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A not-to-miss, moreish, delicious dessert includes fluffy sponge cake, cherry jam, and silky cream! This Vegan Cherry Trifle is vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect Christmas dessert recipe!
Story behind Vegan Cherry Trifle
The first time I made this cherry trifle was two years ago, when the Christmas is around the corner and I just wanted some desserts that are tasty and festive. Trifle turned out to be the thing I wanted to make the most, also one of the things that I had postponed making for a while. You know, life was busy. (Still busy nowadays, though.)
Traditionally, trifle is made with a layer of sponge cake, custard, a fruit element, and whipped cream. I know, it sounds a bit daunting. So this time we will make an easier version without the custard part. (But feel free to make one or use store-bought vegan custard for the complete satisfaction!)
What’s special about Vegan Cherry Trifle?
This vegan cherry trifle is delicious and awesome!
- Full of texture with fluffy, delicious sponge cake
- Flavourful with maple syrup sweetened cherry jam layer
- Super satisfying with smooth vanilla cashew cream
- Vegan, no dairy, eggless
- Easy to make, mostly mixing and blending
How to Make Vegan Cherry Trifle
This easy cherry trifle is made of three parts: vegan sponge cake, cherry jam, and cream layers. Let’s walk through all three…
The Vegan Sponge Cake
This is one of my favourite sponge cakes to make (and eat!). It’s super fluffy and moist, perfect with the cream and jam in this trifle. What we will need:
- Self-raising (self-rising) gluten-free flour: You can use regular self-raising (self-rising) flour if you’re not keen on making it gluten-free. You can also use plain flour (all-purpose flour) with a bit of baking powder instead. (Details in the recipe card down below.04)
- Almond flour: for more moisture and texture.
- Baking soda & Apple cider vinegar: To make the cake fluffy and spongy.
- Salt: to bing out more flavour.
- Vegan spread (margarine): for extra moisture and satisfying mouth-feel.
- Maple syrup: gives the cake the lovely sweetness.
- Light muscovado sugar: I like the taste of muscovado sugar. You can also use coconut sugar or organic cane sugar.
- Soy milk: to bring everything together.
- Vanilla extract: a hint of vanilla will elevate the overall flavour.
The Cherry Jam Layer
I like to use a combination of frozen mixed berries and frozen cherries to create a richer taste. You can just use cherries if you want a “full-on” cherry flavour. A cornflour slurry is added to thicken up the jam.
The Cashew Cream Layer
Traditional cream usually involves lots of processed fat and oil. So here is a healthier alternative and my usual go-to: Cashew Cream. I use a cornflour-soy milk mixture as a thickener, and I sweetened the cream with maple syrup for a lovely sweet taste. A hint of vanilla extract to elevate the overall flavour, and all is blended with oat milk and tofu, one surprising ingredient, to turn into smooth creaminess.
Extra Tips for Success
- Use a kitchen scale to weight the ingredients. When it comes to baking and making desserts, I always recommend using a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups for the best accuracy.
- Adjust the temperature and time setting on your oven as needed. It’s best to know your oven’s “temper” first, as some ovens might drift towards higher/lower temperature. Then you can tweak accordingly.
- Make sure to let the cherry jam and cashew cream sit in the fridge to set up properly.
You might be interested in these recipes as well:
Easy Vegan Cherry Trifle
Ingredients
Vegan Sponge cake
- 70 g gluten-free self-raising flour, or use regular self-raising flour (self-rising)*
- 70 g almond flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp vegan spread, margarine, melted, or coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp light muscovado sugar, or organic cane sugar
- 100 ml soy milk, unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Cherry Berry Jam Layer
- 70 g frozen cherries
- 120 g frozen mixed berries, or all frozen cherries
- 1/2 Tbsp water
- 2 ~3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cornflour, cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
Cashew Cream Layer
- 120 g soy milk, unsweetened or sweetened
- 1 Tbsp cornflour, cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water
- 100 g raw cashews, soaked in water for 5 hours
- 90 g firm tofu, drained & rinsed
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/16 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 30 ml oat milk
Instructions
To make the Vegan Sponge Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / gas mark 4. Line the bottom of an 9” (23 cm) loose-base cake tin with baking paper.
- In a big bowl, mix flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt together.
- In another bowl, add vegan spread, maple syrup, sugar, soya milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet mixture to the dry one. Whisk to incorporate until no granule can be seen.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Transfer the cake tin onto a wire rack to cool down while me move on.
To make the Cherry Berry Jam:
- In a saucepan, add frozen cherries, mixed berries, water, and syrup. Cook it over medium heat. Stir occasionally until all frozen fruits are soft.
- In a small bowl, mix together cornflour and water until smooth.
- Pour the corn flour slurry into the cooked berries. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the mixture thicken up. Remove the pan from heat once it starts thicken, as it will get thicker after it cools down.
- Transfer the cherry berry jam into a bowl. Let it cool down while me make the cream.
To make the Cream:
- Add soy milk to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it’s hot (don’t have to boil).
- In a small bowl, mix the cornflour and water together until it’s clump-free. Then pour the mixture into the hot soy milk. Cook for another minute until it thickens up. Remove from the heat and let it cool down a bit.
- Drain out the water from the cashews and give it a rinse. Then add them along with the rest of the ingredients, including the soy milk mixture, into the blender cup. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the cream into a bowl or container. Put it and the cherry jam in the fridge for 1 hour to set up and get chill a bit.
- To assemble:
- Gently remove the cake from the cake tin. If using a small dessert glass (like the one in the pictures), use the glass rim or a cookie cutter to cut out 4 thick cake slices. Save the rest for snacking.
- Add about 4 tablespoons of cashew cream to each dessert glass (I use 2, 300 ml each). Then add one cake slice on top, followed by 4 tablespoons of cherry jam. Finish up by filling the glass with more cashew cream. Optionally, dust ground cinnamon on top for decoration, or add more cherry jam to create more layers. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Self-raising flour: If you don’t have self-raising (gluten-free) flour, you can use gluten-free plain flour (or plain flour) plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder instead.
- Storage: If you got leftover, cover or transfer into containers. Store in the fridge for up to 4–5 days.
