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Classic Trifle With Berries or Citrus
![Classic Trifle With Berries or Citrus](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/12/16/dining/11apperex/merlin_180930069_5941ee28-f525-45fd-a147-ad8152565adb-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus chilling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ⅓cup/65 grams granulated sugar
- 2½tablespoons/20 grams cornstarch
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 4egg yolks
- 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
- ¾cup/180 milliliters whole milk
- Optional flavorings: 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest, 1 cinnamon stick or 6 cardamom pods
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½cups berries or 3 oranges (a mix of blood oranges and navel is pretty)
- 1 to 2teaspoons granulated sugar
- About 6 to 8 ladyfingers (also called Savoiardi or boudoir biscuits, or use sponge cake or poundcake), plus more if desired
- Berry jam or orange marmalade
- ¼cup sherry, Madeira, dessert wine, brandy or orange juice, plus more as needed
- 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
- 1tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- Sliced almonds, candied citrus peel, crumbled amaretti or berries, for garnish (optional)
For the Custard
For the Fruit
For Assembly
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the custard: In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
- Step 2
In a medium saucepan, heat cream, milk and any of the optional flavorings over medium heat until simmering.
- Step 3
Slowly whisk ½ cup hot cream mixture into yolk mixture until well mixed. Whisking egg mixture constantly, slowly pour in remaining cream. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and place it over medium-low heat.
- Step 4
Cook custard, stirring continuously especially around the bottom and edges of the pot, until the custard has thickened enough to mound on the spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t let it come to a boil, but a few simmering bubbles is fine. If it starts to curdle at any point, remove pot from the heat and whisk it intensely. It should smooth out.
- Step 5
Once the custard is thick, scrape it into bowl, whisk in vanilla, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto its surface. Let the custard cool for at least 30 minutes. At this point, custard can be chilled for up to 3 days, or used to assemble the trifle. Pluck out cinnamon stick or cardamom pods, if using, just before assembling trifle.
- Step 6
Prepare the fruit: If using berries, put them in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar to taste, and use a fork to mash them. If using oranges, supreme them: Cut the tops and bottoms off each one, squeezing the juice from the severed pieces into a bowl. Using a paring knife, cut the peel and all the white pith off the fruit. Working over the bowl to catch the juices, slice the segments away from the membrane, letting fruit fall into the bowl. It’s OK if the segments fall apart; you’re going to break them up anyway. When all the segments are cut out of the membranes, squeeze the membranes over the bowl to release as much of the juice as possible. Sprinkle oranges with sugar, to taste, and, using your hands, break the segments up into pieces. You want a pulpy, juicy mix in the bowl. There should be a lot of liquid. Let oranges or the berries macerate for 20 minutes.
- Step 7
To assemble the trifle, spread the ladyfingers on one side with a thick layer of jam or marmalade. Put the ladyfingers, jam-side down, in the bottom of a medium (6- to 8-cup) trifle dish or any other serving bowl or dish (or use individual dishes, cups or glasses). You want to cover the bottom completely and, if you are using a bowl, go a little bit up the sides; break up the ladyfingers if needed to make them fit.
- Step 8
Sprinkle sherry (or whatever liquid you are using) over the ladyfingers, making sure they are well moistened. Be generous: You don’t want any dry bits.
- Step 9
Spoon fruit and all their juices over ladyfingers. Top with custard. If you like a higher cake-to-custard ratio, you can break up a few more ladyfingers and scatter them on top of the custard, then drizzle with more sherry. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Step 10
When ready to serve, using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the cream and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy; it should hold a light peak. Spoon whipped cream on top of trifle and garnish as you like. Serve immediately. (Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.)
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Bird's Vanilla Custard -- a great start if you're not feeling like doing the custard from scratch. Also -- the other school of thought is that a berry flavored jello -- (in the UK, aka, jelly) is typically poured over the soaked cake. There are as many recipes for trifle as there are for pound cake... and...
I have been making trifle for years. I make angel food cake with the egg whites; it isn't as sweet as ladyfingers. Then I use the egg yolks for the custard, which is plain vanilla with lots of flavour. I have begun to use a mixture of St Germain liqueur and lemon juice (with a little sugar) for the imbibing syrup. It is still boozy but lighter and fruitier. I reserve the right to go back to Harvey's Bristol Cream, but trifle is a dessert that you can personalize in many, many ways. Enjoy!
I macerate mixed berries with Grand Mariner. Instead of custard, I fold a jar of lemon curd into whipped cream. I use store-bought angel food cake. Must sit overnight in fridge- the cream gets thicker. Very easy and good.
Nooo, not jelly. Nothing worse than tinned fruit and jelly trifle - cheap and horrid, made in post war UK when food was still hard to get. Likewise powdered custard. Supermarket vanilla custard from a chilled cabinet is quite acceptable and a lot less trouble, but has to be from the luxury range. Shop bought madeira slab is also fine - it's only there to soak up the booze. A trifle should be a moist, summer berry filled, creamy, indulgent, alcoholic grown up treat, not a rubbery abomination.
Trifle seems to improve with an overnight in the fridge. That gives the fruit, custard and sherry a chance to marry. I always use pound cake with homemade raspberry jam, soaked with Harvey’s Bristol Cream, and a generous custard layer. Freshly whipped lightly sweetened cream finish the production. I dare not go for dinner on Christmas without a trifle in hand. Don’t skimp on the sherry.
I make trifle every year. My Irish grandmother made the most amazing trifle, and I try to follow her recipe, which called for a wicked amount of sweet sherry. A quarter cup? I laugh! For a large trifle, she'd pour in at least a cup. And after a day, the leftovers would be mixed together for a bright purple, berry-infused mass of deliciousness.
The pound cake from Costco works as a good base, extra cakes freeze well too. Whatever fresh berries look good will work, always brush the pound cake with sherry. Instant pudding with some added flavorings if fine. Be creative and be prepared to serve a crowd.
Made this for Christmas Eve using pound cake, cara cara oranges and raspberries. I used cardamom to flavor the custard, orange juice for the “liquor.” My only real change to the recipe was to use homemade lemon curd in place of jam on the cake. This was superb and everyone loved it. I was worried about proportions but they were just right. The custard is divine but very rich so the amount was good. We will definitely make again though maybe with vanilla for the custard.
After 50 years of making trifle every Christmas I find cut up grapes (sweet ones so taste them before you buy) or tinned pineapple from one in juice (fresh pineapple is often too tart) do well as the fruit. Custard powder (Birds or other makes) can be used to make a foolproof and decent custard but one made with egg yolks is better but often hard to make firm enough. I mix orange juice with Sherry for soaking the sponge layer if children might be eating it.
I just spread jam over the entire bottom of the glass instead of buttering each lady finger individually. Saves a little time.
Pastry cream can and should be brought to a sputtering boil - I never understand recipes that say not to do this. The sugar and corn starch will protect the eggs from curdling while allowing the corn starch to gelatinize, and the amylase in the yolks needs a full boil to deactivate otherwise it will get runny as it sets.
I would love to read a review of this recipe if anyone has made this recipe.
Has anyone used olive oil cake for pound cake for a trifle? Just curious...
I love this recipe, it has become a dessert that our kids loon forward to our special days! I make it all from scratch and vary the fruit and sherry depending on the rest of the menu. Highly recommended!
Made this for a party, and it was a big success. Used a Sara Lee pound cake for the base, with raspberry jam. Sherry. About a two cup bag of frozen berries, sprinkled with sugar and thawed in fridge. Custard made with Bird's Custard Powder. Very good, although it needed more powder for thickening than the package directions. Finally old fashioned whipped cream and a sprinkle of almonds. Lovely and tasty
I’ve made this twice and everyone loves it. But the second time I was bringing it to someone else’s house and made the whipped cream ahead of time. Mistake because obviously the whipped cream became liquid cream again. Next time I will stabilize the whipped cream with mascarpone or cream cheese if I have to make it ahead of time.
Bleh this barely made enough custard for a small trifle bowl. By the time it soaked all the cream was absorbed by the pound cake. Don’t waste your time with this one.
What about the beef sautéed with peas and carrots? They’re missing from this recipe.
Here are my notes: - pre soak the lady fingers in the liquid of your choice (I used orange juice). - Use almost two cups raspberries for the fruit layer (with a little orange juice) - use the zest of one orange and a cinnamon stick (maybe two depending on how much cinnamon you like) in the custard. - Put a second (thinner) layer of raspberry jam on top of the custard, as well as a layer of pre-soaked lady finger pieces - After whipped cream, top off with generous dusting of cinnamon.
I’ve eaten my fair share of trifle from the Post War Jelly/smashed soaked biscuits in whatever’s available with Bird’s in a Liverpool squat in Thatchers Britain to Boxing Day at The Savoy to Royal recipes in varied under-heated country houses: all heavenly. The best was. at the venerable Quo Vadis NYC: the waiter insisted we try a very special dessert. We did, and asked what they call it he said, “Mangiami tutto”. Mother and I burst out laughing, he blanched, and I replied ‘sei deliziosa’.
Custard was easy- felt like it needed something tart to offset the cream and custard. Possibly lemon curd or raspberry/lemon.
I'm wondering if everyone uses the crunchy or soft lady fingers? I've never made trifle before and it doesn't specify which to use
The recipe mentions “Savoiardi or boudoir biscuits.” I’m 99.44% sure that those are the crunchy variety, but either crunchy or soft should work. The crunchy ones will absorb the liquid after a few hours and become soft.
I use this for just the custard recipe! It’s so simple and easy. I add a little bit more salt and extract.
I made small meringues with the leftover egg whites, and they made a great topping! Very pretty, and they gave the trifle some crunch.
Made this for Christmas Eve using pound cake, cara cara oranges and raspberries. I used cardamom to flavor the custard, orange juice for the “liquor.” My only real change to the recipe was to use homemade lemon curd in place of jam on the cake. This was superb and everyone loved it. I was worried about proportions but they were just right. The custard is divine but very rich so the amount was good. We will definitely make again though maybe with vanilla for the custard.
Made this with the suggested cardamom for the pudding and opted to make an orange spice cookie from The Cookie Cookbook instead of ladyfingers. For the fruit I took kiwi berries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches and raspberries crushing them (sans alcohol) for the bottom layer and then added whole berries, crushed cookies And chopped pistachios on top of the whipped cream to finish. It was amazing!
My booze of choice is Irish whiskey. I don’t use my top of the line but a decent brand like Jameson. As for Bird’s custard powder, just don’t get it. All it is is cornstarch, salt, artificial vanilla and some food coloring. Ingredients you could assemble yourself and use real vanilla.
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