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When desserts combine cake or breadiness with smooth, cool, creaminess, I’m all in. Cake and ice cream? Yes. Soft ‘nilla wafers and banana pudding? Goodness, yes. Boston Cream Pie? Oh heavens, of course. Ice cream sandwiches? This could go on for a while, so I’ll get to the point….
And my point is, what’s better than a trifle? Usually made with cake, layers of pudding or custard, whipped cream, and fruit. SO many good things packed into one beautiful, see-through bowl, which means you really get to eat with your eyes first. And we all know how important that is. Then, that beauty becomes a messy, irresistible pile of textural, mingling flavors scooped onto your plate. Whew. It’s too much.
Well, we’re doing that today but with a twist. Our bready ingredient is baked, vegan french toast cake.
We’re going to soak some sourdough, or other sturdy bread, in a simple french toast batter and then play Tetris with it! Actually, it’s much easier and less stressful than Tetris. As you can see in the photo above, I started with one whole slice of bread against the right edge of the pan, then cut and tore the remaining pieces until the round pan was filled. Each pan has two layers of the bread, which become one big, thick layer during baking.
Oh, and before going into the oven, each pan gets a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. Can I get an amen?
See the two layers of sliced bread in each cake below? All baked together!
Other elements joining this vegan french toast trifle party:
Maple vanilla pudding
Blueberry sauce
And of course, fresh berries
Obviously, some freshly whipped coconut cream on top is highly, highly recommended. If only I’d remembered to put a can of coconut milk in the fridge the day before. Le sigh.
Tips for preparing this Vegan French Toast Trifle:
Each component needs time to cool and/or chill before assembly. If you’re making this for a party, it works well to make everything a day in advance, then assemble the trifle just before serving. Store the pudding and blueberry sauce in the fridge, but keep the french toast cakes at room temp. The trifle tastes best when served cool, not super cold. So, if the french toast is at room temperature, everything comes together perfectly!
If you’re making this the same day you’re serving, be sure to allow at least two hours for the pudding and blueberry sauce to chill (placing the bowls in an ice bath is a great way to speed up the process, if needed). Then, assemble and serve immediately.
In case you’re wondering, this recipe is definitely sweet enough to serve as a dessert, but could also be served at brunch. Overall, it’s less sweet than many desserts, and for goodness’ sake, people eat doughnuts for breakfast! If doughnuts are an appropriate breakfast or brunch food, then so is this trifle.
I hope you make this Vegan French Toast Trifle. If you do, please rate the recipe, and share a photo on facebook or instagram @myquietkitchen. I would LOVE to see your creations!
Vegan French Toast Trifle
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 4 cups non-dairy milk (for a more decadent dessert, use 2 cans full-fat coconut milk plus enough soy milk to reach 4 cups total)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For french toast:
- 10-12 large slices sourdough bread (I used almost a full loaf of Trader Joe's sliced sourdough, approx 22 ounces)
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used plain soy)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
French toast crumble topping:
- 1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Blueberry sauce:
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Garnish:
- fresh berries of choice
- coconut whipped cream or other non-dairy whipped topping
- powdered sugar
- chopped nuts or flaked coconut
Instructions
Make the pudding:
- Over medium heat whisk together milk, maple syrup, and corn starch. Cook for about one minute to bring up to temp. Stirring frequently, reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Chill uncovered for at least 2 hours. If making in advance, cover once cool.
Make the blueberry sauce:
- In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, whisk together water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in vinegar/lemon juice and corn starch. Add the blueberries. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, cook for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool.
Make the french toast:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two 9 inch cake pans with parchment.
- Blend or whisk together the batter ingredients (milk through vanilla). Transfer to a large, shallow dish. Place bread slices in the batter, leaving them long enough to saturate. Tear or cut bread as needed to fill each pan. If using pre-sliced sandwich bread, versus thicker pieces you cut yourself, you'll need to make two layers in each pan. Fit together like a puzzle; doesn't have to be perfect (see images). Pour any remaining batter over the bread in each pan.
- In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients for the crumble topping. Sprinkle over both pans. Bake french toast 15 - 20 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes, then remove from pans and allow to come to room temp.
Assemble the trifle:
- Cut the french toast cakes into large cubes. In a trifle dish or large glass bowl, add a layer of french toast, then blueberry sauce, then pudding. Repeat - bread, sauce, pudding. Garnish as desired and serve.
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