Layered desserts come in many different styles and flavors. They may be in the form of layered cakes, sweet and fruity trifles, parfaits, sundaes, and tiramisu. Though all of these layered desserts are very different from each other, some of the steps in creating them are the same. For most layered desserts, some useful tips include choosing the flavors and textures carefully and proportioning the layers correctly. This includes choosing ingredients that have just enough moisture and adding just the right amount of each one.
When choosing the flavors that go into a layered dessert, cooks must be careful to choose flavors that complement one another while still standing on their own. This means no one flavor should outshine the others. The cook should be able to taste all of the flavors, meaning they should not be muddled and disappear into each other. The ingredients should also generally mingle pleasantly. Two flavors that clash in a layered dessert could ruin the entire dish.
Cooks choosing flavors for a layer cake have a wealth of options, meaning they can be very creative, but should also be judicious. Most layer cakes should have no more than three predominant flavors. For instance, a chocolate layer cake might benefit from alternating layers of chocolate cake, vanilla frosting, and strawberry glaze. The cake itself might contain a hint of coffee while the vanilla frosting could have a touch of lemon or cinnamon. These background flavors should boost and underscore the main flavors without overshadowing them.
Another thing to consider when creating layer cakes is the moisture. Typically, cakes that include glazes or compotes should not be assembled until they’re ready to be served. Assembling them too early could cause the cake to become soggy and unappetizing. Cooks that love dense cakes may want the moisture to marry with the pastry, meaning they can assemble the cake up to two hours before serving. Light and fluffy cakes should be served only a few minutes after assembly.
Trifles and parfaits may seem like relatively simple layered desserts, but combining the wrong flavors can easily ruin them. With the wealth of toppings, ingredients, and flavors available, it may be tempting to throw together a dozen different flavors. Bowing to this temptation may result in unevenly distributed ingredients and lost flavors. Generally, parfaits and trifles may include three to five flavors before becoming confusing to the palate.
The main difference between a parfait and a trifle is that a trifle contains sponge cake. When creating a trifle layered dessert, assembling it about an hour before serving usually helps prevent the sponge cake from becoming too soggy. A certain amount of moisture in the cake is expected, even pleasant, but the cake should not fall apart. Other than this, creating tasty parfaits and trifles is much the same.
One of the first flavors to choose when creating these two kinds of layered desserts is that of the yogurt or pudding. Vanilla is traditional for both, but vanilla, pumpkin, raspberry, and even chocolate may also be used. From there, the cook can choose up to four more flavors.
Both these layered desserts typically turn out tasty when the cook chooses two complementary fruits and a nut or a starch. For instance, a lemon-based trifle might benefit from strawberries, blueberries, and slivered almonds. A chocolate-based parfait could be delicious with raspberries, bananas, and a layer of unsweetened granola.
Ice cream sundaes can also be considered layered desserts. The typical stacking of ice cream flavors with syrups, fruit compotes, whipped cream, and nuts creates layers in this sweet dish. Another popular confection that is designed in layers is tiramisu, which features coffee-drenched ladyfingers, cocoa, liquor, and sweet marscapone cheese.