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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Kim says
How do I know if the custard is cooked enough? I’m not sure what the texture is supposed to be. Mine isn’t runny or watery but it’s a bit less thick than regular pudding… I can’t find anything online about what texture it should be.
Please help!
Thanks!!
Amanda Formaro says
hi Kim! The texture you are describing sounds about right. Custard is a little less thick than regular pudding.
Jack says
A real and better trifle is not complete without a layer or two of jelly, raspberry red or lime green, over the cake layers.
One can also use whiskey or some liquer to saok the cake instead of the sherry to give the trifle extra richness and more tasty.
I loved trifles before I went on a diet, there’s too much sugar and fat in most deserts of this kind.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Jack. I’ve definitely heard of the jelly version of trifle as well, seems England has two types! ;)
Victoria says
Hello,
I am making this recipe for an afternoon tea gathering at my home. How many people does this recipe serve? Also, I was thinking about making individual serving cups instead of one large one because I was worried it would difficult or messy to dish out to each guest. My thought is that if I make it in individual cups, then it would be better to make fewer layers in each cup, is this correct? Thanks! This looks delicious.
Amanda Formaro says
It might be hard to make this in individual cups. If you do, I would use tall dishes so you can get all the layers in. But yes you are correct, you may need less layers in individual cups. Hope you enjoy it!
S.R. Karfelt says
Amanda,
Thanks for the recipe. I made it for Christmas Eve and raised my family’s low expectations far too high. They’re going to expect things now.
I used lady fingers, but made the custard and whipped cream. I also used blackberries/blueberries/raspberries/strawberries as my fruit, but no banana. I didn’t want it to brown. It was light and delicious.
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds wonderful! And so funny about your family, haha! :)
Amy says
Hi!
I’d like to make this trifle, but I don’t want to use any alcohol. Can I just omit it or do I need to replace it with something?
Also, the jam I have at home has seeds – Is that a problem?
Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Amy. The sherry is what gives this trifle its distinct flavor. However, if you need to substitute it, I would try maybe a sparkling grape juice? Please note, I have never tried that so while in theory it will work, I’m not sure what the flavor would be.
Loretta says
My british mother made her trifle just as you have. It was so delicious, it’s been my favorite dessert ever since. She was a wonderful cook. She is still with us, just doesn’t cook any more. She used to make wedding cakes, (traditional fruitcake), big English roast dinners, mince pies all from scratch. Her food was the best.
Amanda Formaro says
Ah mince pies! my aunt used to make those, they were my dad’s favorite :) Thanks for sharing Loretta!
Judy Curtis says
put your recipes in a printer friendly way so that we can print and keep and use forever, I was going to print this, but it would have been 22 pages. and that I don’t need. Made Pavlova for Christmas dinner. so just happened to have 8 egg yolks left over and some very boozy Christmas type pound cake that I dosed with makers mark, should be yummy,
Kristen Formaro says
Hi Judy, there is a printer friendly version, it’s at the very end of the blog post. All you need to do is press “Print Recipe”. Hope that helps!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Judy! Actually there is a printer friendly option at the bottom of every one of my posts. :) Scroll to the end and click on the Print button and you will only get one page ;)
Jennifer altstadt says
Made the trifle for my British step- mother and she approved! Delicious.
Amanda Formaro says
Hurray, so glad she loved it Jennifer, thank you!
Jon says
Great recipe, that entertained 4 Brits (myself included) here in California today. I used 2 US pints of milk, with 5 tablespoons of Birds custard powder. That’s more powder than recommended, but it made the custard extra thick.
I couldn’t help tinkering with the recipe a bit, in pursuit of memories of trifle from childhood:
1) I added two eggs to the custard once it had fully thickened: beat the eggs in whatever bowl you prepared the custard powder in, then add some of the hot custard back, bit by bit, but combining vigorously with the eggs, so that they don’t cook before fully dispersing into the custard. Then pour back into the pan you thickened the custard in and heat and stir it for a couple more minutes, to make sure the eggs are cooked. This makes for a much more creamy tasting custard, and was a trick used by my mother and grandmothers back in England.
2) I also subbed out most of the strawberries for two cans of fruit cocktail. This is found by the canned peaches and pears in most American supermarkets. It’s the one with peeled grapes and the occasional maraschino cherry in each can, and usually comes in some kind of heavy syrup, even if it is made from fruit juice. Not as classy as all fresh fruit, but another very common take on trifle, dating back to post-war Britain, when canned fruit would have been more plentiful than fresh at Christmas time. With this in the mix, you probably don’t need to macerate the fresh fruit. Add in some amount of the syrup to help get the sponge cake nice and soggy. How much to add will depend on how much cake you use and how dry it is. (If I were using jello in the trifle, I’d add all of the syrup from both cans into the jello, replacing the same volume of water from the jello recipe.)
3) I cut two bananas into discs and stirred them into the custard. I waited for the custard to do this, for a more restrained banana flavor, but you can do it while the custard is hot (and/or use more ripe bananas) for a more banana-infused custard flavor.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Jon! I am so happy that you all enjoyed this recipe so much! Thanks for all the insight, especially on the custard. I wouldn’t have thought you use fruit cocktail, but so glad it worked out so well for you. hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Amanda says
I’m making this on Christmas Eve for my half-British children! Can’t wait to eat it tomorrow. Your custard recipe is divine! Im not a great cook, but even I managed this. I used lady fingers from the Italian deli. Thank you for sharing!
Amanda Formaro says
How wonderful! Merry Christmas!
Dave McDougall says
Hi Amanda, I just joined your newsletter, and I wanted to mention , the real deal IS the Birds Custard, and also, you forgot to tell your members that there can also be a layer of Jello/jelly to the Brits. I am Scottish, so maybe the Jelly was a Scottish custom. All that aside, a great dessert any time of year. Dave
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Dave! Yes it’s interesting that there are two different versions of traditional English trifle. I have actually received praise from many and been yelled at by many! Haha – Merry Christmas!
Marie K Scovell says
I do have some Bird’s Custard Powder but am not sure how much of it to make. The recipe on the can uses 1 pint of milk. It looks like your recipe calls for 4 cups of milk. So, I guess I should double the Bird’s Custard Powder recipe. eh?
Amanda Formaro says
I really should make this recipe with the Bird’s Custard powder so that I could accurately answer this question. I think that’s a good estimation (doubling it) – there are only two results… you’ll end up with too much which you can store in the fridge and eat later, or not enough and you’ll have to make a little more. :)
Annc says
Just made the custard and I think letting it bubble for a few min is too much, I got it off the heat just as it started to coagulate, I think it is ok. I added a bit more heavy cream to help cool it. Maybe a temperature would be helpful?
I’m using eggnog bread that I made a few weeks ago, should be perfect for Christmas!
How long would you keep this in the fridge? The leftovers , that is.
Amanda Formaro says
Similar to pudding, you should be able to keep the leftover for about 4 days. Merry Christmas!
Jenn says
Hey Amanda!
I don’t know if this is silly, but do you have to cut the sponge or can it be one rounded thin slice for each layer? Or is it better for serving if it is cut into cubes/squares? Also, I plan to use fruit and jam. What fruit combinations do you like and or have you tried? I love raspberries but my husband does not. I saw the comment about Peaches and Orange, and Raspberries and Strawberries, is there one that is more common than the others? What about Blueberries, Blackberries, Figs?
Thank you for your help – I look forward to making this for Christmas dinner.
Amanda Formaro says
I believe you could use one thin round slice instead of cutting it up :) I personally like blackberry jam the best, but for the trifle my aunt always used either strawberry or raspberry.
Chrissie says
Hi Amanda,
How many does this serve, or did I miss it.
Trifle sounds great !!!
Amanda Formaro says
it’s serves a good crowd! We serve it at the holidays and have anywhere from 8-16 guests and everyone always gets some. If I had to put a number on it, I would say 14.
Gail says
Hi, thank you for this recipe! I made it for my husband’s birthday today. He is kind of an Angliophile, especially since we took a 3 week trip through the beautiful countryside of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales a few years ago. So he requested a “real English trifle” for his birthday. The problem is, we are gluten free, due to our daughters’ celiac disease (and we are also sensitive). However, I knew Schar makes gluten-free ladyfingers. I bought 2 packages of them, and also went to our local Cost Plus Imports where they had Bird’s custard powder. I guesstimated that I’d need to triple the recipe on the back of the carton, which was spot on: 6 cups of custard worked great. The surprise came when I opened the packages of ladyfingers– the GF ones are crisp, like a cookie, and I wasn’t able to split them lengthwise as I’d intended– they just broke and crumbled into small bits. However, I went ahead and cut them up into 4 pieces each– they didn’t crumble so much when cut straight across the width– (2 packages was just about right) and put them on a foil-lined rimmed cookie sheet. Then I brushed the sherry over and they did a fair job of soaking it up after a few minutes. I realized it would be impossible to spread the raspberry jam on each little bite sized piece, so I warmed the jam in the microwave for 30 seconds, and this made it a good consistency to just brush on with the pastry brush I’d used for the sherry. The rest came together just as described in your recipe. I did macerate the strawberries and raspberries, since they’re pretty tart this time of year. The ladyfingers worked ok; I think a sponge cake or pound cake might have been better, but my husband loved it. As previous posters have said, it’s really surprising light. You’d think it would be heavy and too rich, but it’s not. Thanks again!
Amanda Formaro says
That’s great, Gail! I’m glad you were able to find a good substitution that worked well for you and your husband. Thank you for sharing this for anyone else who may also be intolerant! :)
Carolyn says
Amanda can you make the trifle the night before using fresh fruit ? Thank you Carolyn
Amanda Formaro says
Yes that should not be a problem!
Matilda says
Noooooooooooo! That’s not quite right. It’s sherry-soaked sponge on the bottom with the fruit. Not jam covered. You may then pour strawberry jelly (jello in the US?) over this if you are using strawberries. If it’s peaches, use orange jelly. Then one layer of custard and one layer of whipped cream on top.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Matilda! I’ve actually had this conversation a few times on Facebook about this recipe :) As it turns out, there are a couple of different traditional ways to make trifle. The way I describe in the recipe and the way you describe it. I was actually surprised the first time I heard about using “jelly” in it, but the more I researched the more I found that it’s common. But I also found that the way my aunt made it and her mother and grandmother before her, is also quite common in England. Thanks for sharing, I’ll have to try the jelly version some day!
Rosie Paschall says
Thank heavens, a REAL English trifle, there are so many horrible concoctions these days all called “Trifle” and they are definitely not This is light. luscious with just the right flavors and textures, my mouth is drooling just reading the recipe. Please don’t think of using a pudding mix, Birds Custard yes, but no instant stuff. You can make it a day ahead while all the juices intensify. It is the perfect dessert, just lightly rich but not heavy and stodgy. I made it for my students once, all girls, and they couldn’t wait for their dishes and just dug into it. I should have been horrified but after seeing a licked clean bowl and thoroughly satisfied students, it is now a lovely memory I will never forget. The sherry is just for flavor, and there is no substitute, nobody will get sloshed. Bravo Amanda, please make more!
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you, Rosie! It’s definitely nostalgic for me as well as a favorite of mine :) I completely agree about the sherry, it’s totally what makes the flavor what it is!
Joy says
I would LOVE to make this, but will have several children and a recovering Alcoholic at the party. Is there anything I can use other than sherry ??? But this looks scrumptious !
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Joy. The sherry is what gives this trifle it’s distinct flavor. However, if you need to substitute it, I would try maybe a sparkling grape juice? Please note, I have never tried that so I’m while in theory it will work, I’m not sure what the flavor would be.
lucia says
what size for the trifle bowl are you using for this recipe? I have an eight cup trifle bowl?
Amanda Formaro says
My trifle bowl holds 12 cups of liquid filled almost to the top.