Serve it with dessert sherry or coffee.
Classic English Sherry Trifle
Dessert
Custards puddings creams
Vanilla: Extract
Medium
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Layers of sponge soaked in sherry, raspberry jam, thick homemade vanilla custard and softly whipped cream, finished with toasted almonds. It is made a day ahead so the layers meld. Makes 1 large trifle bowl in about 4 hr 55 min.
Prep
40 min
Cook
15 min
Cooling
4 hr
Total
4 hr 55 min
Yield
1 large trifle bowl
Ingredients
Adjust yield
large trifle bowl
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
- 9 oz (250 g)plain sponge cake or ladyfingers, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 tbsp (90 ml)cream sherry
- ⅔ cup (200 g)raspberry jam
- 7 oz (200 g)thawed frozen raspberries, lightly crushed
- 2 ½ cups (600 ml)whole milk
- 6 (108 g)egg yolks
- 6 tbsp (80 g)granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp (25 g)cornstarch
- 2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups (400 ml)heavy cream, cold
- ¼ cup (30 g)powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup (30 g)sliced almonds, toasted
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Instructions
- For the custard, heat the milk in a saucepan until steaming. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until pale.
- Slowly whisk about a third of the hot milk into the yolks, then pour everything back into the pan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling gently, 5 to 8 minutes; the custard must reach 160 F (71 C). Stir in the vanilla.
- Strain into a bowl, press plastic wrap on the surface and cool to room temperature, then chill for 1 hour.
- Spread the sponge cubes in the bottom of a 3-quart (3 L) glass bowl and sprinkle with the sherry. Spread with the jam and scatter the crushed raspberries on top.
- Spread the cold custard over the fruit. Cover and chill at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- Whip the cream with the powdered sugar to soft peaks and swirl it over the custard.
- Scatter with toasted almonds just before serving and spoon out in deep portions.
Tips
- Make the custard thick; it should hold a spoon trail since it will be layered over soft sponge.
- Day-old sponge soaks up the sherry without falling apart.
- For a no-alcohol version, use fruit juice or milk with a little vanilla.
- Cook the custard to 160 F (71 C) and refrigerate promptly; keep the assembled trifle at 40 F (4 C) or below and discard if left out more than 2 hours.
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Recipe FAQ
How long does it take to make classic english sherry trifle?
Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours to chill. The recipe makes 1 large trifle bowl.
How should I store classic english sherry trifle?
Refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days; add the whipped cream and almonds the day of serving for the best texture.
Can I make classic english sherry trifle ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
Made with VanillaGoods
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