This is a quick, easy version of the traditional Trifle. Whether you buy pre-made ingredients or make them yourself, it will be delicious. Be prepared for multiple recipe requests!
Try it yourself - Trifle can be an incredibly easy, tasty, and gorgeous holiday dessert.
Try it yourself - Trifle can be an incredibly easy, tasty, and gorgeous holiday dessert.
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You'll need:
angelfood cake (made from a box is dandy; purchased if you must)
vanilla pudding (I used Jell-O instant)
frozen fruit (I used cherries, blueberries, and raspberries from Trader Joe's)
liqueur(s) of your choice (I used plum brandy, marsala, and kirschwasser)
whipped cream to top (optional)
Go ahead and bake your angelfood cake and mix up your pudding. I've made angelfood cake from a box and from scratch, and the difference isn't major- here you're combining it with so many other flavors that any such distinction would be lost. Purchased pre-made angelfood cakes will do, but tend to be a bit dry and sometimes taste off. Pound cake may be traditional, but I prefer angelfood because it's lighter, more absorbent, and complements the berries better.
I used a trifle bowl (purchased at Target for $14), but you can use any bowl. Glass is preferable, because then you can see all the pretty layers.
angelfood cake (made from a box is dandy; purchased if you must)
vanilla pudding (I used Jell-O instant)
frozen fruit (I used cherries, blueberries, and raspberries from Trader Joe's)
liqueur(s) of your choice (I used plum brandy, marsala, and kirschwasser)
whipped cream to top (optional)
Go ahead and bake your angelfood cake and mix up your pudding. I've made angelfood cake from a box and from scratch, and the difference isn't major- here you're combining it with so many other flavors that any such distinction would be lost. Purchased pre-made angelfood cakes will do, but tend to be a bit dry and sometimes taste off. Pound cake may be traditional, but I prefer angelfood because it's lighter, more absorbent, and complements the berries better.
I used a trifle bowl (purchased at Target for $14), but you can use any bowl. Glass is preferable, because then you can see all the pretty layers.
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pound cake instead of angel food (a different taste but really not that big)
bird's custard instead of vanilla pudding (A BIG ONE, can probably be found in the international aisle of any supermarket and just takes a few minutes to microwave and then cool)(or alternatively you can make the creme anglaise from scratch which is absolutely divine but a wee bit more time consuming)
On top, finish off with some hand whipped cream sprinkled with almonds or berries for a final flourish.
As far as the fruit: anything goes, be as creative as you want, the cherry's in this one look nice :). We usually put skinned orange segments and chopped bananas. I once saw on TV in England a recipe for a passion fruit, mango, and pineapple trifle! Maybe you could try that sometime!
Here's a picture from google that i found that looks a bit more like what we used to make, but i love the effect that canida's cool target bowl had! :D
So how is bird's custard different - is it richer/sweeter/heavier? I think it would need to be to compete properly with a dense pound cake. Of course, the pound cake can absorb more liqueur, so there you go. ;)
And the tropical fruits sound excellent! Yum.