A classic sherry trifle recipe that has been in my family for generations – this Easy Sherry Trifle features homemade sponge cake soaked in sweet sherry, and topped with fresh raspberries, Bird’s custard, whipped cream and flaked almonds – but definitely no jelly! A true British classic that has stood the test of time.
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Sherry Trifle – A British Classic!
Sherry trifle is such a classic British recipe. I have many fond memories of my mum and grandma making this when I was a child. (Nobody seemed to mind about the small amount of alcohol in it back in the 1980s!)
It was the dessert that came out for celebrations – like Christmas and birthdays – and when we had visitors for Sunday lunch. Occasionally, we’d just have it as a treat for no special reason!
It was the sort of dessert that you looked forward to all week, ALWAYS had seconds of… and were very disappointed when you were told that you couldn’t have thirds. (Usually because, after everyone had had seconds, there were no thirds!)
It’s also wonderfully ‘of its time’. From a time when sweet sherry was what everyone drank on special occasions, Birds custard was the only custard anyone ate, and whipped cream was just whipped cream (with no added sugar or vanilla).
How to make classic old-fashioned sherry trifle
This classic old-fashioned sherry trifle recipe is so easy to make…
First, get yourself a pretty trifle dish – go for an old-fashioned one like THIS ONE, which cost me just £10, but looks way more expensive!
Then, put plain sponge cake in the base (ideally homemade sponge cake, but you can use shop-bought if you want).
Top the sponge cake with raspberries (fresh, frozen or tinned) and then pour cream sherry evenly over the sponge cake / raspberries layer, and set aside to soak in.
Pour over thick ‘trifle’ custard, then place the trifle in the fridge for at least 3 hours – but ideally overnight. Top with whipped cream, flaked almonds and fresh raspberries – or see below for alternative decoration options.
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
The real deal
Because this is such a classic, I haven’t messed with the original recipe much at all.
I have made my own homemade plain sponge cake for the base – exactly as my mum and grandma did.
I have used Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry. (There was ALWAYS a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream in the kitchen at home when I was growing up!)
I have used Bird’s Original Custard Powder for the custard layer. (See below for why this is important!)
And I have topped the trifle with classic whipped cream (no sugar or vanilla in this old-fashioned version!) and flaked almonds – just like my grandma did.
The only ‘modern’ adaptations I have made are:
1) Using fresh raspberries instead of tinned ones
IMHO fresh raspberries are much nicer than tinned ones, and since we now have access to fresh raspberries all year round, it seemed a shame not to use fresh ones. You can obviously use tinned raspberries here if you prefer!
2) Using fresh raspberries in the decoration
My grandma used glacé cherries, but I prefer the look of fresh raspberries. You can absolutely use glacé cherries to decorate your trifle if you prefer!
Does sherry trifle have jelly in it?
You may be wondering why there is no jelly in my classic sherry trifle.
The truth is that we NEVER had jelly in trifle when I was a kid.
It definitely seems like the majority of older, more traditional recipes for sherry trifle don’t have jelly in them, while the more modern trifle recipes do have jelly in them.
(But even then, this is not always a hard and fast rule – in some families jelly has always been a part of their sherry trifle, going back generations.)
Personally, I really don’t like jelly in trifle – mainly because it was not part of the trifle I was brought up on. But also, because I am just not really a fan of jelly!
Bird’s Original Custard Powder
One thing that my trifle always has to have is a layer of Bird’s Custard – this is a non-negotiable for me! I was brought up in the days when no one made custard from scratch (or at least no one I knew) and everyone had a tin of Bird’s Original Custard Powder in their kitchen!
Trifle just wouldn’t be trifle for me with any other type of custard.
But there’s another important reason why it has to be Bird’s Original Custard Powder – you need the custard to set for a trifle. A lot of other options don’t do that.
But when you make up the custard, there are two very important things you need to do:
1) Make it thick!
If you make it too thin, it won’t set and then the custard layer will bleed into the cake layer and the cream layer will collapse into the custard layer, and you will end up with a right mess! I recommend the following quantities: 55g custard powder, 35g caster sugar, 600ml semi-skimmed milk. (See the recipe card below for the method.)
2) Use Original Custard Powder
You must use Bird’s Original Custard Powder NOT Bird’s Instant Custard Powder. For some reason, you just can’t make thick ‘trifle’ custard – the kind that sets – with Bird’s Instant Custard Powder. (Bird’s Original Custard Powder is the kind you make with milk and sugar in a saucepan. Bird’s Instant Custard Powder is the kind you make just using boiling water from the kettle.)
What’s the best sherry for sherry trifle?
First things first, the sherry in sherry trifle has to be sweet. Don’t go adding a dry fino sherry to your trifle or you’ll be very disappointed!
While any sweet style of sherry could ‘technically’ work in trifle, for the proper old-fashioned trifle vibe, you definitely want to use a cream sherry.
For me, it has to be Harvey’s Bristol Cream – I’ve always been a big fan of Harvey’s, but a couple of years ago I visited the Harvey’s Bodega in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain (including the most amazing lunch in their restaurant) and now I am an even bigger fan!
How to decorate a classic sherry trifle
There are lots of options for how to decorate a classic sherry trifle! For example:
- Flaked almonds and glacé cherries (the way my grandma did)
- Flaked almonds and raspberries (my slightly more ‘modern’ twist)
- A crumbled flake or grated chocolate (my mum often did this!)
- Hundreds and thousands
- Chocolate vermicelli
- Chopped nuts
- Mixed berries (e.g. strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
How to ensure the cake doesn’t get too soggy
Part of the ‘magic’ of a really good sherry trifle is getting the cake ‘moist’ but not soggy. This comes down to 3 important factors – the sponge, the sherry and time!
The best sponge cake is the one you make yourself – this will have just the right texture so that, when you pour over the sherry, it will hold its shape and won’t go ‘mushy’.
The other important factor is the amount of sherry you use – I recommend 150ml. For me, this gets the balance ‘just right’. Every part of the sponge is soaked with sherry – no dry bits – but it doesn’t get too wet.
The final trick is time – if you leave your trifle overnight in the fridge, the flavours will have mixed and mingled, and the cake will just be the perfect level of ‘moist but not soggy’.
Can you make sherry trifle ahead of time?
Yes! Sherry trifle is a great ‘make ahead’ dessert. In fact, it’s best made a day ahead of time. This will allow the flavours to mix and mingle better, and for some of the raspberry juice to flavour the sponge cake.
However, for the most attractive trifle, I recommend you add the cream layer and decorations just before serving. (The cream layer and decorations can look a little less ‘fresh’ if it’s been done a long time before serving.)
How to store sherry trifle
Once made, you need to cover the sherry trifle (with a lid or clingfilm) and store it in the fridge.
How long does sherry trifle keep once made?
Once made, the sherry trifle will keep around 3 days in the fridge.
(Assuming the ‘use by’ date on your cream is at least 3 days after the date you open the cream to put it on top of the trifle.)
The limiting factor really is the cream, so if you want to ensure your trifle lasts as long as possible, put the cream on at the last minute. Then you’ll have 72 hours from the moment you put the cream on. (The rest will last a little longer – 4 days or so.)
Can you freeze sherry trifle?
No – sherry trifle does not fare well in the freezer.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
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- Easy Baileys Cheesecake (No Bake)
- Easy Baileys Tiramisù
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Easy Baileys Tiramisù
Easy Sherry Trifle (No Jelly)
Ingredients
- 500 g plain sponge cake (Homemade or shop-bought – See Note 1)
- 150 ml sweet ‘cream’ sherry (See Note 2)
- 500 g fresh raspberries (See Note 3)
- 600 ml thick custard (See Note 4)
- 600 ml double cream (See Note 5)
- Toasted flaked almonds for decoration (See Note 6)
Instructions
- If using homemade sponge cake, first make the sponge cake and allow to fully cool. (Approx. 1h after you remove it from the tin.)
- Cut the sponge cake into squares and line the base of a large glass bowl / trifle bowl (e.g. THIS ONE)
- Pick out 100g of the most attractive raspberries and save in the fridge for decoration. Put the remaining 400g raspberries on top of the sponge cake in an even layer. (See Note 3.)
- Pour the sweet sherry evenly over the sponge cake / raspberries layer, and set aside to soak in while you make up the custard.
- Make 600ml thick custard (See Note 4 for full instructions using Bird’s Original Custard Powder), allow to cool for 5 minutes then pour the custard over the evenly over the sponge cake / raspberries layer.
- Place the trifle in the fridge for at least 3 hours – but ideally overnight. (See Note 7.)
- Whip the double cream, using an electric hand whisk, to the ‘soft peaks’ stage. (See Note 8.) Gently spoon the cream over the custard layer in big dollops.
- Decorate the trifle using flaked almonds and the reserved raspberries. Refrigerate until needed.
Notes
- For the best flavour, I recommend making homemade plain sponge cake – it will taste much better than shop-bought, and only requires 15 minutes hands on time. However, if you’d prefer not to, feel free to use shop bought plain sponge cake!
- You can use any sweet sherry you like, but for that classic British trifle taste, it has to be cream sherry - I recommend Harvey’s Bristol Cream. Do not use any of the drier styles of sherry as they won’t work at all!
- You can use frozen raspberries if you like – or even tinned raspberries, like my Grandma did! But fresh raspberries will definitely give you the best flavour. If you want the raspberries to ‘soak’ into the sponge cake layer, I recommend crushing half the raspberries lightly with a fork before placing on top of the sponge cake.
- I strongly recommend using Bird's Original Custard Powder, using the following quantities: 55g custard powder, 35g caster sugar, 600ml semi-skimmed milk. Place the custard powder, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the cold milk into a saucepan. Stir together to form a paste. Slowly pour in the remaining milk, while stirring constantly, until fully mixed together. Put the pan over a medium heat and keep stirring as the custard warms up and thickens. Keep heating until its really thick. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then pour the custard over the evenly over the sponge cake / raspberries layer.
- You can also use whipping cream, if you prefer. Many recipes call for sugar and vanilla to be added to the cream before whisking. Personally, I prefer not to add sugar and vanilla – partly because the original recipe did not have sugar and vanilla added, but partly because I think the slight touch of ‘savoury-ness’ of the plain double cream really balances out the other sweeter flavours in this trifle beautifully. In my opinion adding sugar and vanilla to the whipped cream makes this whole dessert too sweet and ‘cloying’ – but if your tastes are different and you want to add sugar and vanilla to the cream – don’t let me stop you! 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 30g sugar should be about right (either icing sugar or caster sugar will work).
- You can use any decorations you like here. Personally, I use flaked almonds and fresh raspberries, but you can use a crumbled up flake, grated dark chocolate, hundreds and thousands, glacé cherries, chopped almonds, other types of fresh fruit – whatever you like!
- I strongly recommend making this trifle - up to the custard layer - the day before and leaving it overnight in the fridge – this is partly to allow the flavours to meld and mingle and partly to allow the custard to set properly – if you don’t allow the custard to set properly it won’t be able to support the cream layer, and the cream will ‘sink’.
- For best results, take the cream layer to the ‘soft peak’ stage where you can easily spoon it over the custard layer – if you whip it too long, it will get too thick and be really hard to spread over the custard layer and it won’t look as attractive either.
- This trifle takes 30 minutes to assemble. You will also need to allow time to make the cake (if making homemade cake) and at least 3 hours for the custard to set in the fridge.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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