How to make a delicious Cherry Trifle for your Christmas table, a perfect dessert to share! I made this alongside my friends at Baylis & Harding – we wanted flavours to complement their Midnight Cherry hand wash.
We’ve got all the flavours in there… almond, rose and obviously cherry!
This is a great one for sharing at Christmas! You can prepare all the elements at different times, so work it around you, then bring it all together to build in your trifle bowl!
I even added some sparkle to mine and then toasted my meringue buttercream to finish, it’s actually so delicious.
You can buy the Midnight Cherry Hand Wash at Sainsbury’s – https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&productId=1246610
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Midnight Cherry Trifle Recipe
Almond sponge:
25g self-raising flour
100g softened unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
100g caster sugar
85g ground almonds
2 medium free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
3 tbsp cherry jam
Cherry compote:
450g frozen cherries
125g sugar
1.5tbsp cornflour mixed with same quantity water to make a smooth lump free slurry
25ml kirsh
1 tsp rose water
Custard:
300ml double cream
300ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
90g golden caster sugar
35g custard powder
Whipped cream
350g double cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp Vanilla bean paste or extract
For the Swiss Meringue
3 medium egg whites
150g caster sugar
Method
Start by making your almond cake, preheat your oven to 180°C (fan), and line a cake tin with baking parchment.
Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add all the remaining ingredients and fold together until just combined.
Pour the mixture into a cake tin and bake for 25 minutes until golden and cooked through, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Once cooled, split through the middle and sandwich with cherry jam and chill, then cut into cubes/pieces
Make the cherry compote
Place the cherries, rose water and sugar in a saucepan and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes until they’re soft but still hold their shape. Mix the cornflour and water and stir into the simmering compote and allow to thicken for a couple of mins. Add in the kirsh, stir and leave to cool. Set aside and allow to cool. You can do this the day before if you like!
Make the custard and allow to cool, this can be done in advance too just keep it covered wit baking paper touching the surface, so it doesn’t skin over.
Pour the double cream, milk and vanilla into a large pan and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Meanwhile, stir the sugar and custard powder together in a large bowl. Stir a little of the hot cream mixture into the sugar mixture to make a paste, then gradually whisk in the rest of the cream mixture until completely combined. Return the custard to the saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 6 mins, whisking often until thickened and just simmering. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with a disc of baking parchment (to prevent a skin from forming) and leave to cool. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
Build as shown in lovely layers, cover until ready to add meringue, toast and serve.
Make the Swiss meringue by whisking together the egg whites and sugar over a bain-marie until it reaches 72C on a sugar thermometer.
Then place in a sand mixer with whisk attachment and whip until stiff, glossy and holding peaks.
Pipe the meringue over the top of the trifle in lots of small peaks.
Toast with a blowtorch to make light golden brown
Add cherries and golden sprinkles or anything you fancy
The trifle works just as well without the meringue peaks if you want a fast fix a can of squirty cream can be added or more whipped cream piped through a star nozzle. Enjoy!
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I’m regularly on This Morning, keep an eye for some bakes on there!