Chocolate Strawberry Brownie Trifle Recipe

If you only know trifle as a way to use up dry cake or as a quaint dish from the Great British Bake Off, you're in for a surprise. This chocolate strawberry brownie trifle is a scrumptious and special dessert to whip up for Valentine's Day, a romantic date night at home, or any time you need a sweet chocolatey treat. And the taste? It's guaranteed to earn full marks from every judge.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, the secret to this complex, decadent trifle lies in the dark chocolate mascarpone cream. Slightly bitter, a bit tangy, and gloriously creamy on its own, this spread becomes magic when it hits the sweet, juicy notes of the berries. What you end up with is a balanced, multi-faceted dessert that engages every sense with its perfect mix of textures and flavors.

Layered desserts like this trifle must look beautiful while also tasting sensational, and this trifle hits all the spots. Share one dish with your loved one, or make it in elegant individual servings for an impressive presentation worthy of a special night.

For the raspberry liqueur syrup that we use to moisten the brownies at the base of this brownie trifle, you'll need sugar, water, and a raspberry liqueur of your choice – Chambord is a popular one. For the strawberry coulis, grab fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. 

For the chocolate mascarpone cream, which is good enough to eat with a spoon all on its own, you'll need mascarpone, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and a good, high-quality melted dark chocolate. Remember that your cake will taste only as good as your chocolate is, so make sure to choose one you like. 

Finally, for the assembly of the trifle, you'll need two-bite brownies, more fresh strawberries, and, if you really want to make a decadent impression, more of that dark chocolate, grated, and some whipped topping for decoration.

Heat the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves.

Let cool, then stir in the raspberry liqueur.

Puree the strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.

Strain through a fine mesh.

Whisk the mascarpone and powdered sugar. Fold in melted chocolate.

Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.

Fold it into the mascarpone mixture.

Drizzle the diced brownies with raspberry syrup.

Arrange the strawberry slices along the edge of the glass.

Layer the brownies, mascarpone cream, fresh strawberries, and coulis. Repeat.

Top with a coulis drizzle, chocolate shavings, and strawberry halves, as well as whipped cream if desired, and serve.

• Seared Duck Breast with Wheat Berries and Endive Recipe
• Marry Me Gnocchi with Pancetta Recipe
• Classic Cacio E Pepe Recipe
• French-Inspired Arugula and Chèvre Salad Recipe
• Valentine's Day Floradora Cocktail Recipe
• Long-Stem Rose Valentine's Day Cocktail Recipe

The beauty of a layered, assembled dessert like this chocolate strawberry brownie trifle is that you can pretty much customize it exactly to your own — or your loved one's — liking. Customization can start with opting for a different cake as the base, and you can even choose to use completely different fruit. But even within the parameters of this specific strawberry-brownie combination, there's plenty that you can do to make it your own.

For starters, you can change up the raspberry liqueur. You can switch it for brandy, or skip the alcohol and use raspberry juice or syrup. You can also use milk chocolate in place of the dark chocolate, or use cream cheese in place of the mascarpone for a similar, but easier to find, tangy, creamy element.

You can make this dessert gluten-free by simply using a gluten-free cake. Another favorite trick of ours is to add crushed nuts like almonds or pistachios for an added crunchy element that works really well against all the creaminess.

We weren't kidding when we said this dessert was perfect for Valentine's Day or any special romantic occasion. For starters, you can easily make this cake in a two-person serving, and then share the sweetest moment by enjoying the dessert together.

To make this into a two-person shareable treat for Valentine's Day, we recommend choosing a 12 to 16-ounce bowl. This size will give you a serving that's fit for two without being overwhelmingly large. Assemble the trifles ahead of time, without adding the whipped topping, and then let them sit in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld. Then add the cream and the final decorations right before serving to ensure it looks fresh and inviting. Another elegant option is to serve this in two martini or coupe glasses, which would allow you to see all the pretty elements of each layer. 

You could also add some romance with Valentine's-themed decorations. Garnish the trifle with heart-shaped chocolates or truffles, or scatter heart-shaped sprinkles over the cream. For a little sparkle and pizzazz, turn to edible glitter in shades of pink or red.

• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Recipe
• Chocolate Pavlova Recipe
• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Truffles Recipe
• Black Forest Trifle Recipe
• Mini Lemon Pistachio Meringue Trifles Recipe