‘Tis the season for a trifle recipe, no doubt about it. Those steady layers of sponge and jelly, billows of custard and cream, and a rainbow of fruit found in a trifle dessert cannot be beat. A cheeky nip of booze doesn’t hurt the cause either.
Trifles have been making spirits bright for 400 years. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, the first recipe with trifle in the title appeared in 1596, but recipes for trifle as we know it today were first seen in the mid-18th century. Traditionally, trifles are layered starting with a base of pound cake, sponge cake or sponge fingers, then fresh fruit or jelly and topped with custard and cream.
In our best trifle recipes, we deviate from convention to bring you trifle recipes made with madeleines, lemon curd and peaches; one that combines two popular desserts, Nik Hill’s banoffee trifle; and even a jam roll trifle cake recipe. But of course, we have an easy trifle recipe or two and more traditional trifles to try also.
Find the biggest bowl you can – this yuletide favourite is made for celebrating.
Here are our best trifle recipes.
Vincotto berry and amaretto cream trifles
Victor Liong’s rose tea and red fruit trifle with vanilla cream and osmanthus
Peach pavlova trifle with brandy custard
Flour and Stone’s trifle with madeleines, lemon curd and peaches
Lauren Eldridge’s apricot, honey, coffee and macadamia trifle
Summer trifle with coconut cream and berry jelly
Peter Gilmore’s quince, pecan and crème caramel trifle with Gretchen’s honey cream
Chocolate trifle with umeshu jelly, plums and crème fraîche
Moscato and almond trifle with white peaches
Moscato, raspberry and panettone trifles
Adriano Zumbo’s rice pudding trifle with saffron jelly and mango and mint salsa
Panettone, apricot and mascarpone trifle
Corn cake trifle with butterscotch, bananas and toasted meringue
Spiced plum, cherry and coffee trifle with cardamom crumb
