Mocha Cake layers with Fluffy Cream and Macadamia nuts make a decadent and beautiful, yet easy, dessert.
Holey socks, isn’t that a mouthful of a name?
Here is what I love about trifles:
- They are super-simple, yet look so fancy.
- They are a life-saver if your cake sticks in the pan and falls apart!
You don’t have to waste that cake – just throw one of these together.
Traditionally, a trifle is layers of cake, pudding, and fruit. But you can get very creative and make them just about any way you can imagine.
This particular trifle is a combination of parts that you can use to make any number of dessert variations.
How to Make a Mocha Macadamia Trifle with Mascarpone Cream
To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a 9×13 inch cake pan. Set it aside.
In a cup or bowl, combine 1/4 cup instant coffee and a cup of hot water. Give it a stir and set it aside for the coffee to dissolve.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Stir it all together and set it aside for now.
Measure out a half cup of buttermilk and set it next to your stove top.
In a saucepan, melt a cup (2 sticks) of butter over medium low heat.
As soon as it is melted turn off the heat. Whisk in the coffee mixture and the buttermilk.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs.
Now ladle a little of the buttery coffee mixture into the eggs while whisking them. This will temper your eggs so you don’t get scrambled eggs in your cake!
Pour the warmed eggs into the saucepan with the rest of the liquid and then stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
Pour liquid mixture into the large mixing bowl with your dry ingredients and stir it together until just combined.
Pour it into your cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick.
Cool completely.
When the cake is totally cooled, you’ll make the cream.
This wonderful creamy mixture can be used for more that just the trifle. You will only make a smooth creamy mixture today – but with just a couple more minutes of whipping – you will have created a luxurious and flavorful
Mocha Frosting!!
In a chilled mixing bowl, combine a pint (2 cups) of heavy whipping cream and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar.
Add in 8 ounces of Tiramisu flavored Mascarpone Cheese. (If you can only find plain, that is okay – I have an option for that)
Add in two tablespoons of Kahlua or other coffee liqueur. (If using plain mascarpone, increase this to 1/4 cup)
And finally add in 2 teaspoons baking cocoa.
Beat these all together until smooth. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Do not beat the cream to death – you aren’t looking for soft or stiff peaks, just a smooth consistency.
(If you do whip this to stiff peaks – you will have created that luxurious and flavorful mocha frosting!)
Now to put it all together!
If you have a trifle bowl (kind of like a square-ish clear punch bowl) use that, or any good-size clear bowl if you have it.
Take that lovely cake and cut the whole thing into a bunch of pieces, all about 1 1/2 inch or so.
Layer 1/3 of the cake in the bottom.
Next layer 1/3 of the cream over that.
And then sprinkle it with 1/3 cup of roasted, chopped Macadamia nuts (you’ll need 1 cup total). Continue repeating the layers until you have three layers of each, ending with the last of the nuts.
We’re almost there!
For the final touch, grab a chunk of good quality chocolate and shave some off, making about 2 tablespoons of shavings.
Sprinkle it all over the top. Oh my!
Now all that is left is to spoon some into your dish and Mmmmmm…
Enjoy!
You May Also Like:
- Frozen Mocha Dessert
- Mocha Cake with Mocha Rum Icing
- Mocha Latte Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Mocha Waffles
Mocha Macadamia Trifle with Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/4 c instant coffee granules
- 1 c very hot water
- 2 c all purpose flour
- 2 c sugar
- 3 Tb baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 c 2 sticks butter
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
Cream
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably tiramisu flavored
- 1/3 c powdered sugar
- 2 Tb Kahlua or other coffee liqueur, 1/4 c if you use plain cheese
- 2 teaspoon baking cocoa
- - Chocolate for shaving
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a 9×13 inch cake pan. Set it aside.
- In a cup or bowl, combine the instant coffee and hot water. Give it a stir and set it aside for the coffee to dissolve.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir it all together and set it aside for now.
- In a saucepan, melt your butter over medium low heat. As soon as it is melted turn off the heat.
- Whisk in the coffee mixture and the buttermilk.
- In a small bowl, whisk your eggs.
- Now ladle a little of the buttery coffee mixture into the eggs while whisking them. This will temper your eggs so you don’t get scrambled eggs in your cake!
- Pour the warmed eggs into the saucepan with the rest of the liquid.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour liquid mixture into the large mixing bowl with your dry ingredients and stir it together until just combined.
- Pour it into your cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Cool completely.
- Note: If you are making this a regular cake, dress it up any way you wish. You can also bake this as two 8-inch round layers, for about 25 minutes, or until they test done.
For the Cream
- Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with wire mixer until they are smooth. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Do not beat the cream to death – you aren’t looking for soft or stiff peaks, just a smooth consistency.
- Note! If you do whip this to stiff peaks – you will have created a luxurious and flavorful mocha frosting!
To assemble the Trifle:
- Remove the cooled cake to a cutting board and cut the cake into small cubes, about 1 1/2 inches. Completely cover the bottom of a trifle dish or any other large clear serving dish (if you have one). You should use about 1/3 of the cake. Spread 1/3 of the cream mixture over the top of the cake layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of the nuts over the cream. Repeat the process creating three layers of each.
- Finish off by sprinkling the shaved chocolate over the top.
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
I was dieing to see the recipe ever since you posted the pics on instagram. I need to find me some tiramisu mascarpone! This trifle looks divine. I would have had no problem eating the whole thing in sitting. No I don't need a plate. Just a spoons please. and the whole trifle. Thanks! :)
Yum! This looks super decadent!
This looks absolutely delightful!
I just want to take my big wooden spoon and dig in. Yum! Love the gold tip on your nails.
This Mocha Macadamia Trifle looks AMAZING!!! love it, yum!!!
On yum! You could have just stopped at the cake and I would have been happy but then it just kept getting better and better
That looks incredible! I don't have a large sweet tooth and love the addition of the mascarpone. YUM.
Wow, your trifle looks crazy delicious!!! YUM!!!!
OH EM GEE, Constance – I just had a religious experience staring at all your glorious photos. You are a genius! You've put everything I love and hold dear in the world into one, amazing, layered concoction. My BFF made a fruit trifle years ago that I absolutely fell in love with. I've always wanted to recreate it but I think I'll have to start instead with this mocha macadamia number!
Very nice Constance ! I bet it tastes even better than it looks!
Yum..but naughty. I had trouble buttoning my pants this morning.
LOL!!!
This looks amazing! And you gave us a cake recipe too. Yay!! Thanks for sharing : )
Absolutely! I use that cake as the base for many recipes :)
Whoa now. So many good things to comment on here:
1. Tiramisu mascarpone? are you serious?! It's probably for the best that none of the stores near me carry that or I'd probably have trouble fitting through the door. I love mascarpone so much, I named my cat that!
2. This trifle looks incredible! Macadamia nuts, coffee and chocolate? Ohh boy.
3. Your nails are great. Just had to throw that in there. Love sparkles :)
Thank you Kelly!!! :)
And your cat's name is Mascarpone???? That is HILARIOUS!!!
Constance this is my kind of dessert! Now adding this to my Bucket List!
Ah Constancee, these look so good , am coming right over :) Great job ! Love the coffee cream combo !
I love trifles and this one looks simply amazing!! Nicely done!!
Whoa now. So many good things to comment on here:
1. Tiramisu mascarpone? are you serious?! It’s probably for the best that none of the stores near me carry that or I’d probably have trouble fitting through the door. I love mascarpone so much, I named my cat that!
2. This trifle looks incredible! Macadamia nuts, coffee and chocolate? Ohh boy.
3. Your nails are great. Just had to throw that in there. Love sparkles :)
Trifles are such a saviour when you need to use stale cake or make up an easy dessert. The flavors here are probably my favorites, I love mocha! And this is a great recipe. Your site looks great by the way!
I absolutely adore trifles. You took yours up an entire notch with the marscarpone cream that looks just fabulous!
Messy deliciousness. I love it!
I can't seem to form words right now…other than YUM! This looks incredible. Want want want!
I was just thinking the other day it has been too long since I made a trifle. I love them too and so does my family. My mom and sister-in-law are major chocolate lovers and their birthdays are coming up soon. I'm saving this and thinking about making it for our family birthday celebration.
I love trifles! Like you said, so fancy, yet so easy. Your version sounds amazing.
This is a keeper recipe, Constance! I made a trifle many moons ago for a colleague's farewell party when I worked in the corporate world. But your wonderful photos and detailed instructions make me want to get out my lovely trifle glass and go to town with this Mocha Macadamia Trifle with Mascarpone Cream!