Christmas is not complete without this festive berry trifle!
Apart from a fruity Christmas pudding, is there a more traditional Christmas dessert than a trifle? My aunt was a champion trifle maker and trifles are a dessert I’ve always loved. However until recently, I didn't own a trifle bowl so I'd normally make individual trifles in serving glasses.
I now own a trifle bowl and having one makes me feel so grown-up. This particular trifle bowl comes from the Maxwell and Williams' Diamante collection and there are a few reasons why I love it.
Firstly, the bowl is made from quality glass that's durable, and you can see all the lovely layers of the trifle. This lovely footed trifle bowl can also be used as a centerpiece and because it comes in a box, it would make a lovely gift too. Finally, the trifle bowl is also generously proportioned at 21 x 148 x 21cm, and has a capacity of approximately 4 litres.
If you're thinking of trying your hand at making your own trifle, this recipe may be a suggestion. You can choose the fruit and flavour of the jelly, and use the alcohol of your choice to suit your taste or the seasons. Instead of sponge cake, you could also use meringues, jam rolls, sponge fingers, or even macarons. For those who would like to serve the trifle to children, you could use fruit juice, vanilla flavoured milk, or sugar syrup instead of alcohol to soak the cake. If you'd like, it is also possible to make the different elements from scratch or you can purchase them; the choice is yours. I decided to buy a ready-made sponge, but made the jelly and custard from scratch.
If like me, you choose to go down this path, you'll need to start the recipe the day before to allow the jelly to set and the custard to cool before serving.
Here’s the recipe for you to make 4 litres of trifle, which is large enough to feed a crowd.
For all my recipes, I use a 250ml cup, a 20ml tablespoon, unsalted butter, and 60g of eggs. The jelly has been adapted from a Donna Hay recipe.
Very Berry Trifle Recipe
Ingredients
For the trifle:- 1 quantity berry jelly, recipe below
- 1 8-inch unfilled double layer sponge cake
- ⅓ cup raspberry jam
- ¼ cup marsala or sherry
- 500mls (2 cups) vanilla bean custard
- 250g punnet strawberries, halved and sprinkled with 2 tsps sugar
- 300mls cream
- 250g mascarpone
- 2 tbs caster sugar
To serve:
- 3 punnets of fresh berries and a few mint leaves or shaved pistachios
For the berry jelly
- 3½ tsp gelatine powder
- 750mls cranberry drink
- ½ cup caster sugar or to taste
- 125g frozen mixed berries
- 125g fresh strawberries, halved
For the vanilla bean custard:
- 1 cup full cream milk
- 1 cup thickened cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1/3 cup caster sugar or to taste
Method:
For the berry jelly:
To make the jelly, place the gelatine and ½ cup (125ml) of cranberry drink in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine is absorbed. Place the remaining juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Then, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Once you've removed the juice and sugar mixture from the heat, add the gelatine mixture and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for an hour. Later, arrange your berries over the base of the 4L trifle bowl and gently pour the jelly mixture over the berries. Refrigerate overnight or until set. The jelly will be softly set.
For the vanilla bean custard:
Combine milk, cream, and vanilla bean paste in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture for 5 minutes or until hot (do not allow to boil). Remove saucepan from heat.
Whisk egg yolks, cornflour and sugar in a microwave-proof mixing bowl until well combined. Then, pour the mixture through a sieve into the saucepan. Return mixture to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes or until custard thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon (do not allow custard to boil, as it might curdle).
You can also cook the egg yolks, cornflour, and sugar in the microwave. To do this, cook on medium power for 3-4 minutes, whisking every minute until the custard is thick and silky smooth. Cover the surface with a plastic wrap to prevent a layer of skin from forming before refrigerating. The custard will continue to thicken as it cools.
To assemble:
If you'd like, trim the brown edges off the cake, and cut it to fit the trifle bowl. Spread a thin layer of jam over the base of the sponge, and then gently place the sponge over the berry jelly layer. Then, drizzle the marsala over the top of the sponge. Carefully spoon the custard over the sponge and then place the trifle into the refrigerator to cool for a few hours and allow the flavours to develop.
Just before serving, whip the cream, mascarpone and sugar until soft peaks form. Top the trifle with a layer of sliced strawberries and cover the strawberry layer with the whipped cream.
Next Read: Christmas Dessert Recipe: Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova
