Trifle is one of those rather celebratory desserts (it certainly looks festive) with many different variations on a common theme—’usually made of sherry-soaked sponge cake with custard and often jam, decorated with cream and sometimes fruit’, according to Larousse Gastronomique. I was amused to find that it is also known as tipsy cake, which is very true of the one that I make. Mum taught me to be generous and make sure that each piece of sponge was well dampened with sherry.
Our family recipe for trifle differs quite dramatically from what is generally known as a summer fruit trifle, relying instead on tinned peaches rather than fresh berries. This makes it a trifle for all seasons. Having said that, you could easily substitute the peaches for raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.
Note: There is a little bit of preparation involved with this recipe. The jelly needs to be made beforehand so that it’s set before you start assembling the trifle. You may also want to make your own custard rather than using a store-bought one.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 rectangular sponge slab (approx 25cm in length and 2–3cm thick)
1 jar good quality raspberry jam, such as St Dalfour
1 pkt raspberry jelly
400g tinned peaches (or fresh berries of your choice)
3 coconut macaroons
2 cups homemade custard, or a thick store-bought one that you can dollop
1½ cups cream, for whipping
30g chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa), grated
½ cup sherry
- Make the jelly as per the instructions on the packet and refrigerate until set (usually a minimum of four hours but this can be made the day before).
- Cut the sponge slab in half so you have two 1cm-thick slabs. Spread jam in the middle and stack on top of one another again. Slice 1cm thick pieces and line a large bowl with them, leaving no gaps in between and leaving about 3cm to the rim.
- Drizzle sherry over the sponge ensuring that each piece is moistened with it.
- Break the pre-set jelly into large chunks and pour into the centre of the bowl. Drain the peaches and layer them on top of the jelly. Break up the coconut macaroons and layer them on top of the peaches.
- Cover with a thick layer of custard to the level of the sponge, cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate allowing it to set slightly (about 30 minutes).
- Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Spread it evenly over the top of the custard. Grate the chocolate lightly over the top and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This can be made up to one day in advance and easily serves 10 people.
This is definitely a Christmas treat…there’s a lot of different textures and flavours but it all combines into a gorgeous silky dessert that everyone will love—sweetness and fruit, soft sponge, smooth custard and cream and crunchy macaroons. This would also be great with toasted nuts on top for extra crunch.