So many times I have made trifle that I can’t help but love it, there are so many. This is my most classic recipe. It shows the wonderful, timeless pud in all its glory. The jam-slashed sponge and sherry sodden sponge are complemented by the fruity layers of flavor-oozing strawberries, egg custard, and whipped cream. The top is my favorite colour combination, the Victorian pink made from crystallised rose petals combined with the soft green of chopped pescatos. Perfection.
PRODUCTS ENOUGH TO MAKE 20 portions of food easily
FOR THE CUSTARD
1 litre double cream
8 egg yolks
2 eggs whole
50g of caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
FUR THE BASE
2 packs of trifle sponges (8 in each packet).
Strawberry or blackberry Jam – 340g Jar
Sherry 500ml
2x 380g frozen summer fruit packets, thawed
One orange, 1 zest
25g of caster sugar
FOR THE TOPPING
500ml double cream
50g pistachios
1 tbsp crystallised rose petals (or crystallised violet petals)
- To make the custard, heat the cream in a large, wide, heavy-based pan and while it’s heating, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs and caster sugar in a bowl.
- When the cream’s at boiling point – though don’t actually let it boil – take it off the heat and pour it over the eggs and sugar, whisking as you go.
- It is tedious, but necessary. Then wash the pan and then add the custard to it.
- Stirring constantly, cook on medium heat until thickened. The mixture must not boil.
- It should thicken within 10-15 minutes. Now, pour the mixture into a bowl and add the vanilla extract. Whisk a little to lower the temperature.
- While you are assembling the trifle, cover the top and bowl of the custard with clingfilm.
- Divide the 16 trifle sponges and cut them in half. Make sandwich with the jam. These can be stuffed into the bottom of your trifle bowl. The base of a trifle bowl should be clear so layers can be seen from the outside. There are many variables and your proportions will vary. Because the main point of trifles is their layers, you need to consider the size of the bowl.
- Let the sherry soak in the sponges.
- Add the thawed, frozen summer fruits to a bowl with a small amount of their liquid. (It might seem unseasonal to use ‘summer’ fruits, but I love their tartness against the sweetness of the custard that will drape over them.) Then grate the zest of the orange over the fruit and sprinkle with the caster sugar; if you’re not using frozen fruit (which tends to be sour), don’t bother with the sugar.
- When the custard’s cool, remove the clingfilm. Place the custard over the berries and stir. You will notice a softening of the custard. It should be thickened, but still not hard. Cover the bowl (not the custard this time) with some fresh clingfilm and refrigerate for at least half a day or up to two days – it’s this standing time that makes the difference.
- The trifle should be ready for serving when you have taken it out of the refrigerator. Let the trifle stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before you serve. The cream should be softly whisked. You don’t want it to merge with the custard, but nor do you want it stiffly peaking.
- Use a rubber spatula or a spoon to apply the cream onto the custard.
- Chop the pistachios finely, then sprinkle the mixture over the trifle. Add a few crystallized rose petals or crystallized violet petals if desired.
TIP If you really don’t want to make custard from scratch, you can use good shop-bought ‘fresh’ custard, 2-3 x 500ml (500g) cartons. Online or at specialty cakes decoration shops, crystallised rose petals and violet petals can be found.
MAKE A PROMIS Make the trifle (without the cream) up to two days ahead. Place in the fridge, tightly covered. Finish the dessert by adding cream, pistachios, and crystallized violet (or rose) petals as instructed.