English Sherry and Sponge Trifle
Delicious Dessert that is a Traditional English Favourite
Jul 25, 2009
Trifle is a lush and creamy dessert which is usually made for celebratory meals such as birthdays and anniversaries but it is also great comfort food for any time.
Sherry trifle is as traditional a part of English cooking culture as Wimbledon with Strawberries and Cream. It is prepared in stages over a period of 24 hours or so. The cake is made first, then when it has cooled, it is chopped up and placed in the bottom of a large glass bowl. The jelly is then made up and poured over the sponge along with the fruit.
Once the jelly has set properly (overnight in the fridge will be fine), the custard is made up and when cooled slightly is poured on top of the jelly. The dish is popped back into the fridge to allow the custard to properly set. Only then is the whipped cream and sugar strands added on top.
Ingredients:
For the Trifle Sponge
- 2 oz butter
- 2 oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 4 oz self raising flour
For the Jelly Base
- 1 135g packet of raspberry jelly
- 1 290g tin of raspberries in juice
- 2 tablespoons sherry
For the Toppings
- 2 tbsp custard powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 pt milk
- 1 pt carton whipping cream
- 3 tbsp hundreds and thousands (or sugar strands)
Method:
Making the Sponge:
- Cream together the butter and sugar
- Add the beaten egg a bit at a time and beat well until all is mixed together
- Gently stir in the flour and mix together until all is combined. If the mixture is a little stiff then stir in a tablespoonful or so of milk until the mixture has a dropping consistency
- Crease a small loaf tin and pop the mixture in it
- Bake in the oven at gas mark five / 180 deg. C for half an hour or so until the cake is cooked through
- Allow to cool thoroughly
- Chop or break into chunks and place in the bottom of a large glass bowl
Making the Jelly
- Cut the jelly into cubes and put in a measuring jug
- Add boiling water up to the quarter pint mark and stir until the jelly has dissolved
- Drain the juice from the tin of raspberries into the jelly, keeping the raspberries on one side for the moment
- Add the sherry then top up to the 1 pint mark with cold water
- Pour the jelly liquid and the raspberries onto the sponge in the bowl
- Allow to set thoroughly in the fridge overnight
Assembling the Trifle Toppings
- Put the custard powder and sugar in a bowl and add a little bit of the milk and stir thoroughly until combined
- Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan. When it’s just about at boiling point, pour onto the custard powder stirring continuously
- Pour the lot back into the saucepan and again, stirring continuously, bring gently up to boil and simmer for a couple of minutes
- Allow to cool slightly then pour over the set jelly
- Allow to cool completely
- Once the custard has cooled thoroughly, whip the cream and spoon over the top
- Smooth the cream out with the back of a fork
- Sprinkle with the sugar strands or hundreds and thousands and store in the fridge until needed. It will keep for two or three days
The copyright of the article English Sherry and Sponge Trifle in Baking & Desserts is owned by Elaine Findlay. Permission to republish English Sherry and Sponge Trifle in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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