoured, or any other plant milk
- 3 teaspoon vanilla extract or ideally, vanilla bean paste
- 50 g caster sugar aka superfine sugar
- 50 g vegan butter
For the Vegan Whipped Cream
- 500 ml vegan whipping cream Use my recipe or use store bought
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Serving
- 100 g fresh raspberries
- 3 tablespoon almonds flaked and toasted
- A few sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
If Using Vegan Lady fingers
- Make a batch of vegan lady fingers using this recipe and cool completely to room temperature.1 batch vegan lady fingers
If Using Cake
- Preheat the oven to 355 °F. Grease a 20 x 20cm (7.9 x 7.9 inch) cake tin then sprinkle with flour and shake out any excess.
- In the cup of a blender, combine the plant milk, silken tofu and vanilla extract.90 ml soy milk, 180 g soft silken tofu, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, sieve together the flour, corn starch, baking powder and fine sea salt then mix together to combine.225 g plain white flour, 1.5 tablespoon corn starch, 1.5 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and vegan butter. With the paddle attachment fitted, beat on low speed until combined then increase speed to medium for 3 minutes. At this stage the batter should be light and fluffy.225 g caster sugar, 135 g vegan butter
- Add half of the blended soy milk mixture along with half of the combined dry ingredients. Beat until combined.
- Pause the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining blended soy milk mixture and dry ingredients then beat again until just combined.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Place the tin in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Place the tin on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes then remove the cake from the tin and cool completely to room temperature.
- Once cooled to room temperature, slice the cake into cubes or fingers and set aside.
To Make the Compote
- Place all the compote ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.400 g frozen raspberries, 125 g sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Stirring often, bring to a simmer until the fruit has just broken down (around5 minutes) but is still bright red.
- Transfer the compote to a shallow baking tray and set aside to cool to room temperature.
To Make the Custard
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornflour/cornstarch and 50ml of the plant milk. Once smooth, add the remaining plant milk, vanilla extract and caster sugar.2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch, 450 ml soy milk, 3 teaspoon vanilla extract, 50 g caster sugar
- Place over medium low heat and stir constantly until the custard thickens (around 5-10 mins).
- Remove the pan from the heat then immediately add the vegan butter. Stir vigorously until fully melted and incorporated into the custard.50 g vegan butter
- Transfer the custard to a shallow baking tray and lay a sheet of plastic wrap or baking parchment over the surface of the custard to stop a skin from forming. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
To Make the Vegan Whipped Cream
- Place the vegan whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Alternatively place the vegan whipping cream in a large bowl if using an electric whisk.500 ml vegan whipping cream
- Whip on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining whipped cream ingredients and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.2 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Assemble
- Arrange the cubed cake on the bottom of a large trifle bowl and pour over the compote. Leave to soak in for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, transfer the custard to a medium bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth. Spoon the custard over the compote and use a spoon to level out. Spoon the whipped cream over the custard then place the trifle bowl in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours - ideally overnight.
- Before serving, top with the fresh raspberries, toasted flaked almonds and sprigs of mint. Serve and enjoy.100 g fresh raspberries, 3 tablespoon almonds, A few sprigs of fresh mint
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