If I had to choose one dessert as the most nostalgic for me, that would be this family recipe for English Trifle. Every holiday we would travel to my aunt’s house for a huge feast and a dazzling dessert table covered with homemade chocolate cake, lemon and mincemeat tarts, usually a pie of some sort, and of course, English Trifle. A trifle is a layered dessert that contains custard, sherry-soaked cake, fruit, jam and whipped cream.
What English Trifle Means to Me
I have quite a few trifle recipes on this blog, but this English trifle recipe is one that my family has always loved. Recipes can vary from family to family, but the basic elements remain the same. A sponge cake soaked in spirits layered together with custard, whipped cream, and fruit. I believe one of my aunts used to add banana slices to hers as well!
I was actually born in England but came to the states when I was just 2 years old. So growing up I was surrounded by words like “blimey” and “rubbish” and other such British terms. This photo was taken shortly after we arrived in the states back in 1969. Two of the children in the photo above were our new friends, the girl in the pink coat and the boy with the red hat.
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I am in the white coat, my older brother is next to me in the brown coat, and my beautiful mom, God rest her soul, is holding my little brother Michael. I have a few other old family photos in this dedication post I wrote for my mom here: Classic Yellow Cake: Dedicated to the Memory of My Mother
English Trifle Recipe
Over the years, trifles [in America] have been adapted to fit into a family’s tastes. Some use pudding, some don’t include sherry or Madeira wine, but instead non-alcoholic juices, and some even use chocolate and other ingredients.
Another reason that the trifle has been adapted is simply out of necessity. English custard can be purchased in a box (Called Bird’s Custard Powder
Funny thing is, the English didn’t “invent” the trifle, the Scottish did. The Scots have recipes that date back to the late 1500’s! Of course hundreds of years ago, Scotland and England united to become the United Kingdom, so calling the trifle “English” is fair. ;-)
I’m actually half Scottish (my dad was born in the Shetland Isles of Scotland) and half English (mom was born in England, I in Leicester). I still have family in the UK, some in Cornwall, more in Droitwich Spa and others in Canterbury just to name a few!
Using Bird’s Custard Powder
Growing up, my family always used Bird’s Custard Powder
Bird’s custard can be found in some specialty grocery stores, or you can order it online. You can use a purchased cake for this trifle. Most English cooks use a Madeira cake, which is similar to a pound cake in America and was named after the wine that often accompanied it.
If you decide to use Bird’s Custard powder, make two batches (2 pints) following the instructions on the back of the can.
Baker’s Tips
- You can use ladyfingers, or as they are called in England, trifle fingers.
- A trifle is made in a similar manner to a tiramisu. I had actually made a white cake and we only used a few pieces, so I used the rest to make my trifle.
Ingredients for English Trifle
For the custard layer ( or you can use Bird’s Custard! )
(If you decide to use Bird’s Custard powder, make two batches (2 pints) following the instructions on the back of the can.)
- 4 cups whole milk
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter
For the cake layer
- 9×13 white or yellow cake, baked and cooled
- 1/2 cup cream sherry
- 3 heaping tablespoons seedless red raspberry jam or preserves
For the fruit layer
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon cream sherry
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Whipped cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make English Trifle
You will want to make the cake and the custard first. Obviously, if you are using a packaged pound cake or ladyfingers, then start with the custard. If you are making a box cake or cake from scratch, be sure to bake that up first. Both the cake and the custard will need to cool before assembling the trifle.
- To make the custard begin by heating the milk in a saucepan. You just want it to come to a simmer, you’ll see steam rising from the surface as well. (If you are using Bird’s custard, follow the preparation instructions on the canister for two pints.)
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch. It will be all lovely and yellow.
- Next, you’ll temper the eggs (follow the instructions in the printable version) and pour everything back into the saucepan to thicken. You need to do it slowly so you don’t burn it, but custard can be finicky, so you need to make sure it heats enough to bubble for several minutes. Use a sturdy rubber spatula to stir the liquid and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in butter. Custard will be thick and smooth.
- I quicken the cooling process by using an ice bath. Fill a large bowl with ice and put the hot custard into a bowl that will fit into the larger bowl. After that’s in there, add some water to the ice to make the ‘bath”. This will chill the outside of the bowl that’s holding the custard, which will help its contents to cool faster.
- Because you are brushing the cake with sherry, you want the cake pieces to be small enough to soak it up. I sliced my cake in half horizontally.
- Place all those pieces cut-side up and brush them with the cream sherry. Now spread the jam on top. Cut them into small squares.
- I chopped fresh strawberries and used fresh raspberries as well. It’s not uncommon for people to use frozen fruit, thaw it out and macerate it, especially in the winter months when [good] fresh fruit is not readily available. Some English cooks don’t macerate the fruit at all, they just use it as is. Unless I’m getting my berries at their peak season, I tend to macerate them or they are a bit too tart. Macerate the sliced berries with sugar and sherry and set aside.
- When you’re ready to assemble the trifle, layer one-third of the cake cubes, jam side up, in the bottom of the trifle dish.
- Cover with one-third of the macerated fruit.
- Add one-third of the custard.
- Finally, top with one-third of the whipped cream.
- Now repeat those layers two more times. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries or raspberries and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Final Note
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients and instructions. Most of it is because of the homemade custard. If you order Bird’s Custard Powder
More layered desserts
You might also like my English Trifle Cheesecake and this Tiramisu Cheesecake as well! Browse all the dessert recipes here.
If you’d like to try some other trifle versions, here are some to save:
- Strawberry Shortcake Trifle– Amanda’s Cookin’
- Tiramisu Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Black Forest Trifle – Happy Hooligans
- Lemon Blueberry Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Banana Caramel Yogurt Trifle – Spaceships and Laserbeams
- Carrot Cake Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
- German Chocolate Cake Trifle – Tatertots and Jello
- Mixed Berry Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Trifle – Today’s Creative Life
- Chocolate Peppermint Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Chocolate Lasagna Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Strawberry Lasagna Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Lemon Lush Trifle – Amanda’s Cookin’
This post was originally published on March 25, 2014.
Traditional English Trifle
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
CUSTARD LAYER
- 4 cups whole milk
- 8 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter cut into small pieces
CAKE LAYER
- 9x13 white or yellow cake baked and cooled
- ½ cup cream sherry
- 3 heaping tablespoons seedless red raspberry jam or preserves
FRUIT LAYER
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon cream sherry
- 1 tablespoon sugar
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Things You'll Need
Before You Begin
- If you decide to use Bird's Custard powder, make two batches (2 pints) following the instructions on the back of the can.
- If it doesn't bubble long enough, the structure can break down and the custard will turn from thick to runny. The good thing is that if you've chilled the custard and it's lost its thickness, you can put it back on the stove and reheat it to thicken it back up.
Instructions
For the Custard
- Heat the milk over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until it just begins to simmer and steam rises from the surface.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until light and smooth.
- HINT: I use my KitchenAid for this, but only as a stand. I hand whisk but use the bowl of the mixer attached to the machine so that I don't have to hold the bowl as well. This allows me to whisk and pour at the same time, which is needed in the next step.
- Remove the hot milk from the stove. While whisking the egg yolk mixture constantly, dribble hot milk, a few drops at a time, into the yolks. Adding the hot liquid very, very slowly in the beginning will temper the eggs, allowing them to warm gradually so that they don't curdle, or worse, scramble! Once you have dribbled in a good amount you can increase the amount of liquid you add at a time, whisking continuously until all the milk has been added.
- Pour the contents of the mixer bowl into the saucepan and heat over medium, whisking constantly, until the mixture just comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, keep whisking, ensuring that the milk mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan, until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in butter. Custard will be thick and smooth. Pour into a shallow bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap so that the plastic is touching the surface of the custard. This will prevent a skin from forming on top. Cool in the refrigerator until chilled.
For the Cake
- Cut the full 13x9 cake in half horizontally (this is slightly different than the step photos in the post but achieves the same thing). Brush the cut sides of both cake halves with the cream sherry. Spread raspberry jam over the sherry. Cut the cake halves into small squares (about 1-2-inches).
For the Fruit
- In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, raspberries, sherry and sugar. Stir to coat and allow to macerate. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the trifle.
For the Whipped Cream
- Combine the heavy whipping cream and the powdered sugar in a larger mixer bowl. Beat on high for 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Assemble the Trifle
- Place 1/3 of the cake cubes in the bottom of the trifle dish, jam side up. Top the cake cubes with 1/3 of the fruit, followed by 1/3 of the custard and finally with 1/3 of the whipped cream. Repeat layers two more times. Decorate the top with fresh fruit. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Nitya says
What can i use instead of cream sherry?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Nitya. The cream sherry is what gives this trifle its distinctive flavor. I do not recommend substituting it. When searching substitutions the results were all alcoholic, so I’m not sure if that’s why you were asking?
Lisa says
Can this be made the day before you wish to serve it?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi, Lisa! I think that should be fine :)
Kim says
I am making this for the first time and I’m using Birds custard, also for the first time. I’ve tripled the recipe on the can of custard per another comments here. The custard does not seem very think. I brought it to a boil and continued to stir for 1 minute. It looks like a creamy soup. My question is does this sound normal? I plan to put in the fridge overnight and assemble the trifle tomorrow. Should I assume it will be the correct consistency after it has chilled or should I try adding more powder to the batch now while it is still hot? Thanks for any suggestions!!
Amanda Formaro says
I am sooooo sorry I missed this comment Kim!! :( I feel terrible. The custard should have been thick when finished. How did the trifle turn out?
Mark McKenzie says
I want to thank you for posting this recipe. This has been my favorite dessert since I was a 6th grader and a classmate of mine, who’s mother was British, made traditional English trifle for the entire classroom. It has been my favorite dessert ever since. I wasn’t entirely happy with the recipe I had been using until I found yours 3 years ago, and it is exactly like the trifle I remember. I have made it five or six times now, and each time it earns raves (and fills my house with that wonderful aroma of custard just like you said)! I always make it in springtime (for Easter) when fresh strawberries are at their peak. I would also emphasize using the sherry and sugar to macerate the strawberries – the extra bit of sherry coating the fruit only enhances that wonderful flavor! Thank you again!
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome to hear, Mark! I’m so glad this recipe turns out great for you. There’s nothing better than reminiscing with a recipe that fits the bill perfectly! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know! :)
ASHLEY says
WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF CREAM SHERRY?
Ria Brown says
Very good have made it now three times ,this time I used Lady fingers it was a success, Thankyou
Amanda Formaro says
So glad to hear it turned out great for you, Ria! :)
Louise says
How many lady fingers did you use?
love says
this is lovely. am trying it in Nigeria
Amanda Formaro says
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Christina Quist says
I will be making this for Christmas. My Dad came over from England and this is the most similar recipe I can find to what my Nanny (Gran) made! She used Bird’s custard as well.Thank you for sharing this!
Amanda Formaro says
Yay! I hope you guys love it! :) :) Merry Christmas!
Tima says
Hey happy new year from us(Fiji) to ur family.i love this recipe and I would love to try tomorrow. thanks for sharing.
Amanda Formaro says
Happy New Year to you as well, hope you like it!
Tim says
I am a neophyte cook (and that’s being generous) so my question may seem strange to some others. I am looking to make Trifle for a get together with friends next week. I was able to purchase the Bird’s Custard Powder, but am not sure how much to make for this recipe. You don’t mention a quantity of the Bird’s Custard to make instead of the “from scratch” custard in your recipe. I would appreciate your guidance.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Tim. I will do my best to help, however please understand that the measurement I am giving you is an educated guess. Based off of the ingredients in my homemade custard, the liquid measurement should equal approximately 5 cups. Once thickened I’m guessing it will be closer to 4-4.5 cups. That being said, I would suggest making 6 cups of custard from the powder. Worse case scenario is that you have too much custard (is there such a thing???) and you can either A) use more custard in your trifle or B) reserve the overage to eat by the spoonful :) Hope that helps!
Tim says
Thanks Amanda. Interestingly, that’s pretty close to what I had guessed. I’ll give it a try.
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, hope you like it!
Joan C says
Mine is traditional English trifle. Made with jellyroll cake, liquid jello, applesauce,custard.then layer all ingredients again. Cool so the liquid jello sets as well as the custard then top with whipped cream.(the real stuff) and put sprinkles on to then serve. Yum Can serve this to all ages.
Amanda Formaro says
Yes I’ve heard of this version from many as well. Then a Scottish woman told me that the version I have posted here is what she grew up with. And my family in England grew up with my version as well. So I guess there’s more than one! I’ll have to try the kind with Jello as well someday! :) I’m sure it’s delicious :)
Andrew Irvine says
I am British and I can confirm that there have been different versions of Trifle for all my life (52yr). I grew up with versions using “jello” (we call it jelly) and that is probably more normal and familiar. If you buy a trifle in a supermarket, it will normally have a layer of “jello”. My mother was discussing what a trifle is supposed to be like and decided that surely Mrs Beaton’s recipe, in her book of Household Management must be a recognised “official” recipe very rich and LOVELY. Amanda- I urge you to try it!
Amanda Formaro says
I will do that, thanks Andrew!
MaryEllen says
The recipe says to bake the cake in a 9×9 pan but, your picture looks more like a 9×13 version. I’m thinking that 9×9 would give you thicker pieces of cut up cake and 9×13 would give you more thinner ones. Which do you prefer?
Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks very much for pointing that out. I have corrected it to 9×13! :)
Elizabeth says
Your trifle recipe saved me from a Mother’s Day disaster…Thank you! I had assembled a 4 layer white cake with a homemade lemon curd between the layers. As I went to lift the last piece to top the cake it disintegrated into many little pieces…thinking quickly, and panicing a lot, I found your excellent trifle recipe and proceeded to cut my cake into many chunks, layered it with the homemade custard, homemade nectarine jam, and boysenberries and mango. It was delicious, and disappeared quickly.Many thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks fantastic Elizabeth, I am so happy to you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of my all time favorites. Love the substitutions you made too, YUM!
Sheena @ Noshtastic says
I LOVE this trifle and I’m so impressed that you made your own custard! It’s exactly like we made it back in Scotland, you really can’t do without the sherry! :) I’m not going to show this to my husband or he will be on my case to make it for him tonight, lol!
We used to use the Devon custard in a can sometimes, or the Birds ready made stuff too, but homemade custard like you made is far superior.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m glad to hear it was just like you made it! On Facebook I had a lot of British ladies redaing me the riot act saying it wasn’t a “traditional” trifle because it didn’t include “jelly” (meaning Jello in the states).
linda says
Hi Amanda,
I plan to serve this trifle tomorrow night, but don’t want to make the whole thing ahead of time since it may be a little bit soggy. Can I make the custard ahead and keep refrigerated until I assemble the trifle tomorrow afternoon? I will be using lady fingers (that seems the most traditional — should I soak them in the sherry overnight too?) Also – is there a place to purchase inexpensive cream sherry?
Thanks so much!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Linda. Sorry I didn’t see your comment in time. I don’t work on weekends so I didn’t see it until late Monday morning and by then it was too late. I hope you were able to figure it all out. But just so you know, it would have been completely fine made and assembled the night before.
Pix says
think it would be ok to refrigerate it overnight after it is all assembled?
Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Yes, but after a couple of days it’s starts to get too soggy. But the night before should be perfect :)
Theresa says
This looks lovely. I am wondering how many this serves for the recipe given? I have to bring a dessert to a party and would like to have a better idea as to portions.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Theresa. I don’t have a specific number but it’s quite a few servings. I would guess about 8-10.
Gay says
I plan to make this a day ahead due to hectic state the day of party. One fruit I am going to use is bananas sautéed in brown sugar and lemon first and hope this will prevent further “browning”. Thoughts?
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry Gay, I wasn’t around when you left this comment. If you are worried about the bananas browning, it shouldn’t be a problem for the ones that are in the layers. It’s being exposed to the air that causes the browning, so if you have them on top as garnish, wait until right before serving before adding them :) I hope I wasn’t too late! And if I was, I hope you enjoyed it!
Charlotte says
What liquid could be used that is non-alcoholic?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Charlotte. I have never made this without sherry. That would kind of be like making tiramisu without a coffee liqueur. I asked my aunt and she said for a kid friendly version my grandmother used to make a “jelly” to pour over the cake, but that’s British terminology. So I’m going to guess she meant a jello type liquid. I suppose you could probably use some sort of fruit juice as well. Honestly though, the sherry is what truly gives this dessert it’s amazing flavor. Taking that out and substituting it would remove the “traditional” portion of the recipe. You can just omit the sherry altogether too, the cake just wouldn’t be soaked is all.
Ingrid Buxton says
try a search for “non alcoholic wine”
Michelle says
My teatotaling family drizzles the cake with Jell-O (thus, skips the sherry & jam). Kid-friendly, and still delicious. All other layers and steps are identical.
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds fabulous!
Velva says
The best food in the world are those created by tradition and fond memories. Thanks for sharing this story and fabulous recipe with us-
Velva
dina says
the homemade custard looks divine. yum!
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Dina!