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Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle

Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle is a creamy, cool, and elegantly decadent dessert that pairs almond cake with apricots and custard for a polo picnic.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Barrett Bridenhagen

Ingredients

poached apricots

  • 15 cardamom pods
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 cup dried apricots

cake

  • 1 cup amaretti cookies
  • 1 sponge cake; in ½ inch cubes*

jam brandy mixture

  • ½ cup brandy
  • ½ cup apricot jam room temperature
  • ¾ cup approximate poaching liquid from apricots

vanilla custard

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or use a vanilla pod to infuse or vanilla extract
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 2 cups milk I used 1%
  • 6 egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar

whipped topping

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons jam brandy mixture
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • fresh apricots nectarines, or peaches for garnish

Instructions

  • Over medium heat in a small or medium sauce pan add cardamom pods, white wine, sugar, lemon juice, saffron and salt. Bring to a simmer. Add the apricots.
  • Reduce temperature and cover.
  • Cook until softened and remove from heat to cool**. To cool faster, pull the apricots out of the liquid and set aside.
  • Add the jam and the brandy to the warm poaching liquid and whisk until consistent. If you need to reheat a little that’s fine.
  • Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Reserve one of the whole poached apricots.
  • Rough chop the remaining apricots.
  • Crumble the amaretti into a glass bowl.
  • Sprinkle half of the chopped apricots over the amaretti.
  • Drizzle half of the jam brandy mixture on the amaretti.
  • Spread the cubed sponge cake over the top.
  • Spoon on the rest of the apricots and all but 2 tablespoons of the liquid over the cake. Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle prep-2
  • Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to complete the assembly.
  • For the custard, put the cream and milk in a medium sauce pan and heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. If you’re using a vanilla pod you’ll want to let it infuse for 10-20 minutes.
  • Beat the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl.
  • Add ½ cup of the milk/cream mix and whisk until smooth. Add another cup of the milk and mix well. Add the remaining milk and add back into the sauce pan.
  • Cook over a low heat and whisk frequently until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don’t let it boil.
  • Pour into the bowl, cover, and let cool (if you’re speeding this along, 20 minutes in the freezer followed by some time in the fridge works well.
  • To assemble, spoon the custard over the apricots and cake. Cover and put back in the fridge.
  • Add the final 2 cups of heavy whipping cream to a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, beat until it holds its shape, gradually adding the granulated sugar.
  • When soft peaks for, beat in the 2 tablespoons reserved jam brandy mixture and mix until firm but still cream.
  • Spoon the cream over the trifle.
  • Center the reserved apricot. Surround the edged of the bowl with slices of stone fruit. Check out all those gorgeous layers. Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle side shot

Notes

*preferably almond- I make a Swedish almond cake that’s REALLY easy
**You may have noticed this is the same poaching liquid from my Saffron Poached Pear Cakes. I used it since I had some already in the fridge from last time I made the cakes. And this is why I never throw anything away… 
You can make the cake, poached apricots, and custard a day ahead and assemble the day you instead to serve the trifle. In fact, many trifles are made a day ahead and refrigerated so the flavors really absorb together. I encourage that for both of my tiramsu recipes, however, I like this made day of because I like the cake to have a little integrity. If you do make ahead, don’t add the custard or whipped cream until the day of.