Cherry-almond Trifle

Total Time: 49 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 48 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted,coarsely chopped (about 12 ounces)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (7 ounce) package almond paste, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3 cups fresh cherries, pitted,coarsely chopped (about 18 ounces)
• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• cherries, with stems
• slivered almonds, toasted

Recipe

• 1 make jam: combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.
• 2 stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils.
• 3 reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until jam is thick, stirring often, about 22 minutes.
• 4 transfer to small bowl.
• 5 cover and chill up to 3 days.
• 6 make cake: preheat oven to 325°f.
• 7 butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• 8 line bottom with parchment; butter parchment.
• 9 blend almond paste and sugar in processor until mixture resembles fine meal, about 1 minute.
• 10 add butter and vanilla and blend well, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.
• 11 blend in eggs 1 at a time.
• 12 using on/off turns, blend in flour, baking powder and salt (do not overmix).
• 13 transfer batter to prepared pan.
• 14 place pan on baking sheet; bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• 15 cool cake in pan on rack.
• 16 cover; let stand at room temperature 1 day.
• 17 make custard: whisk 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend.
• 18 beat in yolks and vanilla.
• 19 gradually whisk in half and half.
• 20 stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils.
• 21 transfer to bowl.
• 22 press plastic wrap directly onto surface; chill 1 day.
• 23 cut around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.
• 24 cut cake horizontally into 3 layers; discard parchment.
• 25 spoon thin layer of custard over bottom of 3- to 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl.
• 26 trim 1 cake layer to fit, if necessary; place in bowl.
• 27 spread with 1/3 of custard.
• 28 mix chopped cherries into jam.
• 29 spoon 1/3 of jam mixture atop custard; spread to edge of bowl so that jam shows.
• 30 top with second cake layer, half of remaining custard and half of remaining jam mixture; spread to edge of bowl.
• 31 top with third cake layer.
• 32 spread with remaining jam mixture, if desired.
• 33 beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
• 34 transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip.
• 35 pipe cream in center of trifle.
• 36 pipe rosettes around edge; top rosettes with whole cherries.
• 37 sprinkle trifle with almonds.
• 38 cover; chill at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.