Trifle is a cold dessert arranged in layers consisting of thick custard, sponge cake, fruits and jelly. This heavenly dessert is then topped with whipped cream and garnished with nuts, cherries, dry fruits or chocolate and served chilled. It is a perfect make-ahead dessert for a party, a celebratory treat or an ultimate way to end a great meal.
Fruit Trifle is one of the easiest desserts which even a novice can fix with ease. It is healthy, simple, light and delicious. It is an ideal way to include fruits in your diet. Fussy kids and adults who do not like to eat natural fruits and are happy to give it a miss will not only eat this dessert willingly but will end up asking for more!
To make a delicious and attractive trifle, it is better to use fresh and seasonal fruits to enjoy the goodness of fresh flavors. It is also a good way to use up uneaten fruits which are lying in your fruit basket on your dining table. Using them in this lovely dessert will also eliminate wastage of fruits.
Often, we tend to make random purchase of fruits when we see them arranged attractively on the shelves or in the baskets in the fruit section of the super market or fruit stalls and then are saddled with excess of them. You can use your imagination and innovative ways to make a wonderful trifle using various combinations of your favorite flavors of jelly, custard, cake and fruits. You can also serve this as an after school treat as kids are really very hungry and this does help to take care of their wholesome nutrition.
If you, your family, kids, friends or guests love cake, custard, jelly and fruits then just go ahead and give them this superb treat and I’m sure there will be no leftovers!! … 😀
Ingredients for Assembling the Trifle Pudding :
- Sliced Sponge Cake (make your own or store bought)
- Prepared Vanilla Custard or flavors of your choice
- Prepared Jelly as per your favorite flavor (as per packet instructions )
- Mixed fresh seasonal Fruits or a combination as per choice
- Sugar Syrup /Sugar Water or Fruit Juice to moisten the cake slices
- Assemble in a large bowl or individual glasses/bowls.
- Garnishing: Whipped cream, dry fruits, fresh fruits, nuts, cherries.
Ingredients for the Custard Layer :
- 500 ml. / ½ ltr. Milk
- 50 gms. Sugar or as per taste
- 3 tbsp. Vanilla Flavored Custard Powder or your favorite flavor
- Fresh Mixed Fruits- as per favorite combination (You may use banana, apple, papaya, musk melon, chikoo/sapodilla, pomegranate, pear, kiwi, seedless grapes, strawberry, mango, etc.)
Preparation of Custard:
First prepare the custard as per packet instructions or as mentioned below:
Mix the custard powder with a few tablespoons of milk or water to make a smooth paste without any lumps. Set aside. Place milk in a deep pan preferably non-stick and let it come to a boil. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Reduce heat, give the prepared custard powder paste a good stir and add it to the simmering milk while you keep stirring simultaneously and continuously. Stir gently till the custard thickens. Switch off the heat; let it cool down completely at room temperature and then refrigerate it. Remember the custard thickens further on cooling. Sprinkle a few grains of sugar on the custard. This will stop a skin forming on the custard.
For the Fruit Layer:
Cut the fruits of your choice into very small pieces and set aside until assembly time.
If using apples place the cut pieces of apple in a bowl of water to which a few drops of lime/lemon juice is added to prevent discoloration.
Avoid using bananas, oranges, sweet limes and water melon as the trifle will turn soggy. Besides, citrus fruits impart their sourness and will spoil the flavor of the trifle.
For the Jelly Layer:
Prepare the jelly as per packet instructions. Cool the jelly at room temperature and then refrigerate to set. Do not set in the freezer as the texture will change.
Assembling of the Trifle:
First cut the cake into thin slices.
Arrange a layer of cake in the bowl or individual serving bowls/glasses.
Moisten with sugar syrup/sugar water or juice.
Pour a layer of cold custard on top of it and spread evenly.
Next arrange chopped fruits.
Then slice or scoop the set jelly over the fruits to cover it.
Pour a custard layer and then again arrange a layer of cake slices/pieces.
Follow the steps as above. Alternate and arrange layers of cake, custard, fruits and jelly till ¾ of the bowl/glasses are filled. Finish with custard.
Top with whipped cream, nuts, some more fruits and cherries.
Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hrs.
Serve and enjoy this cool, gorgeous fruit trifle pudding.
