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  • A Festive Raspberry Trifle topped with Italian Meringue Brulee
  • Author avatar
    Rachel Carley

A Festive Raspberry Trifle topped with Italian Meringue Brulee

This festive trifle is a true show-stopper and, unlike other trifles it does not go all squishy in the middle when the sponge gets too wet. The even better news is that the recipe is gluten free! The sponge, jelly and custard can be prepared the day before needed but I recommend assembling the trifle on the day of your celebrations. It will feed around 15 very hungry friends and whanau.

Step 1: Make the Sponge  

1 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons water

4 eggs, separated

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups cornflour

1 teaspoon (GF) baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 180°C.  Spray 2 shallow 23 cm sponge tins with baking spray and line the bases with baking paper then spray the paper too.  Note, it is important to use proper shallow sandwich or sponge tins as the cake won’t rise properly in a spring form or deeper tin.

Place sugar and water in a microwave bowl or small saucepan and bring to the boil.  The sugar does not have to dissolve completely.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then slowly with the mixer running, dribble in the hot sugar and water solution.  Beat really hard.  Add the egg yolks and vanilla then carefully fold in the sifted dry ingredients.  Be very gentle with the folding process.  Carefully pour into the prepared tins and bake for 18 – 20 minutes.  As soon as you remove the sponges from the oven, drop the tins from knee height square on the floor – this tactic works to that “shock” the cakes and stopping the sponges from deflating.  Cool for two minutes in the tins then turn out onto a wire rack and carefully peel off the paper and cool.

You will only need one of the sponge cakes for the trifle so pop the other sponge in the freezer and save for another trifle-worthy celebration!

This sponge recipe is by Jo Seager.

Step 2: Make The Jelly

2 tablespoons (28g) powdered gelatine

1 litre blackcurrant and apple juice

2 ½ cups frozen raspberries

PLUS 3 punnets of fresh raspberries (to be used when assembling the trifle)

To make the jelly, combine gelatine and 250ml (1 cup) blackcurrant and apple juice in a large bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Place remaining blackcurrant and apple juice in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Pour over the gelatine mixture and whisk to dissolve all the gelatine. Set aside to cool slightly.

Pour into the base of a 24-26cm wide glass trifle dish. Scatter over the frozen raspberries and refrigerate to set.

Step 3: Make the Custard

2 cups cream

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract

½ cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

6 egg yolks, at room temperature

500g marscapone

To make the custard, place cream and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until almost boiling.

Place egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture until combined.

Return the cream mixture to the saucepan, reduce heat to low, stirring until well combined and the custard is thick. Remove from the heat, pour into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Prior to assembling the trifle fold the marscapone through the custard to combine. (You can do this the day before)

Step 4: Assembling the trifle

Spoon half the custard over the set jelly. Top with your sponge-I put the whole sponge into the glass dish rather than cutting it up so it makes a lovely golden crumb layer in the trifle.   Arrange the 3 punnets of raspberries on top of the sponge and try to keep the raspberries near the glass upright so they create a lovely pink stripe in the bowl. Top the raspberries with the remaining custard and refrigerate.  

Step 5: Making the Italian Meringue

3 egg whites at room temperature

1 1/4 cups caster sugar

90ml water

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

To make the meringue, place the water, cream of tartar and half the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 6 minutes, or until it reaches 115° on a sugar thermometer.

Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high until stiff peaks form. While the motor is running, add the remaining sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until glossy. Gradually add the hot syrup in a steady stream while the eggs are whisking and whisk for 8 minutes.

Step 6: Burnishing the Meringue!

Spoon the meringue onto the trifle, making swirls with the back of the spoon and, using a kitchen blowtorch, carefully toast until the meringue is golden (see tip).

Tips and hacks

If you don’t have a kitchen blowtorch, you can leave the meringue a glossy white, or dust it with crushed freeze-dried raspberries.

If you are running short on time you can use ready-made sponge and vanilla bean custard.

  • Author avatar
    Rachel Carley

Comments on this post ( 1 )

  • Dec 14, 2019

    That looks AMAZING! My fondest memories of my parents 70s & 80s dinner parties was ‘left over’ trifle in the fridge that I would scoop out for breakfast the next day while they were sleeping in. I am so making this with my kids for Xmas (and they have full permission to raid the fridge on boxing day…).

    — Lisa Day

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