Traditional English trifle is a layered dessert dish made with fresh fruit, custard, whipped cream, jam, and cake. The cake is typically brushed with sherry or another sweet fortified wine. The name trifle was first used during the 16th century for a similar dessert also known as a fruit fool. By the 18th century the modern trifle recipe evolved from the fool and began being included in cookbooks; however, it wasn’t until the 19th century that trifle recipes began including jam or jelly.
Recipe Servings: 10
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
55 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Custard Layer:
- 4 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 large egg yolks
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
Cake Layer:
- 9 x 13-inch white or yellow cake, baked and cooled
- ½ cup sherry or other sweet fortified wine
- 3 Tbsp seedless red raspberry jam, heaping
Fruit Layer:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 Tbsp sherry or other sweet fortified wine
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Whipped Cream:
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
Directions
- Combine the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring frequently. Bring mixture to a simmer and then remove from heat.
- Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix together. Whisk in the egg yolks until light and smooth.
- Pour warmed milk mixture slowly into the egg yolk mixture only a few drops at a time in the beginning while whisking. Slowly increase the pouring until all the milk has been added.
- Pour the mixture into the saucepan that the milk was in and cook over medium heat for 2–6 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Custard should be thick and smooth.
- Pour the custard into a shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming on top.
- Chill the custard in the refrigerator until needed to assemble the trifle.
- Cut the cake into large manageable squares. Cut the thickness of the squares in half. Flip the tops of the squares over so the cut sides are facing up.
- Brush all the cake squares with sherry.
- Spread the cake squares with raspberry jam.
- Cut the squares into cubes.
- Combine the strawberries, raspberries, sherry, and sugar in a medium bowl.
- Stir the mixture until the fruit is evenly coated.
- Refrigerate the fruit until needed to assemble the trifle.
- For Whipped Cream:
- Combine the heavy cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Beat the mixture using an electric mixer on high for 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
- Chill the whipped cream in the refrigerator until needed to assemble the trifle.
- Place ⅓ of the cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle dish, jam side up. Top the cake cubes with a ⅓ of the fruit, followed by a ⅓ of the custard, and followed by a ⅓ of the whipped cream.
- Repeat the layers two more times.
- Decorate the top of the trifle with fresh fruit, if desired.
- Chill the trifle in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
For Custard Layer:
For Cake Layer:
For Fruit Layer:
For Assembly:
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