Dirty Chai Trifle

steps

Make the chai pastry cream:

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add chai concentrate and ⅓ cup of cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
2. In a bowl, mix egg yolks together in a bowl. Add a small amount of the hot chai mixture, then pour eggs into remaining hot chai. Return to heat and add vanilla.
3. Place a piece of waxed paper over mixture, cover, and refrigerate until completely cooled.
4. Whip remaining ⅓ cup of cream and gently add to the cooled chai mixture.

Make the vanilla cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a half-sheet baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment or beaters, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Beat in vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
4. Reduce speed to low, then beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk.
5. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, then add another third of flour, followed by remaining buttermilk.
6. Beat in remaining flour, then scrape down bowl and beat again until batter is evenly combined. Do not overmix.
7. Scrape batter into baking pan and bake until set and lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Set cake on a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the chantilly cream:

1. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beaters, combine cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until beaters leave trailing marks in the cream, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Reduce speed to low and carefully continue beating, checking cream every 5 seconds or so, until cream stands in stiff peaks when you lift beaters.

To assemble:

1. In a shot glass, layer chai pastry cream, vanilla cake, Kahlua, and chantilly cream.
2. Top with a piece of chocolate candy.