What is trifle sponge

Dish type Cake 3 Biscuit 1 Dessert 5. Total time 30 minutes to 1 hour 4 1 to 3 hours 5. Cuisines Italian 1 British 4 Latin American 2. Recipes Ingredients. Orange sponge cake. Recipe by: Jackie Lim. Sponge fingers. Recipe by: Roxanne. Best sponge cake.

Egg sponge. Recipe by: Jonathan. Madeira Fingers. Sponge fingers good for a trifle or spot of tea. Recipe by: Dan Stanley. No reviews. Recipe by: NCE. I've always considered it the preserve of the shop-bought trifle, and as such, rather beneath my dignity, but Helen Saberi makes a convincing case for it as "a solid sheet of load-bearing substance — the counterpart of a screeded concrete floor".

Rather than being the johnny-come-lately that I'd assumed, jelly has been added to trifles by misguided folks since the 18th century, but I'm not alone in my prejudice. When she contributed a celebratory jelly trifle recipe to the 50th anniversary issue of Alan Davidson's periodical, Petis Propos Culinaire, Saberi found herself lampooned by readers who complained the trifle was "more suited to a school treat than a gastronome's table".

Not wanting to ally myself with such snobbish sorts what's wrong with a school treat, after all? I give Saberi's recipe a try.

The results are not as bad as I'd feared; the jelly adds a bouncy robustness of texture to the base which is actually quite pleasant, but, in combination with custard and cream, it reminds me less of a school treat and more of an infant's party. Blinkered I may be, but there'll be no jelly in my perfect trifle. In the absence of screeded concrete, the support must come from a layer of custard. Although I have an oft-repeated in the vain hope of garnering a lifetime's supply soft spot for the Bird's variety, even I have to admit that, for a special occasion like Christmas, the real sort is probably more appropriate.

Helen Saberi goes the whole hog, making one with double cream which, although it sets beautifully, is quite outrageously rich. Nigella goes for a half and half mixture of milk and cream, which I find more palatable after all, there's going to be a layer of whipped cream on top too , but which is easier to thicken than the all-milk custard deployed by Rose Prince.

BBC Good Food mix their custard with vanilla essence and mascarpone. Not only does this make it overpoweringly vanilla-flavoured, but the cheese gives it a slightly odd texture.

A good custard shouldn't need any such foreign intervention. Although I've focused principally on traditional trifles here, having extracted a personal recommendation from Nigella herself during her appearance on Word of Mouth last week, I'm duty bound to try her favourite festive trifle, the chocolate and cherry version in Feast. Chocolate loaf cakes spread with cherry jam and soaked in cherry brandy, topped with morello cherries, chocolate custard and double cream.

Although I haven't enjoyed chocolate custard since I was at school, I have to admit this recipe is a knockout — like the thickest of hot chocolates, tempered with a fruity, alcoholic hit. I love it — but not quite as much as the subtler vanilla custard and sherry variety. Helen Saberi tops her trifle with a magnificent syllabub, made from a mixture of lemon zest and juice, sugar, white wine and orange flower water and double cream.

It's light, frothy and utterly delicious, but, although it would make a brilliant dessert in its own right, the flavours are wasted here. A thick layer of whipped cream, as used in every other recipe, provides the delicate foil to the sweet custard and boozy, fruity base. Flaked almonds, as deployed by Nigella in her slightly more orthodox Anglo-Italian trifle which my lucky sister's mother-in-law makes for Christmas every year, and I will be sorely missing this Christmas day add a little crunch to the dish, and the pomegranate seeds, well, they just look nicely festive.

Trifle, although a sacred dish, is not one hidebound by ridiculous ritual. As long as you conform to the heaven-sent prescription of layers of cake, fruit, booze, custard and cream, you'll be in for a Christmas treat. Just don't mention the dream topping For the custard: ml whole milk ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, slit in half and seeds scraped out 6 egg yolks 3 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp cornflour.

It will keep for up to three days. The sponge will soak up the layers, and it will not look as beautiful, but it will remain delicious. Recipe Variations This traditional British trifle recipe is just the beginning, and you can take it anywhere you like.

Some people add multiple layers of fruit and custard. Brandy, Madeira , or a sweet white wine can replace the sherry. Explore other trifle recipes such as a decadent chocolate trifle, a rum-infused panettone trifle featuring the Italian fruitcake, or enjoy the seasonal taste of a pumpkin and gingerbread trifle. The trifle is so popular that other desserts have been adapted to this form.

For instance, there's a red velvet trifle , a banana split trifle , and a black forest brownie trifle that happens to be gluten free. Can a Trifle Be Made in Advance? Recipe Tags: Berry dessert british birthdays. Rate This Recipe. I don't like this at all. It's not the worst. Sure, this will do. I'm a fan—would recommend. I love it!

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