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–+ servings
Irish coffee trifle
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4.56 from 9 reviews

Irish Coffee Trifle

Eileen Gray
A delicious layered trifle dessert with the flavors of a classic Irish Coffee.
Prep Time1 hour
Bake Time30 minutes
Chill Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Servings:12 servings

Ingredients

Cocoa Ladyfingers: Makes about 30 cookies

Coffee Pastry Cream:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ ounce corn starch (¼ cup)
  • 8 ounces coffee (1 cup)
  • 8 ounces whole milk (1 cup)
  • 6 ounces granulated sugar (¾ cup)
  • 2 ounces unsalted butter (cut into 1" pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Assembly:

  • 6 ounces coffee (¾ cup)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 ounces Irish Whiskey (¼ cup)
  • 8 ounces heavy cream (1 cup)
  • 1 ounce confectioner's sugar (¼ cup)
  • chocolate shavings for garnish (See Note)

Instructions

To make the Ladyfingers:

  • Preheat oven to 300F. Cover a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the paper.
  • Set aside 2 of the egg yolks for making the pastry cream. Whip the 4 egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Slowly add confectioner sugar and whip to full peak. Set aside. Lightly whisk the other 2 egg yolks with the vanilla and fold into the egg whites until combined.
  • Mix together the flour and the cocoa. Sift the flour/cocoa mixture over the egg whites and fold in gently just until fully incorporated.
  • Put the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe the batter into 4" long "fingers".
  • Bake about 10 minutes until the surface springs back when lightly touched.

For the Pastry Cream:

  • Whisk the 2 eggs, reserved yolks and corn starch together in a medium bowl.
  • Combine the coffee and milk with the sugar in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture gets very hot, but is not boiling. Take the pot off the heat and, whisking constantly, pour the milk mixture in a steady stream into the egg mixture. Return the mixture to the pot over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the entire bottom and corners of the pan so the custard doesn't burn. Just before the mixture boils you'll find that it begins to thicken. Cook until the mixture is barely boiling and the custard has thickened to the consistency of a soft paste.
  • Return the cooked custard to the bowl that the eggs were in and add the butter, vanilla and whiskey immediately. Whisk gently until the butter is melted and the custard is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until fully cooled.

Assembly:

  • Combine the coffee and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium high heat just until the sugar is melted. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature and add the whiskey. Whip the cream with the confectioner's sugar.
  • Dip each ladyfinger into the syrup and line the bottom and sides of a trifle bowl with a layer of cookies. If you're using a cup you can break up the ladyfingers to fit the shape of the cup. When using a trifle bowl I like to arrange the cookies standing up around the bowl for a pretty presentation.
  • Add a layer of pastry cream. Add another layer of ladyfingers with syrup. Add another layer of pastry cream. Top with whipped cream and decorate with chocolate shavings.
  • Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Notes

I use Jameson's Irish Whiskey for this recipe.
To Make Chocolate Shavings: Take a bar of semi-sweet chocolate and, using a potato peeler, shave chocolate off the short end of the bar onto a plate.

Nutrition

Serving: 12serving | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg