Christmas trifle
A festive, layered trifle with sherry-soaked sponge, warm spiced berry compote, home-made custard and cloud-like whipped cream.
This is a proper Christmas trifle — all the good bits: boozy sponge, warm spiced berries, silky home-made custard and fluffy cream on top. It’s showy but surprisingly straightforward, and everyone loves digging into the layers.
Make the compote and custard on the same day, chill to let the flavours settle, then finish with freshly whipped cream and toasted almonds just before serving. It’s ideal for a festive table and scales up easily for a crowd.
Ingredients
- 24 sponge fingers — about 24 fingers (enough for a 2–3 litre trifle bowl)
- 120 ml sweet sherry — divided (about 40 ml for soaking the sponge, 80 ml for the compote)
- 500 g frozen mixed berries — do not defrost fully before cooking
- 130 g caster sugar — divided (about 80 g for compote, 50 g for custard)
- 1 orange — zest of 1 orange
- 4 large eggs
- 600 ml whole milk
- 40 g cornflour
- 1 vanilla pod — split and seeds scraped
- fine salt — a pinch
- 400 ml double cream
- 30 g icing sugar
- 60 g flaked almonds — to toast and scatter
- 12 glace cherries — for decoration
- 5 ml ground nutmeg — for grating over the top
Equipment
- large trifle bowl (2–3 litre)
- saucepan
- hand-held electric whisk or stand mixer
- spatula
Instructions
Make the spiced berry compote: put the frozen mixed berries, 80 g caster sugar, the zest of the orange and 80 ml sweet sherry into a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat and bubble for 10–12 minutes until the berries have broken down and the mixture is syrupy. Turn off the heat and leave to cool briefly.
Toast the flaked almonds: heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast the flaked almonds, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Tip into a bowl to stop them cooking.
Make the custard: split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the whole milk, then add the pod. Gently heat the milk in a saucepan until it is just below boiling and steaming (do not allow to boil).
While the milk is heating, whisk the large eggs with 50 g caster sugar, the cornflour and a pinch of fine salt until smooth and pale. Temper the egg mixture by whisking in a ladleful of the hot milk, then gradually whisking in another two ladles until warmed through.
Return the tempered mixture to the pan with the remaining milk and cook over a low–medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 4–6 minutes). Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla pod, then leave the custard to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Arrange the sponge fingers in a single layer across the base of a large trifle bowl. Drizzle about 40 ml sweet sherry evenly over the sponge so it is moist but not soggy.
Spoon the warm (not hot) berry compote over the soaked sponge in an even layer. Allow any juices to settle for a minute so the next layer sits neatly.
Pour the cooled custard gently over the compote, smoothing the top with a spatula. Leave the assembled trifle to come fully to room temperature for a few minutes, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set and allow flavours to marry.
Whip the double cream with the icing sugar until it reaches soft peaks (about 3–4 minutes with an electric whisk).
Remove the trifle from the fridge, spread or pipe the whipped cream over the set custard, scatter over the toasted flaked almonds and glace cherries, then grate a little ground nutmeg over the top. Serve chilled.
Tips
- Temper the eggs carefully when making the custard — whisking a little hot milk into the eggs first prevents scrambling.
- Toast the flaked almonds in a dry pan and cool them fully before storing; they keep crisp and add a lovely texture contrast.
- Chill the assembled trifle for at least 2 hours; cutting this short will give you a runny centre.
- If the custard is slightly lumpy, press it through a fine sieve while still warm to smooth it.
- Prepare the compote and custard ahead and keep them chilled; whip the cream and decorate immediately before serving.
Substitutions
sweet sherry → dark rum or brandy, same quantity
Stays closesweet sherry → strong black tea or orange juice, same quantity (alcohol-free)
Noticeably differentsponge fingers → sliced Madeira cake (same total weight)
Stays closedouble cream → single cream thickened with a little mascarpone (use 300 ml single cream + 100 g mascarpone)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 580
- Calories
- 10 g
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 34 g
- Sugar
- 150 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the trifle a day ahead?
Yes — assemble up to the chilled custard stage a day ahead, then whip the cream and decorate just before serving to keep the topping fresh and almonds crisp.
Do I have to use alcohol?
No — replace the sherry with orange juice or strong tea for a non-alcoholic version. The flavour will be different but still delicious.
How can I make the custard thinner or thicker?
For thicker custard add another 10–15 g cornflour; for a looser set reduce cornflour by 10 g. Always cook until it coats the spoon before removing from the heat.
Can I use fresh fruit instead of frozen?
Yes — use about 600 g fresh berries and cook them gently until saucy. Frozen fruit gives a richer syrup as it releases juices when cooking.
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