Russian Cake Creole Trifle Recipes

RUSSIAN CAKE (CREOLE TRIFLE

Steps:

• Mix rum, anise, jam and (optionally) the food color with a wire whisk until everything is well integrated; the alcohol in the rum helps dissolve the jam quickly so it shouldn't be more than 30 seconds.
• Pour evenly over your cake pieces and place bowl in fridge for a few hours or overnight (covered). The more cake pieces you use for the inside, the denser and heavier the cake will be. The Russian cakes I remember weighed several pounds and seemed very heavy for their size.
• When ready to assemble cake, bake your boxed cake according to instructions in a 9-inch cake pan. When cool split the cake evenly down the middle. Place one half in a 9-inch springform pan (one used for cheesecakes) and "fill" with your soaked cake pieces. Try to get this even as possible.
• Place top layer over "filling" and cover with plastic wrap, the plastic touching the top of the cake. I placed my cleaned cake pan over the top of this and weighed it down with jars from the fridge. The reason I did this was to make sure that the cake was flat, number one, but also I wanted some of the "juice" from the middle to seep into the top and bottom layer, thereby binding the cake together.
• Place in fridge overnight (make sure it's covered). The next day, frost the top and cover with sprinkles.

TIRAMISU TRIFLE

Steps:

• Mix the coffee and liqueur in a wide dish.
• In another bowl mix the mascarpone with the custard until smooth using an electric hand mixer.
• Take about a third of the sponge fingers and dip them in the coffee/liqueur mix and line the bottom of a glass dish with them, drizzle a bit more of the liquid over the sponge fingers.
• Now sprinkle over a third of the chocolate followed with a layer of the Mascarpone/custard mix.
• Repeat twice.
• Chill for at least 2 hours or up to a day.
• Just before serving sprinkle with the almonds and more chocolate.

GRAMMA DURBIN'S TRIFLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Combine cake mix, 1 cup water, eggs, and oil in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 23 to 28 minutes. Cool on a rack, about 15 minutes.
• Mix 2 cups boiling water and gelatin mix together in a bowl until dissolved. Stir in 2 cups cold water.
• Transfer cake to a flat work surface. Cut out and discard the hard edges; crumble the rest of the cake onto the bottom of the baking pan. Spoon gelatin over cake; cover with bananas. Refrigerate until set, 2 to 4 hours.
• Combine milk and pudding mix in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour over the bananas. Layer strawberries on top. Chill trifle until set, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread over the trifle. Place cherries on top. Add pecans.

KULICH (RUSSIAN EASTER CAKE)

Steps:

• Place golden raisins into a bowl, drizzle with vodka, and allow raisins to soften overnight.
• Mix 1 teaspoon sugar into lukewarm water in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir yeast into the water and let stand until the yeast mixture is frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until very warm but not simmering. Stir in saffron threads and cardamom, remove from heat, and let the milk mixture stand until lukewarm.
• Transfer yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Stir milk mixture, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup flour into the yeast mixture, beating until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Mix melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, orange blossom honey, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Beat butter mixture into the batter, then beat in eggs and egg yolk.
• Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour into the dough. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup flour onto a work surface and knead dough until it holds together, about 5 minutes; knead soaked golden raisins and 1/2 cup almonds into the dough until well distributed.
• Form dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl; turn dough around in the bowl several times to coat outside of dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down dough, knead a few times, and divide dough into 4 pieces. Coat inside of clean 14-ounce cans with butter. Line cans with parchment paper. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, place into a can, and press dough lightly against the inside bottom of can.
• Cover cans with a cloth and allow dough to rise to the top of the cans, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place a baking sheet into the oven; place the cans of dough upright into oven on baking sheet. Bake until kulich are risen and lightly browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Let kulich cool in the cans for about 15 minutes before gently removing from cans to finish cooling on racks.
• Beat egg white in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy; beat in confectioners' sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Beat lemon juice into frosting.
• Frost the tops of the kulich and sprinkle tops with 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.