One of the most delicious things about a trifle is the texture. As it chills, the cranberry mousse and sweetened whipped cream infuse and soften the cake into something heavenly. The cranberry mousse boasts a beautiful crimson hue and perfect sweet-tart balance, beautifully complementing the warmly spiced gingerbread cake. This dessert needs to be made ahead so that it can chill, which makes it the perfect, no-stress dessert for Thanksgiving.
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for nonstick pan). Make and bake the gingerbread cake mix with the oil and egg in a 9x9-inch cake pan according to package directions. Cool completely on a cooling rack. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes; set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the cranberries (be sure to rinse them first), orange zest, and orange juice over medium heat until the cranberries have burst and collapsed and the color is deep crimson; remove from heat. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Press cranberry pulp through the strainer with a rubber spatula. Discard the skins and seeds. Let the cranberry pulp cool. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt to the cooled pulp and mix thoroughly.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin powder over the 1/4 cup of water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Microwave the gelatin mixture in 10 second increments until the gelatin is completely melted. Pour gelatin into the cranberry pulp mixture and stir until blended.
In a medium bowl, beat the liquid egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cranberry mixture.
In another medium bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cranberry mixture until combined. Beat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Add half of the gingerbread cubes to the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with half of the cranberry mousse, followed by half of the sweetened whipped cream. Repeat this process one more time. Top the trifle with the crystallized ginger. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Pasteurized liquid egg whites are safe to eat without cooking and can be found in cartons in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. Be sure to purchase 100% egg whites and look for a variety that works for whipping or meringues. Pasteurized egg whites can take longer to whip into peaks than eggs from the shell.
