Cranberry holiday trifle

 Recipes sourced from a few different sites for the various components:
https://www.coffeewithus3.com/cranberry-trifle/ (for the custard and and cranberry sauce and layering instructions)
https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-angel-food-cake-recipe (for the Angel Food Cake recipe)
https://natashaskitchen.com/sugared-cranberries/ (for the sugared cranberries instructions)


Ingredients

Cranberry Layer

  • 24 oz cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 stick cinnamon

Custard Layer

  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 1/2 cups milk
  • 9 egg yolks
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp butter

Angel Food Cake layer

  • 5 ounces bleached cake flour (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons; 140g)
  • 15 ounces cold egg whites (2 cups; 425g) from 12 large eggs
  • 15 ounces granulated sugar (2 cups; 425g)
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml)  vanilla extract
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 tablespoons; 25g) from 1 small lemon

  • 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight


Sugared Cranberries layer

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried


Instructions

Cranberry Layer

  1. Add all cranberry layer ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes. 
  2. Allow to cool and remove cinnamon stick.

Custard Layer

  1. In large sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt with the heat turned off.
  2. Turn on heat to medium high, add milk and whisk together.
  3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks.  Take a cup of the hot milk mixtures and whisk into the egg bowl.  Whisk the entire time you are adding the hot milk. This will temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling when adding to the milk mixture in the pan.
  5. Add egg mixture to the pan while whisking. Bring it back to a boil and boil for another 2 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla.
  7. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Whisking occasionally.
  8. Pour into a bowl and place plastic wrap on the surface of the custard. This will prevent a skin to form. Place in refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.

Cake instructions

    1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Sift cake flour and set aside. Combine egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low to loosen, about 1 minute, then increase to medium-low (4 on a KitchenAid) and whip 3 minutes; the whites will be dense and dark.

    2. With the mixer still running, add lemon juice and salt. Immediately increase to medium (6 on a KitchenAid) and whip 3 minutes more; the meringue will be thin but foamy. Increase to medium-high (8 on a KitchenAid) and continue whipping until the meringue is glossy white and thick enough that you can see the pattern left by the wire whisk. This can take between 2 and 4 minutes, depending on the freshness of the whites and the horsepower of your mixer. When meringue is ready, it should be soft enough to run off the wires when the whisk attachment is removed, but thick enough to mound up on itself like soft-serve in the bowl.

      1. Sprinkle cake flour on top and stir with a flexible spatula to roughly combine. Switch to a folding motion, scraping from the bottom up and folding through the center, until no pockets of flour remain. Scrape the batter into a 10-inch aluminum tube pan with removable bottom (do not butter or grease pan); if you notice any small pockets of unincorporated flour, simply pause to mix them in. Bake until the cake is puffed, golden blond, and firm to the touch, about 45 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 206°F (97°C).

      2. Invert pan onto its stilts or onto a trio of cans (see note) and cool upside down until absolutely no trace of warmth remains, at least 2 hours. Slide an offset spatula around the sides of cake to loosen, remove the insert, and slide spatula under the bottom as well. Flip onto a serving plate, pulling gently on the sides of the cake to release it from the center tube. To serve, cut with a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion and only the slightest downward pressure. If you like, garnish with figs and berries tossed in fresh lemon syrup and finish with lemon chantilly. Wrapped tightly in plastic, leftovers will keep up to 1 week at room temperature.

    4. Sugared cranberries instructions

      • In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat for 3 minutes.
      • Stir in the cranberries to fully coat in the syrup then remove from heat and stir 1 minute.
      • Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet or a metal rack to let cranberries dry out for 1 hour.
      • Roll cranberries in batches in the remaining 1 cup sugar to coat.


Assembling

  1. Slice cake into 1 inch cubes. 
  2. Layer half the cake in the bottom of a trifle bowl.
  3. Layer half the cranberry mixture.
  4. Layer half the custard.
  5. Repeat the three layers.
  6. Top with whipped cream and sugared cranberries.
  7. Enjoy.

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