An easy traditional Sherry Trifle for grown-ups - no jelly here. Make it for a special dessert or for the buffet table.
My parents had lots of siblings and we often had family parties when I was growing up. This traditional Sherry Trifle recipe was one of my mother's staples and a cousin recently reminded me that we children were definitely not allowed to have any. (Although I was often the person who made it!)
Nowadays it's one of my go-to entertaining puddings. I love to make trifle for Christmas or for a summer barbecue. Easy to make, prepare it early and keep in the fridge until needed.
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Ingredients in Sherry Trifle
Sherry
You want a sweetish sherry for trifle - I use Amontillado, which is a medium sweetness because it's what I prefer, but you could use a cream sherry which is sweeter. My mother always used sweet vermouth.
Custard
You need a thick custard for trifle, cooled to the point where it will still pour/can be spooned into the dish, but won't cook the fruit.
I usually make the custard - see How to make custard from scratch. If you have some sort of blender/processor and/or stick blender it's very easy.
Otherwise, buy ready-made custard - I prefer a premium brand such as Waitrose Madagascan Vanilla Custard. You will need to heat it gently to thicken.
Trifle sponges
Trifle sponges are available in most supermarkets, you can use sponge fingers if you like, or make your trifle with any plain sponge cake - or Madeira cake. It's a good way to use up a cake that's slightly stale or the trimmings from a cake you've shaped, e.g. Battenberg Cake.
Variations - make it your own
Use tinned fruit
At Christmas, we used to make this with tinned, sliced peaches. Use the juice to soak the sponges.
No sherry for your trifle?
TBH, you can use whatever alcohol you like, but if you use spirits, perhaps dilute it with some fruit juice.
Make trifle alcohol-free e.g. for children
Use apple or orange juice to soak the sponge if you want a child-friendly trifle. Or go the whole hog and make them a jelly version, which they'll probably prefer.
Substitutions and special diets
Make a gluten-free trifle
There are two items you need to check or modify to make gluten-free:
- Gluten-free trifle sponges - Mostly the trifle sponges you can buy are not gluten-free but you can buy or make a gluten-free Madeira cake and crumble that to use instead
- GF custard - Check the label. Many brands are GF. If you're making the custard, make sure that your cornflour is guaranteed gluten-free, i.e., it hasn't been made in a plant that processes gluten products.
Make-ahead tips
Make the trifle the day before but don't add the raspberries to the top until just before you serve.
If you're making the custard, you can do that 2-3 days before you will use it. Make it to pouring consistency and heat gently before you make the trifle to thicken.
Storing and freezing
How long does Sherry Trifle keep?
Trifle will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, but the layers sometimes start to separate. If it has been sitting in a warm room for many hours, check that the cream is still okay.
Can I freeze Sherry Trifle?
The custard will start to separate. If you really need to, you can freeze the leftovers and eat them up yourself. The texture won't be so great, but sometimes I can live with that. But this isn't a recipe to make in advance and freeze - you'll be disappointed with the results
Top Tip
How to make custard set for a trifle
To thicken homemade or ready-made custard, gently heat and stir until you feel it begin to thicken. Keep stirring until you think the texture is right. If it goes into lumps, use a stick blender, or similar, to smooth out. See How to make Custard from scratch for more details.
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Recipe
Sherry Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 pack trifle sponges, 8 sponges, approx 160g
- 125 ml sherry, or sweet vermouth or fruit juice
- 125 ml fruit juice
- 500 g custard, bought or homemade
- 300 g raspberries, fresh or frozen and defrosted
- 225 ml double cream
- flaked almonds or extra fruit to decorate
Instructions
- Heat the custard in a saucepan and cook for 5-10 minutes to thicken. When thick, stand in a sink of cold water to cool, but not set500 g custard,
- Meanwhile, roughly break up the sponges and arrange in your serving dish. Cover with sherry/vermouth/fruit juice and mash up a bit1 pack trifle sponges,, 125 ml sherry,, 125 ml fruit juice
- When the liquid is absorbed, arrange the fruit over the sponges. Pour the cooled custard over and chill for at least 1 hour300 g raspberries,
- Whip the cream and spread over the custard. Decorate with fruit or flaked almondsKeep in the fridge until needed. Cream can go off if left for hours at room temperature225 ml double cream, flaked almonds or extra fruit to decorate
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