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British Trifle
British Cuisine ↗

British Trifle

★★★★4.6· 549 ratings
·Serves 2
About this Dish

Layers of sponge cake, custard, fruit, and cream in a glass bowl.

History & Origin

Trifle dates to 16th-century England, evolving from a simple flavored cream into today's elaborate layered dessert, traditionally served at Christmas.

IngredientsServes 2
🍰Madeira sponge cake or trifle sponges, 200g cut into cubes
🍓Strawberry jam, 3 tablespoons
🍓Fresh strawberries and raspberries, 300g mixed
🍷Sherry or fruit juice, 4 tablespoons
🥛Full fat milk, 500ml
🥚Egg yolks, 4 large
🍬Caster sugar, 50g
🌾Cornflour, 2 tablespoons
🍦Double cream, 300ml
🍫Dark chocolate or hundreds and thousands, for decoration
Method
1
Spread the sponge cubes with strawberry jam and arrange them in the bottom of a large glass trifle bowl. Pour the sherry or fruit juice evenly over the sponge and leave to soak for 5 minutes.
2
Scatter the fresh strawberries and raspberries over the soaked sponge layer, pressing some fruit against the glass so it looks pretty.
3
To make the custard, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, and cornflour together in a bowl. Heat the milk in a saucepan until just steaming, then slowly pour it over the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
4
Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5–8 minutes. Pour the warm custard over the fruit layer and leave to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set.
5
Once the custard is fully set and cold, whip the double cream with a tablespoon of icing sugar until it holds soft peaks. Spoon or pipe the cream generously over the top of the trifle.
6
Finish with your chosen decoration — grated dark chocolate, hundreds and thousands, or a few fresh berries. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes more.
7
Serve straight from the bowl at the table, scooping down through all the layers so everyone gets a bit of everything.
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