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Festive Cranberry Fruit Trifle Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 65 reviews
  • Author: Villerius
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 10 min
  • Total Time: 86 min
  • Yield: 10 - 14 servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: British

Description

This classic Christmas Trifle is a festive layered dessert featuring cubes of Madeira or pound cake soaked in fruit-flavored liquor or juice, topped with a homemade cranberry jelly made from real cranberry juice and gelatin, fresh berries, whipped cream, and a creamy vanilla custard. Perfect for holiday celebrations, it combines vibrant flavors and textures for a show-stopping centerpiece that serves 10 to 14 people.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake and Soaking Liquid

  • 1 x 450g / 14 oz Madeira cake or Pound cake, store bought (Note 1)
  • 1/3 cup orange or other fruit flavored liquor (like Cointreau), or apple, orange, or other fruit juice (or 2 tbsp brandy)

Jelly Layer

  • 7 tsp gelatine powder (Note 2)
  • 6 cups cranberry juice, original (with sugar added, not No Added Sugar, Note 2)

Fruit

  • 500 – 750g (1 – 1.5 lb) strawberries, halved
  • 1 each punnet blueberries
  • 1 each punnet raspberries

Whipped Cream

  • 2 1/2 cups heavy / thickened cream or pure whipping cream
  • 3 tbsp white sugar (caster sugar ok)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Custard

  • 3 cups milk (full or low fat)
  • 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract (Note 4)
  • 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar), extra
  • 4 egg yolks (Note 7 for using leftover whites)
  • 1/2 cup cornflour / cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake and Soak: Cut the Madeira or pound cake into 2 cm / 0.8 inch cubes. Cover the bottom of a 3.5 L / 3.5 qt trifle dish with the cake cubes, you might not use all. Sprinkle the cake generously with the orange or fruit-flavored liquor, or fruit juice, to soak.
  2. Make Cranberry Jelly: Sprinkle the gelatin powder over a small amount of cold cranberry juice to bloom. Heat the remaining cranberry juice until hot but not boiling, then dissolve the bloomed gelatin in the hot juice, stirring well until fully combined. Pour this mixture softly over the soaked cake cubes in the trifle dish, ensuring even distribution. Refrigerate to allow the jelly to set firmly, ideally overnight or several hours.
  3. Add Fresh Berries: Once the jelly layer is set, evenly scatter halved strawberries and the punnet of blueberries and raspberries on top of the jelly layer. Optional: scatter an additional 1/2 to 1 punnet of strawberries for extra fruity flavor and decoration.
  4. Prepare Whipped Cream: In a chilled bowl, combine the heavy cream, 3 tbsp white sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Spread or pipe the whipped cream evenly over the fruit layer.
  5. Make Vanilla Custard: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup caster sugar, and cornflour until smooth and pale. Heat the milk with the 1/4 cup caster sugar and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Return the mixture to the pan, stirring continuously over low to medium heat until thickened to a custard consistency. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  6. Layer Custard: Pour the warm custard gently over the whipped cream layer, smoothing the surface. Refrigerate the assembled trifle for several hours or ideally overnight to develop full flavors and allow all layers to set.

Notes

  • The key to a phenomenal Christmas Trifle is making the jelly layer using real cranberry juice and gelatin powder instead of artificial flavored jelly crystals to maximize fresh fruit flavor.
  • You can use brandy or fruit liqueurs like Cointreau as soaking liquids to add richness and aroma to the cake layer.
  • This recipe works best if started the day before to allow the jelly and custard to fully set in the refrigerator.
  • Leftover egg whites from the custard can be used for meringues or other recipes as noted in the original instructions.
  • If you prefer, substitute vanilla bean paste with pure vanilla extract for the custard.
  • The trifle dish should ideally hold about 3.5 liters or quarts to accommodate all layers comfortably.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12th of trifle)
  • Calories: 320
  • Sugar: 28g
  • Sodium: 90mg
  • Fat: 15g
  • Saturated Fat: 9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 5g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 35g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Cholesterol: 115mg

Find it online: https://emilyscook.com/festive-cranberry-fruit-trifle-recipe/