Trifle

Trifle is a spectacular, layered English dessert: sponge, fruit, silky vanilla cream and whipped cream piled on top of each other, served in a glass bowl.

The sponge and the fruit

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Whisk the eggs frothy with the sugar, then fold in the flour gently, and bake a sponge from it (in about 15 minutes).

2. Cut the cooled sponge into cubes, and layer it over the bottom of a glass bowl.

3. Spread it with the raspberry jam, then scatter over half of the fresh raspberries.

The cream and the top

4. Mix the egg yolks with the sugar and the flour, pour in the hot milk, and cook it into a thick cream, stirring constantly, then cool it.

5. Smooth the cooled cream onto the sponge layer.

6. Whip the cream, cover the custard with it, and decorate it with the remaining raspberries. Keep it in the fridge until serving.

Tip: It is finest in a glass bowl – the sight of the pretty layers is half the success of the dessert.