Custard:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum
70 percent cocoa solids, chopped
1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon milk
1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Topping:
3 cups heavy cream
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate,
as before

[Special Equipment: Large trifle bowl]

Slice the chocolate pound cake and make jam sandwiches with the
cherry jam. Layer the bottom of a large trifle bowl. Pour over the cherry
brandy so that the cake soaks it up, and then tip in the drained cherries.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave to macerate while you make the
custard.
Chop up the chocolate and melt it; I do this on low to medium heat in
the microwave, checking after 2 minutes, though it will probably need
4. Or you can stick the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.
Once the chocolate's melted, leave to one side while you get on with
the custard proper.
Warm the milk and cream in a saucepan, and whisk the yolks, sugar,
and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk and cream into the bowl whisking it into the yolks and sugar mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate,
scraping the sides well with a rubber spatula to get all of it in, and pour
the custard back into the rinsed saucepan.
Cook over a medium heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time.
Make sure it doesn't boil, as it will split and curdle. Keep a sink full of
cold water so that if you get scared you can plunge the bottom of the
custard pan into the cold water and whisk like mad, which will avert
possible crisis.
The custard will get darker as it cooks and the flecks of chocolate will
melt once the custard has thickened. And you do need this thick, so
don't panic so much that you stop cooking while it is still runny. Ad-
mittedly, it carries on thickening as it cools and then when it's chilling
in the fridge. Once it's ready, pour into a bowl to cool and cover the
top of the custard with plastic wrap to stop it forming a skin.
When the custard is cold, pour and spread it over the chocolate cake
layer in the trifle bowl, and leave in the fridge to set, covered in plastic
wrap, overnight.
When you are ready to decorate, softly whip the cream for the topping
softly and spread it gently over the layer of custard. Grate the chocolate
over the top. Let people fall upon it with greed and gratitude. They will
go home happy.

Featured Archive Recipes:
Nigella's Easy Holiday Trifle
Chocolate, Cranberry and
Ginger Trifle
Christmas Trifles
Emeril's Creole Christmas Trifle
Trifle with me! 
Life is just a bowl of cherries!