Throw together a super easy trifle in no time with our retro trifle recipe. Totally yummy dessert that’s ideal for serving at parties, celebrations or after Sunday lunch. To assemble, line the bottom of a 12-cup trifle bowl with half (approximately 3 cups) of your cake slices. Press slices up along the sides of the bowl (see photo below). Drizzle cake slices with 2 tablespoons of cranberry juice. Add one third (approximately 1 and 1/3 cups) of the fresh berries on top of the cake, along with half of the jelly squares. Then, pour over 1 cup of custard. Genoise sponge is a classic French sponge cake, but originally from Italy, that’s known for its light, airy texture. It’s the perfect base for trifles and other layered desserts, making it a must-have in any dessert lover’s recipe collection. Unlike traditional American cakes, Genoise sponge uses simple ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar, and butter to create an incredibly flavorful cake.

Add the apple juice to the fruit in the pan, and bring to a simmer. Taste the fruit, and add a little more sugar if necessary. Remove from the heat, and add the remaining cassis. For those that may not have had trifle before, it’s basically a messy no bake dessert comprised of fruit, custard and cake. It’s typically considered an English dish, which makes sense as Australians love many classic British desserts, like Eton Mess and Banoffee Pie. Add another layer of cake using the remaining cake slices, drizzling over 2 tablespoons of cranberry juice. Then, add one third of the fresh fruit and the remaining jelly squares. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the sponge is golden-brown and begins to shrink from the edges of the tin. While the cake is cooking, place a piece of baking parchment a little bigger than the size of the tin on the work surface and dust it with caster sugar. Ideally, your trifle will have time in the fridge to soak – overnight is perfect. All the flavours will meld together and the cake will soften. It tastes just how you would expect – sweet, creamy and altogether delightful. HOW TO MAKE PERFECT TRIFLE

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Cut each one into three mini sandwiches, and place these sideways up in the bowl (they should all fit into a single layer). Now stab them with a small knife and carefully and slowly pour the Madeira over all of them. Then leave on one side so the sponges will absorb the liquid. Place the cream in a pan over a gentle heat and heat it to just below simmering point, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. While the cream is heating, use a balloon whisk to whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour mixture and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a cloth underneath to steady it. Then, whisking the egg mixture all the time with one hand, gradually pour the hot cream into the bowl. Whip the cream until soft peaks form when you remove the whisk from the mixture. Spoon the cream over the top of the trifle, starting from the outside and working in. This will avoid the cream sinking into the custard.

My Classic Trifle starts with cake. I usually use small sponge rolls that I can buy at the supermarket – but you can use any kind of sponge cake, vanilla cake or madeira cake you like– cakes without any frosting are best. The eggs, and sometimes extra yolks, are beaten with sugar and heated at the same time to a stage known to patissiers as the ribbon stage. Combine 150ml/5fl oz of the pear juice drained from the tin with the sherry and sprinkle it over the sponge and crumbled biscuits. Level the surface by pressing down with a spoon and leave to soak while you make the custard.Oreo Cheesecakes– delicious Oreo biscuit base topped with creamy cheesecake frosting and chocolate sprinkles. The final layer of your trifle is the cream. For peace of mind, Granny recommends using whipping cream; as it is easier to whip without the risk of over-whipping. However, I tend to find that whipping cream isn’t as readily available, compared to double cream. For that reason, I have listed double cream as a choice too. Both give fabulous results, just be cautious not to over-whip your double cream! (Or use whipping cream if you’re concerned). Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for five minutes, until soft and floppy. Lift the gelatin from the water and squeeze out the excess liquid. Add to the fruit in the pan and stir until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, and transfer the jelly mixture to a bowl. Allow to cool, then chill in the fridge until the mix has set to a softly wobbling jelly. Of course you can – you can switch the sponges for leftover cake or slices of swiss roll. Can I Make Trifle Without Jelly?

The addition of lemon curd and Limoncello to a berry trifle is undeniably a perfect pairing. The sweet yet tangy creaminess of the curd (whether homemade or shop-bought) adds another textural layer. And the Limoncello ( Italian lemon liqueur) offers the complementary boozy hit that every trifle deserves. The type of fruits can vary – some use tinned peaches, others use fresh mangos – but I always use berries. Trifle sponges are a somewhat British ingredient but are no more than dry sponge cakes. As the cakes are dry they have the capacity to soak up a fair amount of liquid in a trifle, which makes them soft and also flavours the sponges.Create a second layer of soaked sponge fingers and then spoon over the rest of the mascarpone mixture. Have no fear if you want to make a trifle without the dairy in traditional trifle sponges. Whether vegan, lactose-intolerant, or simply trying to avoid dairy, these sponge fingers are a delicious alternative that still tastes and looks like luxury. These sponges can hold up all your favourite trifle fruit and custard, just as conventional trifles do. Just add your chosen type of butter. How long will trifle sponges keep? Cut the Swiss roll into 14 slices. Carefully arrange eight of the slices, closely together, around the sides of a 20cm/8in, straight sided, glass bowl, with the cut, rolled sides facing outwards. Next comes the fruit. Since Christmas is in summer here in Australia, berries are usually in season. My favourite combination is strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and even some cherries. You can use your favourite fruit, but using fresh fruit is best. It’s perfect for dessert after a big family dinner, great as part of a buffet for parties or even just because you fancy a bowlful.

Cut the madeira cake into 1cm/½in slices. Give the fruity jelly a stir - it should be softly set. Layer the cake, jelly, fruit and juice in the bottom of a trifle dish (roughly 20cm/8in diameter). For the Swiss roll, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and frothy and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted out. Sift the flour into the mixture and carefully fold it in. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and give it a gentle shake so that the mixture finds its own level, making sure that it has spread evenly to the corners.

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Hi, I live in Mexico and here you can't find the trifle sponges mentioned in some of Nigella's recipes. What could I use insted of them? Our answer For the custard layer, put the mascarpone into a large bowl then add the custard. Whisk together until creamy and smooth. Spoon the custard over the fruit and sponge. Sometimes you just need a bowlful of proper retro style trifle, the kind you used to get in the 80s…