Pecan Caramel Trifle

By Chef Eddy Van Damme

Prep Time:

1h 35m

Bake/Cook Time:

1h - 1h 5m

Yield:

12-14 servings

Plan for:

Refrigerate for a few hours to overnight

Layer upon layer of deliciousness! You'll want a big spoon when dishing out this dessert. Chef Eddy made this Pecan Caramel Trifle with authentic German style Bavarian cream. Pound cake, Bavarian cream, pecans, and caramel combine for a show-stopping dessert. The extra creamy consistency of this Bavarian cream tastes just like what you'd find in a professional pastry shop.

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Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Ingredients

Pound Cake

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour*
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 cup oil (any vegetable)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Bavarian Cream

2 cups milk
1/3 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups + 1/2 cup whipping cream
Caramel
Candied Pecans

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Butter and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Alternatively, line pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Sift flour together with baking powder. Set aside.
In a stand or using a hand-held mixer with a whip attachment, mix eggs until completely smooth. Add sugar and mix on high until mixture has gained 50% in volume.
On very low speed, gradually add oil and salt.
Alternately add flour and milk in 5 steps, starting with and ending with flour. Scrape well in between.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and place in oven.
Bake until center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger or an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. If cake turns too dark before being done, cover pan with a lightly buttered piece of foil.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.
For Bavarian cream combine milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil while constantly whisking.
Once cream makes thick bubbles (a sign that cream has thickened) remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla and butter. Place pan in a bowl filed with water and ice cubes. Occasionally and gently stir cream just to prevent a skin from forming until cream is cold.
In a separate bowl whip 2 cups of whipping cream to medium, almost firm peaks.
Fold whipped cream into cooled cream and set aside.
Slice pound cake into 1/4-inch slices. Place a layer of pound cake on bottom of trifle bowl. Sprinkle with a few pecan pieces and drizzle with about one-fifth of caramel. Cover with one-third of Bavarian cream.
Cover with a layer of pound cake slices, one-third of caramel, pecan pieces and one-third of Bavarian cream.
Repeat previous step and place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
Just before serving, whip remaining 1/2 cup cream and 2 teaspoons sugar to stiff peaks. Pipe a border of rosettes along edge of bowl. Decorate with pecan halves.
Spoon about a third of caramel into center. (You will have some caramel leftover which you can use on ice cream, in coffee etc.)
Refrigerate leftovers.