Lemon Trifle

The many variations on trifle for me have just increased by one!   Trifle is the classic "what do I make with leftover cake" pudding, and this time I had a lot of lemon drizzle traybake left over from a tea party.   So.... one batch of delicious home made lemon curd later, there was the most fabulous trifle.  Oh, and a big glug of limoncello from one of those holiday souvenir bottles.....    This photo is of the last scoopful, so you can see the trifle in all its messy glory.    It never looks great, but tastes amazing.

Recipe quantities are completely arbitrary, as it just depends on what's available at the time and how many people you are feeding - this quantity will do approx 6, depending on greed.   Be bold!

Lemon Trifle

Base Layer:

Approx 4 pieces of lemon cake (as stale as you like) 

Lemon curd to spread over the sponge cake

4 macaroons, or shortbread biscuits (optional, but gives a change of texture)

zest of half a lemon

good slug of limoncello or lemon liqueur (or any alcohol)

 

Middle Layer:

Custard made with 3 egg yolks, ¾ pint/400ml of cream and milk mixed, ½ tsp vanilla or lemon flavouring, 1.5oz/40g caster sugar, plus half tsp cornflour if there is more than half milk to cream ratio.  (or you could cheat and buy custard)

 

Top:

¾ pint Double cream with a bit of milk to whisk up with a lighter texture

1 lemon cut into slices (if the slices are thin, you could use the lemon you have just zested)

 

Trifle is an assembly job….    In the bottom of a pretty bowl put the cake, spread with a lot of lemon curd, plus broken up macaroons or biscuits.   Grate over the lemon zest.  Add the limoncello.  

 

Make the custard – heat the milk and cream in a pan (preferably non-stick).  In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks and caster sugar (plus cornflour), pour the hot milk/cream over it, and then pour back into the pan.  Stir this mixture lovingly as it simmers – do not allow it to boil, or it will split.  It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  If it starts to look grainy, pour it straight into a cold bowl and stick in a metal spoon before adding a little more cream and cooling it down.  Anyway, it’s trifle, so it doesn’t matter too much.    Let the custard cool before pouring it over the trifle. 

 

Finally, whip the cream with the added milk until it is thick but still just pourable, and then pour it over the pudding.  If you don’t want a hugely thick layer, dollop spoonfuls on the top instead like clouds.   Thinly slice the lemon and decorate the top of the trifle.

 

Trifle is always best eaten after it has sat for an hour or so.