A berry trifle for Spring

By Kady Guyton
May 4, 2009

All cooks eventually learn that dessert is a magic trick. Take sugar, eggs, flour and assorted other ingredients, add heat and suddenly you have a wedding cake or donuts or cookies.

One of the best desserts to pull out of a hat is a trifle. Trifle is an English dessert that has been around for about 200 years, based on recipes from cookbooks of the era. It has evolved, of course, but it is always made up of layers of cake, cream or custard, jam and sometimes fruit. The classic presentation is to pile everything high in a tall glass bowl, then scoop it out for serving.

After conferring with a British friend and consulting a few texts, it was decided that to be an authentic trifle there must be cake, alcohol and cream involved. Everything else is optional. Because the cake gets soaked with a few layers of liquid, this is an ideal dessert for cake that's slightly past it's prime. Dry cake will absorb much more than fresh. If there is no leftover cake - and why would there be? - buying a pound cake is perfectly fine.

Once the first layer of cake is down, layer on the alcohol. This can be anything, but it should complement the other flavors. A strong liqueur flavor like whiskey would be best paired with a chocolate cake and espresso or caramel flavors. A lighter option would be rum or Frangelico to give a white or lemon cake a little lift.

A layer of fruit or jam - or both - goes down next. This is a great time of year to make use of the fresh berries heading onto the market. If using fresh fruit, adding a same flavor drizzle of jam will bump up the flavor considerably.

After that comes the custard. For my trifle, I was in a bit of a rush and not in the mood to make custard, so I used a generous layer of whipped cream made with vanilla sugar. A tub of Cool Whip will also do the job, but try to have a little pride.

Once that's done, repeat the layers to the top of the dish, decorate with fresh fruit, cake crumbs or more whipped cream. Serve with dramatic flair.

Trifle can be created for any season and nearly any meal. A breakfast trifle made up of fresh fruit and yogurt is an unusual and delicious way to go. Trifles can be made in individual sizes, layered into drinking or parfait glasses. A tiramisu is an example of a trifle taken to its logical and extreme conclusion.

Ladyfingers, cookies, and croissants can all be used for the cake layers as well. Remember, if it tastes good to you, then it was done correctly.

Spring Trifle
1 pound cake, cut into cubes
2 pints heavy cream, whipped
2-3 pints fresh strawberries, sliced. Reserve a few for decoration
1-2 cups strawberry jam
Rum or Frangelico to taste.

In the bottom of a trifle bowl or other high-sided dish, spread about half the cake in an even layer. Sprinkle with alcohol. Top with half the whipped cream, being sure to spread to the sides of the bowl.

Drizzle the cream with jam and cover with a layer of strawberries. Top with the rest of the cake and repeat, finishing with the whipped cream. Garnish with reserved berries.

Either cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight, or serve immediately. Use a long-handled spoon to scoop all the way to the bottom of the dish.