By Nat Levin
As I was heaving a bowl full of trifle from my counter to the dining room table, I was struck by the irony that calling something “trifling” implies insubstantiality. This trifle was the opposite of insubstantial: it was a solid, sturdy dessert that took up a lot of room on the table and in our stomachs. So sturdy, in fact, that I realized I liked it best portioned out into individual servings, which is how I’ve written it here.
My recipe diverges from the standard trifle blueprint in a few ways – I swap pound cake for sponge cake and eliminate the custard, which feels fussy and not worth the extra effort. The best part, in my opinion, is the wonderfully zingy rhubarb compote, simmered with ginger, honey, and vanilla until very soft. The tart rhubarb is a perfect foil for the sweetness of the pound cake and whipped cream, which is stabilized with Greek yogurt. Together, they layer into an easy but festive spring dessert.
Try the compote on ice cream and yogurt or dolloped on leftover cake. Makes six half-pint jars of trifle. To prep components in advance, the compote and cake can be made up to three days ahead and the cream can be whipped the day before serving.
Rhubarb compote:
1 pound diced rhubarb
2 tablespoons finely minced or grated ginger
4 tablespoons honey (My favorite is from Capaflora Farm in Sauquoit, available through Local Foods Mohawk Valley)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound cake (I like Sohla El-Waylly’s pound cake recipe on Food52, but store-bought is just fine!)
Stabilized cream:
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
To make the compote, combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven or other non-reactive, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Cook over medium-high until the liquid in the pot starts to simmer, then turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. After 45 minutes, the rhubarb should be completely tender. Remove the lid, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook for another 7-10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and you need to start scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking. Remove the pan from heat and let cool.
To whip the cream, combine the heavy cream and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form, then add the yogurt, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat at medium speed for another minute to fully incorporate the yogurt.
To make the trifle, start by cutting half the pound cake into approximately 1.5” slices, then cutting those slices into approximately 1.5” x 2” cubes. If you are using jars larger than ½ pint size, you can get away with bigger cubes.
In each jar, layer a generous spoon of compote, followed by cream, followed by cake cubes. Gently tap the jar on the counter after each layer to help settle the ingredients. Use a spoon to gently press the cake cubes deeper into the jar. Repeat until you have two layers of cake, then top with another small layer of cream and compote. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours before serving.
