This carrot trifle recipe with layers of homemade sponge cake, Iranian-inspired carrot jam, and whipped cream may be my new favorite spring dessert.
Carrot trifle is a spring dessert worth celebrating.
I’ve been toying with the idea of a carrot trifle for a few weeks now. As I thought about the concept, I remembered that I used to carry an amazing carrot jam in my shop by the brand Nuch (sadly no longer in business). I imagined layers of carrots, moist sponge cake, and a thick whipped cream, and just knew I needed to bring this to life. The Iranian carrot jam–moraba havij–is so simple to make but so delicious. It’s sweet, but not overly decadent.
I learned how to make the carrot jam from The Caspian Chef, a food blog run by Omid Roustaei. Typically, this Iranian carrot jam is enjoyed as one would eat any type of fruit preserve: on toast or served in small amounts as an accompaniment. Because this trifle uses so much of the jam paired with sweet sponge cake and whipped cream, I reduced the sugar a bit from Omid’s original recipe to accommodate the other sweet elements of the trifle.
I’ve made this several times now, and it just gets better each time I make it. The carrots are so delicate and so delicious with the sponge cake. I use the excess carrot syrup to soak the sponge, which keeps it moist and delicious. The whipped cream adds just the right amount of rich decadence, with saffron adding subtle floral undertones. This carrot trifle is truly a dessert worth adding to your spring sweets lineup.
How to make this carrot trifle recipe
There are three main elements to the trifle: the orange sponge cake, the carrot jam, and the whipped cream.
What you need
- Sponge cake: The cake is made with eggs, sugar, orange juice, buttermilk, cake flour, and baking powder.
- Carrot jam: The jam is made with grated carrots, cardamom pods, sugar, and water. At the end, a little crushed saffron steeped in water is added.
- Whipped cream: The cream is made simply with heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Finishing touches: To finish the trifle, I add crushed pistachios and edible flowers. Slivered almonds would also be a lovely way to finish the trifle!
How to make it
- Step 1: Make the carrot jam. Make the carrot jam by combining grated carrots with water and sugar on the stove. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Add lightly crushed cardamom pods. Wrap them in a little cheesecloth to avoid any sharp bits of the shell ending up in your jam. Once the carrot jam finishes simmering, strain the carrot syrup into a small bowl and transfer the carrots to another bowl. Let cool completely.
- Step 2: Steep the saffron. When the carrots have cooled, steep crushed saffron threads in 1 tablespoon warm water for 5 minutes. Stir into the carrots.
- Step 3: Make the sponge cake. This follows my other sponge cake recipes in terms of techniques. Start by whipping egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Incrementally add the sugar. Then add the orange juice and buttermilk. Sift the cake flour and baking powder into the eggs. Beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form and then fold them into the batter until smooth. Divide between two 9-inch cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Once the sponge cakes have cooled completely, you can wrap them in plastic wrap until you’re ready to assemble the trifle.
- Step 4: Make the whipped cream. Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
How to assemble the trifle
- Step 1: Create the layers. Cube the sponge cake and arrange it on the bottom of a trifle dish. Pour as much of the carrot syrup on top as you like. I added about 4 tablespoons. Add half the carrot jam on top of the sponge cake, and then half the whipped cream on top of the carrots. Add another layer of cubed sponge cake, drizzling as much of the carrot syrup on top as you like. Finish with a layer of the remaining carrots and a layer of the remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
- Step 2: Garnish the trifle. When you’re ready to serve, garnish the trifle with crushed pistachios and edible flowers.
Spoon the trifle onto plates or dessert coupe glasses and enjoy! I hope you enjoy this carrot trifle recipe as much as I did! It’s such a beautiful dessert that I’m positive you and your family will just love.
Carrot Trifle Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot jam (moraba havij):
- 5 cups freshly grated carrots (from about 10 to 12 peeled medium carrots)
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 10 green cardamom pods (lightly crushed)
- Pinch saffron (about 15 threads)
- 1 tablespoon warm water
Orange sponge cake:
- 4 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup orange juice (from 1 orange)
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
Whipped cream:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For serving:
- Edible flowers
- ¼ cup pistachios (crushed; or use slivered almonds)
Instructions
Make the carrot jam:
- Combine the grated carrots with water and sugar in a medium pot. Place the crushed cardamom pods in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a pouch using kitchen twine.
- Place the pouch in the pot with the carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the liquid in the pot reduces by half and the carrots are very tender and sweet. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely. Discard the pouch of cardamom pods.
- Strain the excess liquid from the carrots into a small bowl and set aside. Transfer the carrots to another bowl.
Steep the saffron:
- Place the saffron threads into a small bowl and crush them into a coarse powder with the back of a spoon. Add 1 tablespoon of warm water on top and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir the saffron into the bowl of grated carrots.
- Refrigerate the carrots and the reserved syrup until needed. Be sure the carrots have cooled completely before assembling the trifle.
Make the sponge cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans or line the bottoms of the cake pans with parchment paper. Leave the sides of the cake pans ungreased.
Beat the egg yolks:
- Add the egg yolks to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and thick; they will increase in volume. This takes about 5 minutes of consistent mixing.
- Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the buttermilk and orange juice. Mix until incorporated.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the egg yolks.
Prepare the egg whites:
- Beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form.
Finish the batter:
- Fold the egg whites into the batter and stir gently until combined.
Bake the sponge cakes:
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Transfer to the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the sponge cake is firm to the touch.
Cool the sponge cakes:
- Remove the sponge cakes from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife or a thin spatula to run around the sides and bottom of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Flip the pan over onto a wire rack and lightly tap the bottom of the pan to release the cake if needed. You’re going to be cutting it up into bite-sized pieces, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come out perfectly!
- Allow the sponge cakes to cool for at least 1 hour. Once cool, you can wrap them in plastic wrap until you’re ready to begin the trifle.
Make the whipped cream:
- Combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to the refrigerator.
Cut the sponge cakes:
- Cut the sponge cakes into bite-sized cubes and set aside.
Assemble the trifle:
- Add half the sponge cake cubes to the bottom of a large trifle bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the carrot syrup on top. Add half the carrot jam on top. Spoon half the whipped cream on top of the carrots and smooth it into an even layer. Add the rest of the sponge cake cubes on top of the whipped cream and spoon a few more tablespoons of the syrup on top. Add the rest of the carrot jam on top of the sponge cake cubes. Finish the trifle with the rest of the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate the trifle for at least one hour or overnight before serving.
To serve:
- Right before serving, garnish the trifle with edible flowers and crushed pistachios. Spoon into dessert bowls and enjoy!
