Decadent Kahlua Cake Chocolate Trifle with Dulce de Leche

As I said in my post yesterday, it was my boyfriend's birthday yesterday and I was cooking and baking for him all day. We both love good and simple homemade food and although this trifle has a lot of layers to make, it is made with simple and fresh ingredients.

My boyfriend absolutely loves caramel, so a caramel layer was a must in this decadent and rich dessert. I tried to make homemade caramel recently and it did not turn out so good, so I decided to take a shortcut and buy some dulce de leche to layer into this dessert. I personally think the richness of the dulce de leche added a great flavor and I was happy that I substituted it for the caramel.

The layers of the made from scratch Kahlua soaked chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and fresh whipped cream all go together so well and make this trifle extremely decadent. I was only able to get through half of the bowl pictured before getting too full to finish the rest.

This is the perfect trifle to make for your next party or get together. People will devour it and be blown away that you made 3 out of the 4 layers. (If you want to try to make your own caramel sauce then go for it!) You are going to love this dessert and I will definitely be making it again in the future!

Decadent Kahlua Cake Chocolate Trifle with Dulce de Leche:

(recipe slightly adapted from: http://www.halfbakedharvest.com)

Chocolate Cake:

1 1/8 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup hot coffee

3 tablespoons Kahlua

Chocolate Mousse:

12 ounces 60% dark chocolate
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Whipped Cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

dulce de leche or caramel

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350° and grease a cake pan with non-stick spray.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Add in the egg, buttermilk, canola oil and vanilla. Beat with a handheld mixer for 2 minutes. Add in the hot coffee and beat until incorporated.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes and pour the Kahlua all over the top. Cover with tin foil and put the cake into the fridge.
4. To make the mousse, add the chocolate, butter and 2 tablespoons of water to a microwaveable bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring after every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted. Set aside.
5. In a small saucepan combine the egg yolks, sugar and water and cook over medium high heat for about 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat and stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Stir to combine and place in the fridge to cool.
6. Pour the 1 1/2 cups whipped into a large mixing bowl and mix with a handheld mixer until the cream is firm and has stiff peaks, do not overwhip. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mousse until combined. Then, fold in the other half of the whipped cream until fully combined. Place the mousse back in the fridge.
7. To make the whipped cream, pour the 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Whip the cream with a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar and beat for a few more seconds until combined.
8. To assemble to trifle, pour some dulce de leche into the bottom of a parfait glass. Next, crumble some cake on top of the dulce de leche. Add some of the chocolate mousse as the next layer and top that with some whipped cream. Repeat the layering process one or two more times, depending on how big your glasses are. Finish off the trifle with a drizzle of dulce de leche and enjoy your amazing dessert!