Easy English Trifle

Prepare a traditional English trifle for dessert this Christmas. A true showstopper, that is made mostly using cupboard staples.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Chilling and Setting Time6

Total Time6 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: English

Keyword: trifle

Servings:

135g / 2 cups raspberry jelly(Jello-O) I used Hartley's Raspberry jelly. In the US, use raspberry flavoured jell-o
125g / 1 cup fresh raspberries can use frozen but reduce the amount of water added to the jelly
500g / 17 oz raspberry or strawberry cream sponge roll
1½ UK pints / 3½ US cups whole milk can use plant based milk
1/2 UK pint / 1/2 US cup double cream/heavy whipping cream can use plant based cream
6 tbsp Bird's custard powder heaping tablespoons
6 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp This is an affiliate link.vanilla
400ml /1½ cups double/whipping cream
4 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar
1 tsp This is an affiliate link.vanilla
4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp pistachios

Make the jelly (jell-o) according to package instructions and pour in the trifle bowl, allow to cool for about 20 minutes, then put in the fridge for 1½ hours. Take out of the fridge, the jelly will have turn thick and syrupy at this point, drop the raspberries in and return to the fridge until fully set for 4-5 hours.
Make the custard according to package instructions. Cook over low heat while stirring with a wire whisk the entire time to avoid lumps. Once the custard is thick push it through a sieve for a smoother texture. (If your custard has gone lumpy, blend it in a blender or use an immersion blender). Put plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin forming and cool lightly for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the sponge roll and arrange along the sides of the trifle bowl as well as covering the bottom of the raspberry jelly. You might need to cut some pieces for a tighter fit. Sprinkle the raspberry liqueur all over the bottom pieces of the cake but not the side pieces.
Pour the custard over the cake until it reaches the top of the trifle bowl. It should completely cover the sponge roll pieces all the way to the top and flood the space between the side pieces. Allow to come to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Whip the double/heavy cream with icing sugar until soft and floppy and spoon over the custard. Decorate with pomegranate seeds and pistachios or fresh raspberries.

You will need:

1 pint of jelly or 2 cups of Jello-O made to package instructions
2 pints of custard made to package instructions
It doesn't affect the final result if your amounts are slightly different as US and UK pints are not the same. The main thing is to follow package instructions for both jelly and custard to ensure they set properly.

Other Notes:

This trifle is best if you start making it a day before serving. The jelly (Jell-O) will take at least 5-6 hours to set.
Add fruit to the jelly to enhance flavour. I used raspberry jelly and fresh raspberries, but strawberries are a great option as well. But add the berries after the jelly has had an hour to set so it becomes thicker. This helps the berries to float and not sink to the bottom.
Sherry is traditionally used to soak the cake, although some people leave it out. I used a raspberry-flavoured liqueur called Chambord to complement other flavours.
I wanted the custard to be as rich as possible so I used double/heavy cream in place of a quarter of the milk.
I also like my custard to be slightly firm so it layers better. An extra tablespoon of custard powder did the trick.
Let the custard cool for 15 minutes with plastic wrap covering it to avoid a skin forming. They pour it over the cake lawyer. The custard should have a pourable consistency so it fills all the available crevices created by the cake rolls. If left too long, the custard will begin to set and won’t pour as well.