For Christmas I made a Gingerbread cake and it was good, but kind of got lost in all the goodies and food that we had been eating.  So a couple of days after Christmas with over half the cake left, I cut it in pieces and stuck it in the freezer.

This weekend, Chad’s parents came over to visit Maria after her tonsilectomy and it was his mom’s birthday, so instead of cake, we made a trifle and used the Gingerbread cake from the freezer!  How about that?! I wasn’t sure about the flavors of gingerbread and raspberries, but it was excellent!  I highly recommend!

Gingerbread Trifle

FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD:
9 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar and
1/4 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING AND GARNISH:
3 (12-ounce) packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained
1 cup chilled heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar and
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
AND
Gingerbread – a 9×9 or 9″ round cake.

Make the Custard:
Divide the egg yolks and whites by carefully tipping each yolk back and forth between the shell halves, letting the whites spill into a bowl. Place the yolks in a separate bowl. In a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Slowly pour half the milk into the egg mixture and beat until blended then pour the mixture into the remaining milk in the pan. Over medium heat, bring the ingredients to a boil while whisking constantly. Allow the custard to boil for 1 minute as you continue to whisk. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Let the custard cool slightly, then cover its surface with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let the custard cool completely, then refrigerate it until ready to use (up to three days).

Assemble the Trifle:
In a medium bowl, toss the thawed raspberries and sugar. Cut the cake into cubes.

Arrange a layer of cake over the bottom of a 2 1/2-quart bowl. Spoon and spread 3/4 cup of the raspberry mixture over the cake, then top the fruit with 1 cup of custard. Repeat the layering 2-3 more times depending on the size of your bowl with the remaining ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours to let the flavors meld (the dessert can be stored overnight).

Before serving, make the whipped cream. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream on top of the trifle, and garnish it with the fresh raspberries.