2tablespoonsPineapple juiceaccumulated from the cubed pineapple
For the Assembly:
2cupsHeavy Cream
6cupsPound Cakecubed, about half a 12 cup bundt cake
12ozMangoes2 bags frozen, thawed
6ozPineapple1 bag frozen, thawed
3Kiwi fruitssliced
½cupPecanstoasted, optional
½cupSweetened Shredded Coconuttoasted
Instructions
Prepare the Pastry Cream:
Heat coconut milk (don’t forget to shake the can first) and sugar in a sauce pot and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and cornstarch. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, slowly pour the milk mixture into eggs while whisking constantly.
Return to pot, turning heat to medium, whisk constantly until it begins to thicken and comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute while constantly whisking.
Pour out onto plastic lined baking pan, cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, poke holes and cool in the refrigerator.
Make the simple syrup:
In a small saucepot, stir together sugar and water. Bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool.
This can be prepared up to a month ahead of time. This makes more simple syrup than is needed for this recipe, but a smaller batch won’t really work. The sugar doesn’t have enough time to dissolve. Save it for more trifles or cocktails!
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add 3 tablespoons simple, with rum and pineapple juice. Adjust to your taste.
Prepare to Assemble:
Cube the cake into bite-sized portions. Toss with the Rum Simple Soak.
Before you use pastry cream, you need to “refresh it” or “condition” it. All this means is you need to beat it so that it becomes smooth and silky. This won’t get any lumps out but it will create a more pleasant product to eat and work with.
Place coconut pastry cream in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth. You don’t want to beat it too long or it will loosen and the cornstarch will lose some of its hold and it will not firm back up when chilled. This can lead to loose, unruly fillings.
Scoop out of the stand mixer bowl into a medium bowl. Pour heavy cream into the same stand mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, beat until stiff peaks. I like to do this on medium speed, to ensure I don’t overwhip.
Combine the whipped cream and coconut pastry cream. At this point you can add some coconut extract if you have it and you like the flavor. Spoon a bit of the whipped cream into the pastry cream and fold aggressively to incorporate. This will make incorporating the remainder a lot easier.
Fold the rest of the whipped cream into the pastry cream gently and with love. Congratulations! You’ve made crème légère!
It’s time to assemble!
Spread a small amount of the coconut cream in the bottom of the trifle dish. Layer on the cake followed by the fruit assortment, toasted coconut and pecans.
Repeat until the dish is filled! Make sure to end with a layer of the coconut cream for that photo finish! I added a thin layer of plain whipped cream to the top to make it white, but that is totally optional.
Add some of the reserved fruit, coconut and pecans around the edge for a showstopping presentation!
Video
Notes
Yield: 1, 3 Quart Trifle DishI used half of my Bacardi Rum Cake. You could also use 1 large loaf of store-bought pound cake or cake of your choice.