Traditional English trifle is a dessert dish characterized by layers of cake, fruit, jam and custard - served in a large glass bowl. Trifle is often spiked with some sweet alcohol such as brandy, sherry or white wine. The Brits like to finish off Christmas dinner with a large dessert trifle to share with the family.

By far my favorite Rose family tradition is enjoying my mom’s English trifle every Christmas. She came to visit us here in Sacramento and together we made her signature trifle so that I could document the recipe for the blog.

While we all grew up in California, we love to honor our English heritage with this classic English dessert. My mother was taught this recipe from her wonderful old family friend named Wilma Woods. Wilma made this trifle every Christmas for dessert when our family went to the Woods’ house for Christmas dinner.

Mrs. Woods told my mom that trifle was a recipe created to use up old, stale cake that no one wanted. Since it rarely happens that there is uneaten cake, we have to make a cake to use in the trifle. Hence it is best made ahead a day or so and allowed to “dry out” a bit first so it will absorb all the ingredients.

Because this recipe is best made in stages, planning ahead is very important. It’s vital to give yourself plenty of time for the cake to cool and the custard and Jello to set in the refrigerator.

Stage 1: Make the Cake

The cake recipe my mom always used was the batter for a yellow pineapple upside-down cake from a vintage 1950’s cookbook. I have transcribed the exact cake recipe below with one exception. Instead of using sifted cake flour we use traditional flour for a heartier textured cake. We want the cake to be heavy and serve as a sponge to soak up all the liquids in the bowl.

*Note - This recipe will only make enough cake batter to fill one tin, which is all you need for the trifle because you will cutting it horizontally into two halves.

Ingredients for the Cake Batter:

1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Cups Flour
2 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Cake Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
With room temperature butter, thoroughly grease your cake tin. You can also spray the pan with oil. Dust the pan with flour. You can use a standard 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.
Cream butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, gradually adding sugar.
Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.
Mix dry ingredients, and then add them alternatively with milk and vanilla to the creamed mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 - 50 minutes or until the cake tests done. Insert a knife into the center of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake is done.
Once you’ve removed the cake from the oven, it’s time to remove it from the tin so it can cool. Loosen cake from sides of the pan with a spatula and invert onto a cooling rack or a plate.
Let the cake sit out overnight. You want the cake to be slightly dry when it goes into the trifle bowl so that it can absorb all the liquids we’ll be adding.

Stage 2: Make Your Custard

This custard recipe is from the vintage Mary Meade’s Country Cookbook and has been used in my family for generations. It has a very creamy consistency and really works well as a filling for trifle.

For your planning purposes, you will be making this custard ahead of time and letting it chill for several hours (or overnight) before you add it to the trifle layers.

You will need a double boiler for this step. I didn’t have one in my kitchen so I got crafty with two pans (see image below).

One important thing to note when you’re making the custard, it can be a bit tricky because your eggs are inclined to overheat and begin to curdle. When this happens your custard will more resemble scrambled eggs than the creamy filling desired. My mom uses a blender trick to avoid the dreaded curdled eggs which I will do my best to explain in the instructions.

Ingredients for the Custard:

2 Eggs or 4 Yolks
2 Cups Milk
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Custard Instructions:

Put your double boiler on the stove and fill the bottom pot halfway with water. Put the heat on medium-high and stack your second pan on top. You want the water in the bottom pan to get very hot and bubbly.
Add the milk to the top pan and begin slowly heating until it has reached scalding. You’ll know when your milk is scalding because it will develop small bubbles and a film layer of milk on top. You do not want the milk to boil, this temperature is too high and it will cook your eggs too fast (which leads to the scrambled eggs dilemma).
In a separate side bowl beat the eggs. Add the sugar and salt to the eggs.
Add the eggs mixture to a blender. Put the blender on low with the lid removed. Slowly drizzle the warm milk into the blender and let it mix. This trick will keep the eggs from cooking too quickly and curdling.
Once the entire mixture is blended together, return it to the top pan in the double boiler. Continue stirring and cooking. You’ll know when it’s reached the desired consistency because a dipped spoon will have a semi thick and even coating (see image below).
Pour the custard into a bowl and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Add the vanilla and stir.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator. You want it to thicken and be completely cool to touch. You’re most likely going to keep it in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or you can leave it overnight.

Stage 3: Build the Trifle Layers

After your cake has dried out for 24 hours and your custard is chilling, it’s time to begin building your layers in your glass trifle bowl.

Ingredients for Trifle Layers:

One jar of raspberry jam. You can substitute strawberry or any other berry jam if desired.
One can of peaches in syrup, save the juice from the can.
One packet of regular lemon Jello.
Sherry (not cooking sherry). I use dessert sherry or cream sherry.

Building Your Trifle Layers:

Slice the cake horizontally across through the middle. Place one half of cake in bottom of glass trifle bowl. Cut the remaining cake into slices to cover the sides of the bowl.
Spread raspberry jam across all exposed surfaces of the cake. How much raspberry jam you put on is your decision. I like to put lots of jam and generally use about a whole jar of jam for one trifle.
Open a can of peaches and save the liquid from the can. Place peach slices in a circular pattern layer over the cake and jam.
Drizzle sherry over the cake. How much you add depends on your personal taste. My mom likes to use a lot, probably about 1/3 cup, but I’m guessing here for the total cake.
Put the syrup from the peaches in a saucepan and add about 1/3 - ½ package of lemon Jello. Bring to boil. Once the syrup has boiled sprinkle/pour the syrup over the cake making sure you saturate the cake well. Put in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the Jello set.
Once the Jello is set remove from refrigerator and pour custard over the cake. Place back in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Stage 4: Add Fresh Whipped Cream & Serve

While you could take a shortcut and use pre-made or canned whipped cream, the quality is much better when you make homemade whipped cream. And it’s actually easier than you’d think as long as you have an electric mixer.

Ingredients for Whipping Cream:

8 oz Carton of Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

How to Make Fresh Whipping Cream:

Pour the entire carton of cream into a large mixing bowl.
With a handheld mixer start mixing the cream at a high speed.
Slowly but surely it will begin to thicken until you have peaks.
Once you’ve reached the desired consistency you can fold the sugar and vanilla into the cream with a spatula.
Your top of the trifle will be a thick layer of whipped cream.
If you’d like to add some razzle dazzle to your trifle you can decorate with fresh cut fruits and sprinkles.
Enjoy with family and friends!