Cherry Almond Trifle Recipe

Almond Cake: In food processor, grind almonds and 1 cup/250 mL of the sugar until fine. In small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form; add remaining sugar and beat until stiff. In separate large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Stir in almond mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Stir in one-third of the egg white mixture until well mixed; gently fold in remainder (whites are difficult to incorporate at first, but persevere, using a light hand).

Spread evenly into greased parchment paper–lined 13- x 9-inch/3.5 L cake pan. Bake in 400F/200C oven until golden brown and skewer inserted in centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack. Remove from pan; peel off paper. (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap; store at room temperature for up to 1 day.)

Vanilla Custard Cream: Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise; using tip of knife, scrape out seeds into saucepan. Add bean pod and 2 cups/500 mL of the milk; heat over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around edge. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over remaining milk; let stand for 5 minutes.

In bowl and using wooden spoon, beat yolks and sugar until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove pod from vanilla mixture. (If desired, rinse pod and place in jar of granulated sugar to make vanilla sugar.) Stir vanilla mixture into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan; cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, without allowing mixture to simmer, until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 8 minutes. Stir in gelatin mixture; continue stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Strain into bowl, pressing vanilla seeds through sieve. Let cool to room temperature over bowl of ice, stirring. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of custard; refrigerate until cool and set to puddinglike consistency, 2 to 3 hours. Whip cream; fold into custard. Refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Drain cherries. Trim edges of cake; cut cake into 3- x 1-inch/8 x 2.5 cm pieces. In 14-cup/3.5 L trifle bowl or other glass bowl, layer cake, cherries and custard in 2 or 3 layers, sprinkling cake with 3 tbsp/45 mL of the kirsch. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or for up to 1 day.

Whip cream with sugar; whip in remaining 1 tbsp/15 mL kirsch. Spoon over trifle; sprinkle with almonds.

Makes 12 to 14 servings.