Black Forest Trifle

This light trifle has only 1/2 cup of sugar in the entire recipe and except for the whipped cream is very low fat.

Cake: Make a hot milk sponge cake following the variation with the cocoa. Use 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of Splenda in the cake. ( I used whole wheat flour for the cake but would not recommend that unless you are make trifle as pudding moistens the cake)

Fruit: I used 2 cups of sour pitted cherries which I froze in the summer. Thaw the cherries, add 1-1/2 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/2 c Splenda to the juice and cook in the microwave stirring frequently until thickened. You could use sliced fresh fruit like strawberries or canned fruit instead.

Pudding: Make a single recipe of chocolate pudding following the variation of blanc mange with the cocoa. I used Splenda to sweeten the pudding. You could also make an instant no-sugar chocolate pudding.

Whipped Cream: Whip 250-500 ml (1-2 cups) of heavy cream with 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 c Spenda until soft peaks form. I don't use Cool Whip or other fake creams but feel free to do so if you like them.

Assemble Trifle: Place 1/2 the cake on the bottom of the trifle bowl. Add half the pudding and fruit. Top with half the whipped cream if using the larger amount. Repeat layers ending with whipped cream. I grated one small square of 70% cocoa dark chocolate on top and added 2 fresh cherries for garnish. Let it sit a few hours before serving.

Trifle is very easy to make and the type of cake, pudding, and fruit used can be changed easily. You can make all parts of the recipe with sugar and higher fat ingredients if you wish.