I love lemon anything! This trifle recipe was a birthday dessert I made when home visiting my parents in Nova Scotia. And my mom, who is queen of all things trifle, approved 😉

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour (+ 8 hours soaking time for cashews)

Cook Time: 1 hour (cake)

Vanilla Sheet Cake Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil or vegan butter room temperature (soft)

1 cup unrefined, organic raw cane sugar

4 Tbsp ground flax

1 cup almond milk

Zest of 2 lemons

6 Tbsp of lemon juice (approx.  juice of 2 lemons)

12 Tbsp aquafaba (This is the liquid from a can of chickpeas – it may sound weird but it works to bind the cake like eggs would)

3.5 cups of Bob’s Red Mill organic all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

Lemon Curd Ingredients:

juice of 6 lemons

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup unrefined, organic raw cane sugar

2 cups  water

4 Tbsp corn starch or arrowroot starch

Cashew Cream Ingredients:

3 cups raw cashew soaked for 8 hours or overnight

1 cup almond milk unsweetened

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (substitute with caviar of 3 vanilla pods)

Method:

To prepare the cake:

Preheat oven to 350C. Prepare a large rectangular baking dish. I used a 10″x13″ sheet cake pan.

Add the butter  or coconut oil and sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream together by using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.

In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk and flax seed. Set aside to thicken.

Grate the lemon zest and add it and the lemon juice to the creamed mixture mixing with the electric mixer for 30-40 seconds..

Once flaxseed and almond milk have thickened, add to the creamed mixture. Mix again on medium speed with the electric mixer for another 30-40 seconds.

Slowly add the aquafaba to the creamed mixture 1 Tbsp at a time and beat for 20-30 seconds in between.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1/2 cup at a time while using the mixer on low speed to incorporate the two together.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Set the cake aside to cool.

To make lemon curd:

In a medium saucepan whisk together lemon juice, zest, maple syrup, sugar  and cornstarch to thoroughly dissolve.

Move saucepan to heat on medium high, whisking as the mixture thickens. When the mixture has come to a boil continue to whisk and let boil for 2-3 mins.

Remove from heat to cool. The mixture will thicken further as it cools. You can also set it in the fridge to cool faster too.

To make vanilla cream:

Take cashews that have soaked, discard soaking water, rinse and put cashews in a high speed blender.

Add almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste.

Blend on high until silky smooth – 3-4 mins. Set aside.

To assemble trifle:

When cake has cooled cut the cake in small 1-2″ cubes.

Remove lemon curd from refrigerator and have vanilla cream on hand as well.

Now we are ready to assemble the trifle. Begin by placing a layer of cake on the bottom of a large glass trifle bowl (or any large glass transparent dessert bowl).

Add a layer of lemon curd on top of the cake layer.

Add a layer of vanilla cream.

Then add another layer of cake and repeat to create as many layers as you like. You can see from the picture that I created only two layers of each – cake, lemon curd, vanilla cream and then added raspberries on top. This is optional.

Garnish with lemon zest and serve.

This trifle can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let set at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.