English Trifle Recipe with Custard - Haute & Healthy Living

Impress your guests with this stunning and delicious English trifle recipe with custard! Made with angel food cake soaked in sherry and jam, custard, and whipped cream, this layered dessert is always a crowd pleaser! Perfect to serve on Christmas, or for those other special occasions! {Vegetarian}

Christmas trifle layered in a clear glass bowl topped with strawberries

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Trifle Recipe with Custard

If you’re on the hunt for the perfect recipe to serve up a crowd, this English trifle recipe with custard is to die for and should definitely be added to your list of must-try dessert recipes.

My mom has been making this trifle as part of our Christmas menu ever since I was a little girl and it has become one of our favourite holiday traditions. It always gets rave reviews!

Although it’s not what you would consider a super healthy dessert, I’m all about balance and this delicious dessert is definitely worth the splurge!

Made with a light angel food cake doused in sherry and jam, creamy custard, fluffy whipped cream and topped with fresh strawberries and crunchy almonds, this layered dessert is absolutely stunning when served in a glass trifle bowl and is full of so many mouthwatering flavours and textures.

Due to its festive red and white theme, this trifle is the perfect Christmas dessert to add to your holiday menu, but you can make it any time of year. It can easily be customized for the season!

After one taste, I guarantee you’ll be hooked for life!

spoon on a white plate with a serving of trifle topped with a strawberry

Why we love this Christmas Trifle

A family tradition: This recipe is on the menu every single Christmas, and for good reason! It’s absolutely mouthwatering and always a family favourite.
Always a crowd pleaser: This trifle is one of those recipes that everyone falls in love with the second they try it. The combination of textures and flavours makes it a definite winner!
Perfect for entertaining: One look and taste of this dessert and you’ll totally get why it’s become such a popular family tradition. It has a beautiful presentation, feeds up a large crowd and is always the hit of the party!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for the English trifle with labels

Egg yolks: Provide creaminess and a yellow pigment to the custard. Be sure to use the yolks of large eggs.
Light cream: This makes the custard light and creamy. We typically use 5% cream, but you could also try using whole milk.
Tapioca starch: Acts as a thickener for the custard. Be sure to whisk it in well with the rest of the custard ingredients to prevent any clumping. You could also sub in cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
Sugar: Provides sweetness to the custard. If you want to lower the sugar content, you could also try subbing in an alternative such as stevia.
Vanilla extract: Adds a hint of vanilla flavour to the custard mixture. Use pure vanilla extract rather than imitation for the best flavour, although both will work.
Whipping cream: Used to make the whipped cream layer. Be sure to keep the whipping cream refrigerated until ready to whip it to ensure that it’s nice and fluffy and forms stiff peaks. You could also use coconut whipped cream if preferred.
Icing sugar: Sweetens the whipped cream. Add less to lower the sugar content or sub in a lower sugar icing sugar replacement.
Angel food cake: You can use store-bought or homemade sponge cake. You can also use lady fingers if in a pinch.
Sherry: Incorporates a punch of flavour in the sponge cake layer. Brandy or sweet wine also works well. Skip the sherry if you want to keep it alcohol-free.
Jam: Adds additional sweetness and gorgeous colour to this layered dessert. Use seedless jam for best results, although jam with seeds or this strawberry chia jam also works well.
Toppings: You can top up the trifle with fresh berries such as strawberries or raspberries and toasted sliced almonds.

How to Make a Trifle – Step by Step Instructions

To Make the Custard

custard cooking in a pot with a wooden spoon

In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg yolks until light, creamy and pale yellow.
Add the light cream, tapioca starch, white sugar and vanilla to a small saucepan set over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Remove pan from the heat.
Dribble the hot milk a few drops at a time into the beaten egg yolks in the bowl, beating the egg yolk mixture constantly. Add the hot milk VERY slowly initially to help temper the eggs. Once you’ve dribbled in a bit of milk, you can gradually add more, whisking constantly until all of the milk mixture has been added to the egg yolks. Add the mixture back to the saucepan and heat the mixture without letting it boil, until it reaches 185 degrees F, and has thickened enough to coat the spoon.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

To Make the Whipped Cream

whipped cream on the whisk of an electric mixer over a bowl

Meanwhile, using a beater or electric stand mixer, whip 2 cups of whipping cream with icing sugar until light and fluffy.

To Assemble Trifle

Jam and sherry on angel food cake strips on plate

The angel food cake, custard, jam and whipped cream layered in a glass trifle bowl

Using a serrated knife, cut the sponge cake into finger-length pieces. Quickly dip one side of the sponge cake pieces in the sherry and spread the other side with the jam.
Place half of the sponge cake fingers, with the jam side down, in the bottom of a deep cut glass bowl or trifle bowl. Cover evenly with half the custard. Cover custard with half the whipped cream.
Repeat, making a second layer on top of the first layer. Top with fresh sliced strawberries or raspberries and a sprinkle of toasted almonds, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Side view of the trifle topped with strawberries and toasted almonds

Recipe Notes:

When beating the egg yolks for the custard, you can use a handheld electric beater or mixer. Be sure to mix them until light yellow, very creamy and slightly thickened.

The custard tends to thicken more the longer that it sits in the fridge. If you discover that the custard is still too thin after placing it in the fridge, you can place it back on the stove and reheat it until thickened.

To prevent the custard from forming a thin film on top when chilling, cover with saran wrap so that it’s lightly touching the surface of the custard.

I like to put the jam side of the sponge cake facing downwards and line it against the sides of the dish too so that you can see the jam through the glass bowl. It adds to the presentation and dimension of the layers.

I typically just add fresh fruit to the top of the trifle, but you can also distribute the fruit throughout the trifle layers as well.

For the angel food cake, you can either purchase a store-bought sponge cake, or make one yourself using the boxed variety or your favourite recipe.

To save time, you can use powdered custard rather than making your own. Making the custard is the most difficult part of this recipe, but I find that homemade always tastes better.

When making the whipped cream, I recommend placing the bowl that you’re using in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you whip the cream. The colder bowl will help cool down the fat in the cream which can help produce a lighter and fluffier whipped cream.

For the jam, you can either use strawberry or raspberry, or sub in your preferred flavour. I typically prefer using a seedless jam, but you can use one with seeds as well. Or try subbing in some of this strawberry chia jam for a healthier twist!

overhead shot of the trifle on a plate with a spoon

Storage Guidelines

You can store this English trifle covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The sponge cake will start to absorb the other ingredients the longer that it sits, so the presentation won’t be as nice, but it will still be delicious!

Recipe FAQs

What is a trifle?

A trifle is a common English dessert that generally consists of sponge cake soaked in sherry, brandy, or other liqueur and is layered with custard, fruit and/or jam/jelly and then topped with whipped cream and slivered almonds and/or fruit.

This layered dessert is commonly served in a large glass bowl or individual clear dessert cups to display its beautiful layers. Trifle is a common Christmas dessert that dates back as far as the 1590s.

Can I make trifle the day before?

You can make a trifle up to a day in advance to allow the flavours to marry, but keep in mind that the longer it sits, the more the layers start to blend together. Overall it doesn’t affect the taste significantly, but it may impact the presentation if you want to maintain more distinct layers. For best results, serve the trifle within 24 hours of preparing and add the final layer of whipped cream right before serving for the nicest presentation.

If you want to save time, prepare the custard, whipped cream and slice up the angel food cake in advance so all that you have to do is assemble before serving.

Should trifle have jelly in it?

Trifle doesn’t necessarily have to have jelly in it. It all depends on your personal preferences and the type of trifle that you’re preparing. In this trifle recipe, the angel food cake is spread with a layer of strawberry or raspberry jam and layered throughout the dish for a sweet and fruity burst of flavour. You could also add a layer of jelly instead of the jam if preferred.

Why does my trifle go watery?

Sometimes a trifle might go watery if the custard is too runny. Be sure to cook the custard until it’s thick enough that it coats a spoon and allow it to further thicken in the fridge before adding it to the trifle to prevent the trifle from becoming watery.

What can I put in trifle instead of sherry?

If you want to sub in something other than sherry, you can also use rum, brandy or other liqueurs or use orange juice to keep it alcohol free.

How do you cut and serve trifle?

Use a large serving spoon to dish out the trifle, digging down to the bottom of the serving bowl in order to get some of each layer in each serving. Serve in small dessert bowls or plates.

a spoon digging into the trifle on a plate

Serving Suggestions

Use a large trifle bowl or large deep set glass bowl to serve this strawberry trifle with angel food cake.

You can also serve the trifle in clear glass or plastic cups to make individual servings. Top with additional fresh berries and toasted sliced almonds if desired.

It also pairs especially well with some of this Christmas punch or Hot Chocolate with Cacao!

Recipe variations

Different flavour: Try raspberry or strawberry jam, or sub in desired jam to switch up the flavour.
To make lower in sugar: Use powdered stevia in the custard layer instead of white sugar. Try a lower sugar icing sugar alternative to reduce the sugar content of the whipped cream.
Different fruit: Use strawberries, raspberries, mixed berries or sliced bananas to for a different spin on this trifle.
Different alcohol: Brandy, grande marnier or a sweet wine can also be used in place of the sherry.
Non-alcoholic: Skip the alcohol altogether. You can also dip the sponge cake in orange juice or leave the sponge cake as is. The trifle will still taste amazing!

close up of the English trifle in a large clear glass serving bowl topped with strawberries

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