Mango Trifle

This is my entry for Mango Mingle, organized by Meeta of What's For Lunch, Honey?
An easy dessert, anyone can make.

The Kent mangoes from Mexico, which are the closest to the Indian Badami, and my favorite, are just coming out and not ripe enough, so I had to settle for Manila Mangoes from the Phillipines for this event.

I first learned to make Pineapple Trifle in my high school cooking class. It was an instant hit at home and my mother encouraged me to make it for parties. One mango season when the house was filled with the heady aroma of ripe mangoes, I substituted mangoes for canned pineapple in the trifle and that was so delicious.

Here's the recipe:

1 store-bought angel food cake (Mine was in a big bundt pan so I used some and froze the rest).
6 really ripe sweet mangoes, peeled and cubed.
1 cup mango, or pineapple juice. (any juice you think goes with mango is fine here).
1 6 oz container fat-free whipped cream.

For the custard I used my blancmange recipe below, using 5 cups milk, 5 dessert spoons sugar (I used sugar instead of Splenda here, as kids were going to have the trifle too), 5 rounded dessertspoons cornstarch, and BOTH almond and vanilla essence.
Shortcut: Use instant pudding mix.
I remove the custard from the stove before it gets too thick.
I do this for trifle only as I want to pour the custard and let the cake soak in it.

If you have the pulpy juice of mangoes or are using pineapple juice, make your custard thicker so it forms another layer for people to see through the glass bowl.

If using thin custard, pour one layer over the cake, return the custard to stove and thicken so it will set for the topmost layer.

Slice/cube cake into 1" thick pieces and layer a glass bowl or individual dessert bowls with it.
Some people melt jam and spread it over the cake at this stage...I don't.
Pour just enough juice to soak the cake...don't drown the cake in juice.
For the juice: If I have really good ripe mangoes I squeeze one or two into pulp and use that. If the mangoes are not that juicy I just use canned/bottled juice.
Place fruit over cake in a single layer.
Pour custard over cake.
Here again, some people use a layer of whipped cream...I don't.
Repeat layers: cake, juice, fruit, custard.
If this is your last layer, set the bowl in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, to chill the trifle thoroughly.
If you're in a hurry, use the instant pudding which is mixed with cold milk, pre-chill your fruit and your juice, and you can omit the chilling step but it does taste better after a few hours in the fridge.
Decorate with a few pieces of reserved mango and some nuts or cherries...let your imagination be your guide.
I drizzled half a tsp of melted strawberry jam for color contrast on top.

Blancmange/custard.

Heat 4 cups milk with 5 rounded Tbsps sugar on the stove.

Add 1/2 tsp each of almond and vanilla essence.

Mix fifth cup COLD milk with 5 level tablespoons cornstarch without any lumps.

When milk on stove comes to a boil, pour in cornstarch mix, stirring constantly.

Keep stirring till it thickens to desired consistency.

If it has lumps, strain.

If you are not a patient person or too scared to try this, use a large box of instant pudding mix, and follow directions.  If you want to soak the cake in custard remove half the custard to another bowl before it sets, and add more milk so it is runny.

Make it lighter:

Using Splenda and non-fat milk in the custard, and fat-free whipped cream.

Make it Eggless

Use a cake mix and substitute 1 rounded tablespoon plain yogurt for each egg the recipe calls for.

Optional: sometimes I use a cap full of sherry/Cointreau/liquer over the cake layer.
British trifles, served at Army dinners in India, long after Independence, always had a hint of alcohol in them...I guess that was the reason I always felt so happy after trifle and it is still one of my favorite desserts!  Enjoy.