Red, White & Blue Chambord Soaked Chocolate Cake Parfaits with Fresh Blackberry & Raspberry Cream

 

 

What a wonderful weekend we had! Did a li’l cookin’, a li’l grillin’ and a whole lot o’ chillin’!  The weather was picture-perfect gorgeous, and the hubs and I even did a little extra gardening! One of the nicest holiday weekends I think I’ve ever had! 😀  

And the food…OMG….I did myself proud! I kept it super simple and we relaxed and enjoyed these parfaits for dessert following my latest Mac ‘n Cheese creation, some fresh melon, and some incredibly delicious barbecued ribs that I’ll be sharing with you tomorrow! 😉

It was quite a sizzler of a day in the scorching sun and the deck boards were so hot I had to grab some flip-flops! So these ice cold treats went down really, really well under the shade of the pretty deck umbrella!

Tender pieces of homemade chocolate cake drizzled with a bit of Chambord Raspberry Liqueur, and layered with a sweet, dreamy chiffon-like cream loaded with fresh, plump berries! A ROYAL treat so very much appreciated on a blistering-hot summer day!

I was in a festive-color mood for Memorial Day, so I chose to use Chambord and mixed in fresh ripe blackberries and red raspberries for a Red, White & Blue theme.

But you could use other liqueurs that you enjoy and mix up the fruits, too. I just don’t recommend things like cut-up strawberries as the juice may thin the cream and stain it pink. Whole berries and and cut-up pieces of melon work best for this. (*Unless a pastel shade is desired, of course.)

*Be sure to take care to gently fold in the berries or even they can streak and tint the cream.   

If chocolate cake isn’t your thing or you need something super quick, you can even use the chiffon cream & berries with another type of homemade or purchased cake altogether such as lemon, banana, vanilla, sponge, angel or pound cake.

Not into cake at all? Ooookay, well then, you could also layer the cream with a little bit of crushed, sweetened graham crackers or even crushed cookies! I’m sure something will hit the spot just right! 😉 😀  

So keep this one handy, I’m sure you’ll be hunting for it one day this summer! One day soon! 😉 It was heavenly delicious like eating fruit in a cloud! 

Enjoy all and have a most wonderful day! 😀 Later gators! 😀    

 

 

RED WHITE & BLUE CHAMBORD SOAKED CHOCOLATE CAKE PARFAITS with FRESH BLACKBERRY & RASPBERRY CREAM

 

6 – 8 Parfaits or 1 Trifle

 

For Chocolate Cake:

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong-brewed coffee, cooled

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Chambord Raspberry Liqueur, *see directions for suggested amounts

 

For Berry Cream:

1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed

1 cup sour cream

1 cup powdered sugar

4-6 cups fresh whole berries such as blackberries, red raspberries and blueberries, your choice

 

DIRECTIONS:

For Cake:

In large mixing bowl, combine first 8 ingredients.

Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl and beater, beat again until all is mixed. (Batter will be somewhat thin.)

Pour into foil or paper cupcake holder-lined muffin tins. (18-24 depending on size.)

Bake at 350º for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from pan(s) to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

For Berry Cream:

In large bowl, stir together well the Cool Whip, sour cream and powdered sugar. Fold in berries. As much as desired and whatever kinds you like. *Adding cut up fruit is not recommended as it will thin the cream and tint it colors. 

To Assemble:

Break up cupcakes *as you go along* into small pieces. (*You may have some leftover.) Divide evenly into however many layers you want and place a layer in the bottom of a glass or trifle bowl. Sprinkle with as much or little Chambord as you’d like. *For individual servings, you can use 1/4 – 1 tsp. per layer of cake. More for a trifle. Some like it “boozy”, others just like a hint, so this part is completely up to you. 

Spoon a layer of berry cream next in small spoonfuls on top, then gently smooth. Repeat layers. 

Garnish with fresh berries on top and cake crumbs if desired. 

*Any extra cupcakes can be frozen and enjoyed at a later time, or used in other recipes.