Rainbow Pudding Trifle

I made this trifle so long ago that I forgot all about it and how yummy it was. It was the featured dessert at our anniversary dinner and it was a big hit (for a few days as you can see from the size of it) and sooooo simple to make. I replicated this dessert in mini for some company the next week and it really is impressive. I originally planned to make this with just strawberries but while I was shopping I saw beautiful persimmons and kiwis right next to them and I thought this would be so much prettier with three colors than with one. For the cake, I made a traditional pound cake but I have no idea what recipe I used anymore. You can use storebought pound cake or any pound cake or yellow cake recipe that you love. This trifle was originally made pareve but when I made it for company I made it dairy with real whip cream and dairy vanilla pudding. Of course, there is no comparison between the dairy and pareve versions but but that is not saying much because this pareve trifle is deeeelish. Enjoy!

1 recipe pound cake or yellow cake, cubed

2 pints strawberries, sliced

3 ripe persimmons, diced

3 kiwis, chopped

3 cups whipped cream or whipped topping

1 recipe vanilla pudding (see below)

Place the kiwis at the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with pudding to cover and a layer of cubed pound cake. Add the persimmons and repeat the layer adding a layer of whipped cream if desired. Make the final layer with the strawberries and top the whole trifle with whipped cream. 

For the vanilla pudding:

3/4 cups sugar

3 Tbl cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups milk, or rice milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 Tbl margarine or butter

1 1/4 tsp vanilla 

In a sauce pan combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk gradually while stirring. Cook over medium heat till bubbly and cook another two minutes constantly stirring and then remove from heat.  Add a little hot mixuture into the beaten eggs to temper them and then immediately add yolks to sauce pan. Cook two more minutes stirring the whole time. Mixture will be thick and glossy. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla.

Compose