Chocolate Brandyberry Trifle

This sinful trifle, with sultry chocolate cake saturated with sweet berry juice and blackberry brandy, covered with luscious mixed berries and creamy whipped topping adds decadence to any holiday, birthday, or special occasion!

Ingredients:
 

• 1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared as directed
• 3 twelve ounce bags of frozen mixed berries (or fresh berries, of course)
• 1 shot (or two) blackberry brandy
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 package whipped topping mix

• 1/2 cup skim milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place frozen berries in a large bowl and let thaw. You may certainly use fresh berries; we used frozen, since they give lots of juice to work with once they are thawed. Prepare chocolate cake and bake as directed. Let cool. Add sugar to berries and stir. Strain the berry juice into a small bowl. To the juice, add brandy and more sugar, if desired. Prepare whipped topping mix, beating at high speed with the milk and vanilla until stiff peaks are formed.  In a glass trifle dish, coat the bottom with blackberry brandy. Cut the cake into squares about 2" thick and place 1/2 the cake on the bottom of the dish. Saturate the cake with 1/2 the juice mixture. Take half of the berries and layer them over the cake. Spread a layer of whipped topping over the cake and berries, and repeat the process. Garnish with berries, finely chopped chocolate, and a sprig of mint (optional).