Ribault’s Triple Chocolate Trifle

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch layer pans. In large bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, blending well. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out and brush with syrup. Alternately, use any chocolate cake recipe or brownie recipe in place of suggested cake recipe.

For syrup: Bring sugar and water to boil in saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool. Add liqueur.

For mousse: In saucepan, heat to simmering 1 cup cream. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool, stirring occasionally. When completely cooled, whip remaining 1½ cups cream to soft peaks. Fold into cooled cream with white chocolate. Cover and refrigerate.

For pudding: Heat 1 cup whipping cream and melt chocolate in it. Add egg yolks and bring to simmer (do not boil), until quick-read thermometer registers 160 degrees. Strain through sieve. Let cool. Whip remaining 1 cup whipping cream and fold into chocolate mixture. Refrigerate.

To assemble: Cut cake into small ¾-inch cubes. Layer in trifle bowl: 1/3 cake, 1/3 pudding and 1/3 mousse. Repeat layering top with 1½ cups whipping cream that has been whipped with ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar. Can add ¼ crème de cacao to cream, if desired.