This refreshing peach mousse trifle dessert features layers of creamy fresh peach mousse, soft vanilla cake, vanilla whipped cream, and fresh peach slices. The peach mousse dessert makes 4 pretty individual servings, or 1 large impressive trifle, perfect for summer!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Chill4 hourshrs
Total Time5 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Peach Mousse, Small Batch, Summer Dessert, Yellow Cake
Prepare the cake per the recipe instructions. Bake the cake first so it has time to cool.
When ready to assemble the trifles, you can use a cookie cutter to cut cake rounds to fit your serving glass. Or chop the cake into cubes.
Peach Mousse
Peel and chop 3 of the peaches into cubes. In a blender, add the peach cubes, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Puree until light and smooth. Keep in the blender and set aside.
For peach #4, chop or slice for the peach layer of the trifle. Peeling the peach is optional. Sprinkle with lemon juice so it does not brown. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
In a small prep bowl, add the water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top, let sit for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom - it will resemble a firm gel when ready. Then, heat the bloomed gelatin to a liquid in the microwave - only about 5 to10seconds.
Pour the liquified gelatin into the peach puree in the blender and mix for another 30 to 45 seconds - until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Transfer to a mixing bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until is starts to thicken. About 1 hour. Tip - To use one less bowl, keep the peach puree in the blender to refrigerate.
While the peach puree is chilling, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand held mixer, beat until stiff peaks form. Divide the whipped cream in half into two bowls. One half will be used to make the mousse. The other half will be used a a layer in the trifle. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Once the peach puree has thickened, add it to one of the whipped cream bowls. Gently fold the mix together until no streaks remain. The mousse will be the consistency of the whipped cream and will continue to firm as it chills.
In the other bowl of whipped cream, add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and gently fold until the syrup is fully incorporated. At this point, you can start to assemble the trifle. Note - Sweetening the whipped cream is optional. You can omit the sweetener as whipped cream has its own inherent sweetness and the other trifle layers are sweet.
In each serving glass, alternate the mousse, cake, whipped cream, and fresh peaches. Chill the trifles for at least 3 hours for the mousse to set. Enjoy!
Notes
Serving Size - This recipe can easily be doubled for more servings, or cut in half for fewer servings.
Peaches - I do recommend fresh peaches (if in season) for their flavor and presentation. Frozen peaches can work if you defrost and drain off excess liquid.
Maple Syrup - You can opt to use any sweetener of choice. I like maple syrup for its buttery flavor. Honey would be a delicious alternative.
Gelatin Powder - I have only worked with gelatin powder. There are gelatin sheets, but I can't give instruction with confidence on how to use them in this recipe.
Cake - I've linked to a traditional vanilla cake and gluten free vanilla cake in the recipe card. Feel free to make your own version of your favorite cake, or use a store-bought cake.