Description
A classic festive Christmas Trifle featuring layers of Madeira cake soaked in fruit-flavored liquor or juice, homemade cranberry jelly, fresh berries, rich custard, and whipped cream, all assembled in a show-stopping trifle dish. This traditional English dessert combines bright flavors and textures, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Jelly Layer
- 7 tsp gelatine powder
- 6 cups cranberry juice (with sugar added, not No Added Sugar)
- 1/3 cup orange or other fruit-flavored liquor (like Cointreau) or apple/orange juice (or 2 tbsp brandy)
Cake Layer
- 1 x 450g / 14 oz Madeira cake or Pound cake, store-bought
Fruit Layer
- 500 – 750g (1 – 1.5 lb) strawberries, halved
- 1 punnet blueberries
- 1 punnet raspberries
Cream Layer
- 2 1/2 cups heavy / thickened cream (or pure whipping cream)
- 3 tbsp white sugar (caster sugar ok)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Custard Layer
- 3 cups milk (full or low fat)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (extra)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup cornflour / cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake Base: Cut the Madeira or Pound cake into 2 cm (0.8 inch) cubes. Arrange the cake cubes to cover the bottom of a 3.5 L (3.5 qt) trifle dish. Sprinkle the cake evenly with the chosen liquor or fruit juice to soak the cake layer well.
- Make the Cranberry Jelly: In a saucepan, warm the cranberry juice gently, then stir in the gelatine powder until completely dissolved. Pour the jelly mixture over the cake layer in the trifle dish. Refrigerate the dish to allow the jelly to set fully. This process should ideally be started the day before to ensure the jelly sets properly.
- Prepare the Custard: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornflour, and the extra 1/4 cup caster sugar until smooth. Heat the milk, 1/4 cup caster sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan until just about to boil. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare the Whipped Cream: Whip the heavy cream with 3 tbsp white sugar and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Keep chilled until assembly.
- Assemble the Trifle: Once the jelly layer is set, arrange the halved strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries evenly over the jelly. Pour the cooled custard over the fruit layer to cover completely. Finally, spread the whipped cream over the custard layer to finish.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the assembled trifle for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled in individual bowls or straight from the trifle dish.
Notes
- The key to an exceptional trifle is making the jelly with real cranberry juice and gelatine instead of artificial flavored jelly powders.
- Your trifle can be accelerated by using store-bought custard and cake, but the homemade jelly really elevates the dessert.
- Start this recipe the day before to allow the jelly adequate time to set in the fridge.
- If desired, you can scatter an extra 1/2 to 1 punnet of halved strawberries over the cake layer before pouring the jelly for extra fruitiness.
- Leftover egg whites from the custard can be saved and used in other recipes to avoid waste.
- Ensure cranberry juice used contains added sugar to help gelatin set properly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of trifle (about 200g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
