This Dulce Frío (Dominican Trifle) will make you very popular with your friends. Few desserts combine sophistication and easy preparation like this one.
Why we ❤️ it
I know what you're thinking. You're looking at that picture and telling yourself "I need that Dulce Frío (Dominican Trifle) in my life." And I won't blame you for those thoughts.
If you have ever tried Tres Leches Cake, this is very similar to it, and you will love it every bit as much. And here's the plot twist: this is much easier to make than Tres Leches. Yes, that's right.
You can prepare it with rum if you plan to serve it to adults, skip it if there will be children at your table. For this, you will need Dominican tostadas, very similar to ladyfingers but not covered in sugar. If you find it impossible to find tostadas just use ladyfingers, they work just as well.
There's also the choice of fruits. It is usually made with canned "fruit cocktail", which I am not a fan of, to be honest. I prefer to either use fresh, pitted grapes, or canned, sugar-free peaches. You go with what you prefer.
About our recipe
In the recipe, I give two choices for toppings: whipped cream and meringue. Dominicans usually serve this topped with meringue, but I vastly prefer whipped cream.
And if you are curious about the cream cheese, it doesn't change the taste of the cream to any significant extent, and it helps stabilize the whipped cream. Your whipped cream rosettes or peaks--or however you choose to decorate it--will keep their shape for several days.
Recipe
Dulce Frío [+ Video] (Dominican Trifle)
Ingredients
For the sweet sauce
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 2 cup evaporated milk
- 2 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the center
- ¼ cup golden rum, (optional, see notes)
- 20 lady fingers
- 1 cup of fresh, (or canned) fruit, in wedges or diced
Whipped cream topping
- ½ cup of heavy cream, , chilled
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, , chilled
- ⅓ cup powdered white sugar
Instructions
Making the sauce: Mix condensed and evaporated milk. Add yolks, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix well with a stick blender. Boil in bain marie (hot water bath) over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens to the same consistency as condensed milk (15-20 mins). Remove from the heat. and place in cold water bath. Stir until it cools down to room temperature. Sieve to eliminate undissolved parts.- Layering ladyfingers: Briefly dip the ladyfingers in the rum on both sides. Place a layer of ladyfingers on a lasagna pan. Bathe with half the sweet sauce. Dip the remaining ladyfingers in rum and arrange on top of the first layer. Bathe with the remaining sweet sauce.Chill for an hour.
- Whipping the cream: Chill the mixing bowl and wire whip beforehand (about 15 mins in the freezer). This will make it easier to whip the cream, specially in a hot day/location.Mix cream cheese, sugar and heavy cream. Whip until it forms firm peaks --starting at low speed, then increasing to high speed after a minute. Don't overdo it or it'll turn into butter.
- Assembling: Decorate with whipped cream (you can use suspiro [recipe + video] if you prefer it to whipped cream
- Serving and storing: Chill at least an hour before serving. Serve chilled.If you are not serving within a few hours, cover with cling film and keep refrigerated for up to 24 hours before decorating with cream (the rosettes will be ruined if touching the cling film). Whip the cream and decorate shortly before serving.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
Muchas gracias for the recipe! It's sounds so similar to the tiramisu we prepare here in Italy. But we dip the lady fingers in cold strong black coffee before layering it. Perfect for hot summer days and even for breakfast haha
I just cover the tostadas with fruit cocktal and its syrop, then with the condensed milk and finally with instant vanilla pudding prepared as directions. No topping. Easier and delicious.
How long are you chilling the dessert at each step? I suspect the cake needs to sit and chill long enough to soften the cookies? Any suggested time? Or can you serve right away?