Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Trifle

If you are following me on facebook, you might have seen the dessert I made last 4th of July...which is this Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Trifle. Trifle is a dessert made from thick custard, fruits, sponge cake, fruit juice or gelatin, and whipped cream which are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom, and custard and cream on top. I've long been wanting to make a trifle, but I've always been intimidated by it. I've seen a lot of versions and I've always been thinking that it's complicated and time consuming. But last July 4, I thought of experimenting with the ingredients available in my pantry and refrigerator to make my own version of trifle...and I ended up with this very gorgeous looking Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Trifle!

It was on Tasty Thursday of NinaLaZina.info yesterday. In case you've missed it, I'm sharing you the recipe here today.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb strawberry , thinly sliced (save 5 whole for decoration)
• 6 Belgian chocolate thins for decoration

For the cake: (You can use ready cake mix like I did for this one or you can make your chocolate cake from scratch. You can even use ready store bought cakes if you don't have enough time to bake.)

• 21.5 oz Betty Crocker Decadent Cake Mix (Chocolate Mousse)
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs

For the pudding:

• 5.1 oz JELL-O banana cream instant pudding
• 3 cups milk
• 8 oz. cool whip

For the mousse:

• Mousse Mix that goes with the cake mix
• 1 ¼ cup milk

To make an easy chocolate mousse from scratch, you'll need:

• 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
• 12 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease bottom of two 8” round pans.

3. Beat cake mix, water, butter and eggs in a large bowl on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4. Spread evenly into pans.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Let cool.

6. While cake is cooling, slice the strawberries and set aside.

7. Mix pudding with 3 cups of milk and whisk until thickened.

8. Fold in Cool Whip.

9. In a separate bowl, beat mousse mix and milk on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes.

If making chocolate mousse from scratch:

Mix chilled whipping cream at medium speed until the cream becomes almost clumpy. Set aside. Chop the chocolate into very small pieces and then melt. Pour the melted chocolate into the whipped cream and fold. Chill for at least one hour before using.

10. To layer, put 1 cake for 1st layer, then pudding for 2nd layer, then strawberries for 3rd layer, and the mousse for 4th layer.

 11. Repeat layers ending with the chocolate mousse.

 

12. Decorate with the whole strawberries and chocolate thins. I save a little pudding mix and use it for decoration too.

13. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving!

Hope you like it!!! 

Wishing you all a wonderful Friday! We are here in Wichita, Kansas now...and we are really having a great time. Sharing with you some photos from yesterday...