Classic English Trifle

Some days, nothing seems to go right! Fortunately, some days we can make it right, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. And so we come to the Classic English Trifle I made for an otherwise disastrous dinner party. 

Trifle wasn’t on the menu when I planned this dinner. A lemon cake was, but it crumbled in my hands as I clawed it from the pan. It was too late to make another, so I cubed and dried the cake in the oven, swinging into Plan B: This ridiculously easy Trifle. 

Tip: If disaster strikes, always have a back-up plan.

Classic English Trifle:

Enough cubed, dried white or yellow cake to fill the base and one layer of a Trifle dish 

Prepackaged custard sauce mix or vanilla pudding-and-pie filling mix

⅓ c. (79 mL) dry sherry 

⅓ c. (79 mL) raspberry jam

Assorted, well-drained fruits of your choice 

1 c. (250 mL)whipping cream 

1 tbsp. (15 mL) icing sugar (“confectioners” or “powdered” sugar) 

1 tbsp. (15 mL) whipping cream stabilizer (see Note)

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) vanilla extract 

2 tbsp. (30 mL) blanched, flaked, toasted almonds (see Note) 

Dry cubed cake 1 hr. in warm oven. A commercial mix will need longer drying than a homemade cake. 

Prepare custard or pie-filling mix as package directs. Set aside and cool to room temperature, about 30 min. Place half of dried, cubed cake in trifle dish, drizzling and tossing with sherry and dabbing with raspberry jam. Cover with half of custard. 

Cover custard with half fruits (I used sliced, canned peaches and fresh raspberries and blueberries, all blotted dry). Repeat layering, starting with cake. Cover top layer of fruit with whipped cream stiffly beaten with sugar, whipped cream stabilizer, and vanilla (I prefer to flute the whipped cream onto the fruit from a pastry bag equipped with a star tip). Refrigerate 2-to-3 hr. Serves 8.

Note: In the photo, I decorated the stiffened cream with candied violets; slivered almonds toasted on an oven-proof sheet at 350 deg. F are another good choice - watch they don’t burn! You don’t need to buy a commercial whipped cream stabilizer: Making it yourself is easy. See How to Stiffen or Stabilize Whipped Cream. 

Drizzle and lightly toss dried, cubed cake with sherry.




Dab cake with raspberry jam. Cover with half
custard and with fruit. Repeat layering.




Use a colorful array of soft fruit and berries.





Flute with whipped cream, garnishing as desired.