Gingerbread and Lemon Curd Trifle with Blackberry Sauce

You really do need a clear glass trifle bowl for this. It's very pretty!

Gingerbread Cake:

3 c all-purpose flour

2 Tblsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tblsp minced crystallized ginger

10 Tblsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c packed golden brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 c molasses

1 c boiling water

2 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

Lemon Curd (see previous post for Easy Lemon Curd)

Lemon Curd Filling (recipe follows)

Blackberry Sauce (recipe follows)

Whipped Cream Topping (whipped cream left over from Lemon Curd Filling)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°. Grease a half-sheet cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease the paper.

Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix in crystallized ginger.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in brown sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, till well blended. Gradually beat in molasses, followed by 1 cup boiling water. Mix in grated lemon peel. Gradually mix in dry ingredients.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan sides. Turn out onto a rack and peel off paper. Cool and cut into 1-inch cubes. You will have more cake than you might want to use.

Lemon Curd Filling

1 recipe (see previous January post) Lemon Curd

2 c heavy cream, sweetened to taste with sugar and vanilla, beaten to soft peaks

Gently fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into the lemon curd until just combined. Reserve the other 1/2 to top the trifle. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Blackberry Sauce

2 pints fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries, thawed

1/4 c sugar

pinch salt

2 Tblsp framboise (raspberry liqueur)

1 Tblsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Place blackberries, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and cook until berries are soft and the sugar has melted. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a bowl to remove seeds. Stir in framboise and lemon juice.

Assembly

Using a trifle bowl, start with an even layer of gingerbread cubes, top with 1/3 of the lemon curd mixture, then 1/3 of the blackberry sauce. Repeat 2 more times. Top with remaining whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.