One of the more intriguing trifle leads sent to me last week, was about a Russian Cake known as the Creole Trifle. It seems that since President Trump has entered the white house, Russia has started trending again, so I was compelled to find out more.
After reading a few stories, I was disappointed to find that most lacked serious credentials and in fact it is hard to know why the Russian cake is actually called a Russian Cake. What is certain however, is that this unique trifle has a long tradition in New Orleans as a special part in the Creole cuisine. It also seems that original recipes are hard to come by as they have been tightly held secrets of bakers, each of which believe they hold the secret to the ultimate Creole Trifle.
The best account I did find about the Creole trifle was the the Slow Food USA blog, so I have included a link for those interested.
https://www.slowfoodusa.org/blog-post/the-elusive-history-of-new-orleans-russian-cake
It is not surprising that a trifle with its humble and modest status and its carnival of colours would fit in well at a Creole bakery. Just the idea of finding a small cake shop in the back streets of New Orleans and enjoying a Russian cake with an espresso makes me want to hop on the next plane. Then I am reminded about american coffee and I start to come back down to earth.
Back to the creole trifle…. from the few citations that exist, it seems that they all revolve around the basic concept of splitting a sponge or white cake in half and filling the middle with a mixture of dried and stale cake, doughnuts, puff pastry, biscuits, ladyfingers macaroons and anything resembling sweet baked goods
It sounds like the original trifle was invented by Louisiana bakers to use old stock that would otherwise be thrown away. It doesn’t sound very appetising as yet but wait there is more. What binds the mixture of old pastry is a spice and alcoholic syrup, usually rum based. The dried pasties are soaked in the syrup until they can bind. The mixture is then sandwiched between the two fresh sponge cakes and pressed together into shape. Traditionally the cake is moulded by placing it into a specially prepared wooden box lined with parchment paper. Just like the the finest wine or whiskey barrel, the type of wooden box that each baker and family use is attributed to the unique product it produces. Once in the box, the top of the box is pressed down with various weights and allowed to set over the next day or so. Some refrigerate and others leave it in room temperature.
As you can imagine the Creole Trifle lends its self to much self expression. The variety of fillings and the syrup ingredients can be varied in an infinite number of ways. While rum is the most common alcohol base, there are those who use sherry or red wine. The spices can also vary and there are even citrus versions of the dessert.
So for me, the Russian cake is a trifle in the truest sense, allowing for much personal flare and creativity. The only other ingredient needed to make this a true trifle, is the fondness of childhood memories. As I have few contacts in New Orleans to share their experiences, here is an extract from Michael Mizell-Nelson’s article.
“My first exposure remains a standout experience: while I eyed its mélange of colors, my parents warned me not to eat too much because it was very rich and contained rum. The technicolor combination of cakes held together with chunks of jelly and drenched in alcohol produced a vaguely bubblegum-like flavor.”
This is the magic of a good trifle, by combining basic ingredients, you can create magic!
If you do happen to be visiting New Orleans, don’t be surprised if you struggle to find the Russian cake. It seems only a few specialist bakers have continued to make it commercially. Two famous suppliers are; Binder Bakery and Haydel’s Bakers. Haydel’s has a website where you can order all their cake the Russian Cake online for delivery. It seems like the Russian Cake is currently out of stock but good news is they offer international delivery to at least Europe. I have just sent them an email to see if I can arrange an order to Australia. I will let you know how I get on.
If anyone else knows where I can source a good Russian Cake closer to home, please let me know. Any Creole cooks in Sydney are most welcome to contact me on cjcpace@me.com
cheers.
A Little Trifle Crazy 