Trifle
A trifle can be described as anything with layers of a variety of ingredients such as cream or custard, fruit, jam, sponge fingers or other cake type filling, and sometimes jelly. Some recipes call for the cake or sponge to be soaked in alchohol such as sherry, marsala or other liqueur. It is a very old dessert, and has many variations and much controversy over the exact ingredients, but it is so easy to adapt, improvise, replace or add your favourite flavours!
Basic trifle
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- Store bought sponge cake, madeira cake, swiss roll, savoiardi sponge fingers, etc - split or slice the cakes so they are not too thick for layering
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- Mixture of frozen or fresh berries such as blueberry, raspberry, strawberry
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- Berry jam (optional)
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- Whipped cream
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- Liqueur or fruit juice (optional)
Begin by layering half of the cake filling in the bottom of a large glass bowl, cutting or breaking the cake to roughly fit. At this stage, you may sprinkle liqueur or fruit juice over the cake to moisten it, but this is not entirely necessary as the cake will eventually absorb some liquid from the berries and cream. Next put down a layer of berries, and some jam if you like as this will help bind the fruit and intensify the flavour. Now a thick layer of whipped cream. Continue to layer cake/fruit/cream until you have almost filled the bowl. To finish, you can decorate with some mixed berries or make a berry coulis to drizzle over it. Refrigerate over night.
For a more decadent version, replace whipped cream with mascarpone (a rich and creamy cheese made from fresh cream) and add chocolate for a very rich and intense flavour. This recipe is more involved than the basic trifle but well worth the effort!
Mascarpone, Berry and Chocolate Trifle
This recipe will make a trifle large enough to serve 12 - 16 people, and is perfect for the large Dolce trifle bowl. Alternatively it could be served as an individual dessert in small bowls or glasses such as the Belle mini lanterns or Ypsilon glass dessert bowls.
Berry Compote
Combine berries, sugar and water in a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and allow to gently simmer for around 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool.
Mascarpone mixture
Break the chocolate into chunks and place in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pot of simmering water on the stove. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool. Separate egg whites and yolks into 2 bowls. In 1 bowl beat the egg whites with an electric mixture, until soft peaks form, and put aside. In the other bowl add sugar to the egg yolks, and beat until they become pale, thick and creamy. Add mascarpone and vanilla and beat for a further 2 minutes. Gently fold egg whites into the mascarpone mixture. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into a separate bowl and gently fold in the melted chocolate. You now have a chocolate mascarpone and a plain vanilla mascarpone mixture.
Layering the trifle
Using a very large glass bowl, layer 1/3 of the vanilla mascarpone mixture into the base, followed by a single layer of sponge fingers. Then add 1/3 of the berry compote, spooning it in carefully and pushing some against the glass sides to enhance the layering effect. Next spoon in the chocolate mascarpone mixture to form the centre layer. Continue to layer with another 1/3 berry compote, the rest of the sponge fingers, vanilla mascarpone, and the last layer of berries on top. Refrigerate over night. To serve, grate some dark chocolate on top.
These sweet treats make great after dinner desserts or for a rich afternoon tea celebration. Despite the number of ingredients, they are quite easy to make and if presented in a box or wrapped in pretty cellophane and ribbon, they are a wonderful homemade gift.