Welcome to the Potluck!  By now your waistband is probably stretched a bit, the table is thick with empty plates and glasses and you’ve probably gone through a napkin or two.  There are still lots of yummy, sweet, decadent treats coming your way and  - I want you to get right to the next dessert!  Mine!

I couldn’t resist this year; I had to make a dessert.  Sure, I had fun at the last Potluck with my Sage & Rosemary Dinner Rolls with Roasted Garlic Coconut Butter, but the dessert bloggers were getting all of the attention!  While a bit detailed and requiring some advance work, this rich and creamy trifle recipe is well-worth the effort – especially for a holiday meal or for when you want to impress your guests.  By the way, you’re really getting two desserts for the price of one.  Both the cake and the creme are stand-outs on their own.

Maple Creme & Mocha Spice Cake Trifle with Fresh Blueberries
Serves 8

Mocha Spice Cake:
2 cups freshly-brewed hot coffee
1/2 cup maple sugar, divided
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegan butter
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp. water (whisk together and set aside until thickened)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. powdered stevia
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 cup sweetened cacao nibs

Maple Creme:
16 oz. silken tofu
1/4 cup freshly-brewed coffee
1/2 cup almond milk, divided
2 tsp. maple extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tbsp. tahini
pinch cardamom
pinch kosher salt
4 tbsp. arrowroot powder

1/2 -1 cup fresh blueberries

Make the mocha spice cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a 9″x 13″ pan with parchment and lightly spray with cooking oil.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1/4 cup of the maple sugar.  Add vanilla extract and flaxseed mixture.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the coffee, the remaining 1/4 cup of the maple sugar and the cocoa.  Whisk together and warm – just enough for the cocoa and maple syrup to dissolve.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, stevia, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice.  When the coffee mixture is cool, alternately add it and the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in the cacao nibs.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is firm and springy and a tester comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into small chunks.

Make the creme:
Mix the arrowroot powder with 1/4 cup of the nut milk.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup and coffee and gently warm.

In a blender or food processor, combine the tofu, the remaining 1/4 cup nut milk, the maple and vanilla extracts, lemon juice, tahini, cardamom and salt and process until very smooth.

Let the maple syrup/coffee mixture come to a boil, reduce the heat and stir in the arrowroot powder.  Stir with a whisk until the mixture thickens – this happens quite suddenly.  Immediately pour the arrowroot mixture into the blender with the tofu mixture and process until thoroughly combined.  Pour into an air-tight container and refrigerate until firm.

Assemble the trifle:
In a large glass trifle bowl or in individual bowls, pour some of the maple creme.  Lay down a layer of mocha spice cakes chunks and sprinkle in some blueberries. Repeat layers until all of the ingredients have been used – making sure you end with maple creme and blueberries.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Thank you so very much for visiting An Unrefined Vegan and for coming to the Potluck!  If you like what you see here, consider following my blog or visiting me on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

And now – - continue your plant-based journey and discover more delicious desserts!

To visit Too Cheap for Pine Nuts (sharing arroz sin leche), the next blog in the Potluck, click on the Go Forward button below, or click here:

To return to Anne Sture Tucker’s blog and her delicious carrot cake, click on the Go Back button below or click here:

You can always start at the beginning of the Potluck by visiting Vegan Bloggers Unite! or the home base of the Potluck, the Virtual Vegan Potluck website.