Trifle Pudding

I Have always wondered why this dessert hasn't ever got as much admiration as it deserves. Its super easy for someone who is offering this dessert, and super tasty for someone who is being offered. Such a moist, sweet and flavorful dessert.  

You can always play around and make your own trifle pudding. Add fresh seasonal fruits or canned. Add dry fruits or maybe jelly. Instead of just one flavor add 2 layers of different cakes, one vanilla and another strawberry. Fruit preserve between the layers or use left over lemon cheese cake. I recently discovered, very fine pieces of mint leaf, added here and there between the layers can make this burst with zesty freshness. Trust me, it is worth a try.

If you plan to make only for a few, try individual trifle bowl, customized to each ones taste. One with lots of strawberries, another with blueberries, or maybe mangoes, rose syrup. 

You need:

Sponge Cake/ Pound cake – Made as per the packaging instructions  and cut to get two layers. 

Fruit Cocktail – 1 big can (you can always vary the thickness of layers or use fresh seasonal fruits)
Whipped Topping – 16 oz tub
(or use whipping cream and whip till you get soft peaks)

Vanilla Instant Pudding – 5 oz pkt (or use custard)

Cold Milk – 3.5 cups
Maraschino Cherries – for garnishing (optional)

Dry fruits – Raisins, Pistachios, Cashew nuts , Dates (adjust to liking and its optional)

Flavored jelly (optional) – can use more than 1 flavor if you wish to

1. Prepare the jelly as per package instructions and keep it refrigerated. Cut into small cubes when ready to layer the trifle pudding.
2. Drain out all the syrup from the fruit cocktail and keep it aside.
3. Slice the cake and layer the bottom of the serving dish. You can use a nice glass dish so that beautiful colorful layers are visible when the pudding is served. 
4. Lightly brush the cake with the syrup from the fruit cocktail can, just to get a thin moist top layer of the cake. Don't add too much syrup, as it will get too soggy and make it difficult to cut when you are ready to serve. Set aside.
5. Make the vanilla instant pudding as per the package instructions. The pudding mixture has to be whisked fast as the pudding mix sets very quickly. Mix well and pour half of the pudding over the cake. Keep aside. (If you don't have pudding mix, make a slightly thick custard and layer it (using only half custard) on the cake. Refrigerate for 20 min or till it sets and then continue as follows. If you have left over cheese cake at home, use it to layer it ;))
6. After the pudding/ custard layer, sprinkle chopped dry fruits and jelly cubes. (Use only half and reserve some jelly cubes to garnish the top layer)
7. In another bowl, add fruit cocktail and whipped topping. Mix well until all the fruits are well coated. Now make a  layer of this fruit and cream topping (use only half)  over the dry fruit and jelly layer. 
8. Repeat the cake - custard -  dry fruit + jelly - fruit cocktail + cream mixture layer with the remaining half 
9. Serve with a maraschino cherry on the top!

* Whenever I make this dessert just for family and not for a large group, I bake a  cake using a white cake mix. I use only half of the cake and use the remaining to make a tiramisu. (recipe for Tiramisu has been shared already)