Strawberry Trifle Recipe: Explore the Origins of the British Trifle
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 5, 2022 • 4 min read
The classic British trifle features layers of cake, fruit jelly, pudding, and whipped cream. Learn how to make your own strawberry trifle at home, along with some tips on assembly.
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What Is a Trifle?
A trifle is a no-bake British dessert consisting of layers of (ideally, stale) baked goods like pound cake, shortcake, or angel food cake perked up with a simple syrup or liquor, then topped with a layer of vanilla pudding or lemon curd, fresh fruit, and thick whipped cream. The dessert is endlessly customizable: you can swap the traditional cake layers in the recipe for brownies, bits of cookies, and even day-old breakfast pastries like scones. Common fruit additions include fresh raspberries and strawberries.
Some traditional recipes may also call for a layer of fruit jelly set with gelatin. The final layer is crowned with a thick layer of whipped cream and any additional garnishes.
What Are the Origins of the Trifle?
Mentions of trifle-adjacent desserts (as a type of flavored cream) date back to the sixteenth century. By the 1800s, recipes often included a fruit jelly component and a layer of cookies or biscuits soaked in fortified wines like sherry and madeira.
Food historians speculate that trifles are an evolution of other British desserts, like a fool, which folds macerated fruit into cream, and syllabub, a Cornish beverage of sweet cream curdled with wine, cider, or beer. There are endless varieties and flavor combinations, ranging from simple to intricate. Tiramisu is a familiar Italian trifle variation, with its alternating layers of ladyfinger sponge cake biscuits dipped in espresso and a thick, creamy blend of nutty mascarpone cheese with egg yolks, sugar, and whipped cream.
3 Tips for Making a Trifle
Whether a berry trifle, chocolate trifle, or cheesecake trifle, here are some tips to consider while assembling this flexible dessert recipe:
- 1. Choose a clear serving vessel. Trifles are traditionally presented in large, glass trifle bowls with tall sides or individual trifle glasses to highlight the dessert’s distinct layers. If you don’t have a trifle dish, there’s no need to buy a special one—just use a clear glass bowl. Home bakers often use glass mixing bowls to present trifles.
- 2. Save time with store-bought components. While a homemade pudding will add velvety finesse and big flavor to any trifle, instant vanilla pudding mix from the grocery store will save time and effort, with the same delicious results. Likewise, you can use a pre-whipped topping instead of whipping your own heavy cream. If you’re short on fresh berries, use frozen ones in a pinch—just thaw and drain them first.
- 3. Serve it with a big spoon. A scoop of English trifle is a multi-layer excavation, and a good serving will feature a jumble of cake, cream, pudding, and fruit. Use a large serving spoon to do the job in one go.
Strawberry Trifle Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
1 hr 30 mincook time
15 minIngredients
For the pudding:
For the simple syrup:
For assembling the trifle:
For the whipped cream:
- 1
To make the pudding, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add in the eggs, and whisk to incorporate. Add in the milk and cream, and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and has no lumps.
- 2
Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, then cook it over medium-low heat until it is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir the pudding constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching, and adjust the heat as needed. Remove the pan from the stove and add the vanilla extract to the mixture. Stir to combine, and let it cool completely.
- 3
To make the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat, and add in the almond extract.
- 4
Next, prep the components you’ll need to assemble the trifle. Combine the cut strawberries with the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and thyme leaves. Stir to combine, and set it aside.
- 5
To make the whipped cream, bloom the gelatin in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Add the cream and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add the gelatin, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- 6
To assemble the trifle, place a layer of cake cubes along the bottom of a trifle dish. Top the cake layer with a drizzle of almond syrup, followed by an even layer of the pudding mixture, then a layer of strawberries and whipped cream. Repeat the layers 2 or 3 more times, depending on the size of your bowl, ending with whipped cream.
- 7
Place the trifle in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set it. When you’re ready to serve the dessert, sprinkle it with the sliced almonds.
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