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Traditional Trifle

Trifle as my mother and grandmother used to make.

Category: Christmas, Dessert
Style: Australian, Christmas, English
Keyword: Custard, Gluten Free Option, Swiss Roll
Quantity: 8
Author: sbaskitchen
Ingredients
FOR THE SWISS ROLL
  • 2 eggs
  • cream
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • pinch salt
  • caster sugar to sprinkle
  • 1/2 cup Plum and Raspberry Jam
FOR THE CUSTARD
  • 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
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM
  • 200 ml whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
TO FINISH
  • 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
Instructions
FOR SWISS ROLL (Make in advance, preferably one or two days prior)

  1. Preheat oven to 180˚C (fan).

  2. LIne a Swiss roll tin with baking paper, and then grease the paper well with butter or spray with canola spray.

  3. Break eggs into a cup, fill with cream and pour into a medium mixing bowl.

  4. Add sugar and beat with a fork or hand whisk until creamy.

  5. Add flour and salt, and stir to combine.

  6. Pour Cream Cake mixture into prepared Swiss roll tin, and bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

  7. Meanwhile lay a clean tea towel on the bench and sprinkle with caster sugar.
  8. 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).

  9. 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.)

FOR THE CUSTARD
  1. Using a whisk, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a medium bowl
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the custard, to prevent a skin forming, and set aside to cool slightly.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM
  1. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla bean paste to soft peaks.
TO FINISH

  1. Select a clear glass bowl, so that once you have layered the trifle, all the layers, and the swirls of the roll, are visible.

  2. 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).

  3. Mix the sherry and peach juice/syrup together in a glass, and drizzle over the cake.

  4. Pour the custard over the cake, and give a little shake to allow the layers to settle.
  5. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

  6. Drain the peaches.

  7. Chop the jelly.

  8. Spread the cream over the top of the custard.

  9. Arrange the peach and Kiwi fruit slices, alternatively, around the edge of the bowl.

  10. Arrange the chopped jelly in the centre of the fruit.
  11. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
  • 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.