While there are many fancy versions of trifle around, for me, there is no going past the traditional trifle that my mum, and my Nana, used to make! It takes time, so was really only prepared for special occasions, and you know what, I think that’s what makes it even more of a treat! The anticipation makes your mouth water as you wait for it to appear on the table during festive celebrations.
I’ve prepared this recipe from memory. The cake is not a traditional Swiss roll recipe that Mum and Nana would have prepared in advance – the cake should be at least a day or two old, so that when you drizzle the liquid over it, it still holds its shape and texture. I have found that I can cheat a little and make my Gran’s cream cake recipe, baking and treating it as for a Swiss Roll. If you’re intimidated by the thought of making a Swiss roll, you could use a store bought Swiss roll, or use slices of plain cake joined together with the jam instead, you just won’t get the pretty swirl showing through the bowl.
In a way this recipe brings together three very much loved, and amazing, women who helped to nurture me and my cooking skills, which in turn has led me to be the person I am, and to do what I am doing, today!
We found this piece when going through family photos. I believe that the article would have been from the Stawell Times, a local newspaper, I do not know the date, but our Nana has not been with us for over thirty years, and it would have been taken some years prior to that when the photo was taken. Nana, Mrs Elvie (Evelyn) McDonald, is pictured in the middle, and I believe that the trifle on the table in front of Myrtle Bibby would be the one prepared by Nana or Mum – I remember the bowl that it is in. Events such as this casserole luncheon were a feast, quite literally, and the community was constantly holding events to raise funds for worthy causes in the region.
This year I wanted to make trifle for our Boxing Day meal at my sister, Sonnies’, home – it was a treat. Given that we were traveling to Sonnies’ on Christmas Eve, I needed to make the trifle to a certain point and finish it off on Boxing Day. I made the cake the day before Christmas Eve, I also made the jelly and set it in a glass, lidded, jar for ease of storage and transportability. On Christmas Eve I cut and placed the Swiss roll into my pretty crystal bowl, drizzled over the combined juice (mum and nana would have used water) and sherry, made the custard and spread it over the cake, making sure to shake the bowl to help the custard settle in between the slices of cake. Then I carefully laid a peace of cling film on top of the custard to prevent a film from forming on top. We packed this into a cool bag with ice, and when we arrived at Sonnies’ it was stored in the fridge until Boxing Day when the plastic film was removed, and it was finished with the whipped cream, fruit and jelly.
I shared some with my daughter-in-law, Olivia, she loved it just as much as we do, I think she may be making it for her family in the future.
Trifle as my mother and grandmother used to make.
- 2 eggs
- cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup self raising flour
- pinch salt
- caster sugar to sprinkle
- 1/2 cup Plum and Raspberry Jam
- 300 ml pure cream
- 300 ml full cream milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 3 tsp cornflour
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 200 ml whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 can/jar of peach slices in juice
- 2 tbsp juice/syrup from peaches
- 2 tsp sweet sherry
- 2 Kiwi fruit, peeled halved and sliced
- 1 packet of Raspberry Jelly, prepared as per instructions, and set
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Preheat oven to 180˚C (fan).
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LIne a Swiss roll tin with baking paper, and then grease the paper well with butter or spray with canola spray.
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Break eggs into a cup, fill with cream and pour into a medium mixing bowl.
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Add sugar and beat with a fork or hand whisk until creamy.
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Add flour and salt, and stir to combine.
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Pour Cream Cake mixture into prepared Swiss roll tin, and bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
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Meanwhile lay a clean tea towel on the bench and sprinkle with caster sugar.
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When cake is done, turn it out onto the prepared tea towel, and using the short end, roll into a scroll (the tea towel will be rolled up inside the cake).
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Allow to sit for five minutes, unroll and quickly and carefully spread with the jam. Roll up again, without the tea towel, and place on a cake rack to cool. (Don't worry if the cake cracks.)
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Using a whisk, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a medium bowl
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Combine milk, cream and vanilla bean paste in a medium saucepan; bring to just under a simmer (when the bubbles start to form on the top). Remove from heat; gradually whisk milk mixture into egg mixture.
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Return the mixture to the pan, stir over a low heat, without boiling, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon.
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Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the custard, to prevent a skin forming, and set aside to cool slightly.
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Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla bean paste to soft peaks.
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Select a clear glass bowl, so that once you have layered the trifle, all the layers, and the swirls of the roll, are visible.
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Cut the Swiss roll into 1.5 cm thick slices and arrange in the base of the trifle bowl (I used approximately ⅔ of the roll, bringing it about ⅓ of the way up the side of the bowl).
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Mix the sherry and peach juice/syrup together in a glass, and drizzle over the cake.
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Pour the custard over the cake, and give a little shake to allow the layers to settle.
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Place in the refrigerator to chill.
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Drain the peaches.
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Chop the jelly.
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Spread the cream over the top of the custard.
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Arrange the peach and Kiwi fruit slices, alternatively, around the edge of the bowl.
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Arrange the chopped jelly in the centre of the fruit.
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Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- If serving as a buffet of desserts, there will be more than enough for at least 12 - 15!
- This trifle is finished as my mother always did, with fruit and jelly on top. Nana only did crushed jelly, a little in the centre and a little around the edge of the bowl.
- To make gluten free, simply substitute in gluten free flour for the traditional flour, and check that all other ingredients that you are using are gluten free.
- Baking times may vary, as ovens do!
- I don't give prep times, or say how long it takes to make a dish any more, as we all work differently and I find them to be misleading!
- I like to use the peaches in juice rather than syrup, they are generally clingstone peaches, but if you preserve your own, they will work beautifully as well.
- I set my jelly in a glass lidded jar, it takes up less room in the fridge, and if you are taking the trifle to a celebration and it needs to be stored, I make up to, and including, the custard layer. Then finish it off with the cream, fruit and jelly on the day.
I must confess that this was not supposed to be my next post, but as I was writing the post that will now follow this one “The Month of Christmas!”, I decided to include my recipe for Traditional Trifle. However, as I started to write up the trifle recipe I realised that it had its own story to be told.
Until next time – remember there is a reason that some recipes really are for special occasions, not only because of the time they take to make, but they deserved to be shared with loved ones too!
Bon appétit!
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With many thanks and kindness,
Julie.
