This trifle will look smashing on your Christmas table!!! Layers of custard and jelly, studded with cake and piled high with cream and fruit, it looks stunning in a trifle dish but otherwise just use a glass bowl!
TOP TIP: you can buy the cake and custard ready made (though my recipe uses homemade). But I really recommend making the jelly yourself. It’s such a major component in trifle, it’s easy, and the difference between artificially flavoured packet jelly and real fruit jelly is phenomenal!
Christmas Trifle
The first time I made trifle, I used raspberry flavoured Aeroplane jelly and store bought custard. It looked so fabulous, I was beaming with pride. Blinded by the beauty of the trifle, I completely forgot the first rule of cooking – it doesn’t matter how pretty it looks or how good the photos are if it tastes meh.
One big bite, and I wrinkled my nose with distaste. The jelly flavour was just so incredibly artificial, it was really off-putting because its artificial-ness is such a stark contrast to all the other flavours going on in the trifle.
Now before you go thinking I’m some kind of food snob, let me just say this – I actually don’t mind Aeroplane jelly on it’s own, there’s something sentimental about it. And I thoroughly encourage you to use store bought custard if you are pressed for time (though homemade is really sooooo good!).
BUT PLEASE DO NOT USE FLAVOURED AEROPLANE JELLY IN THIS TRIFLE!!!!
I promise you, it is so crazy simple to make real juice flavoured jelly! All you have to do is use gelatine which is very cheap and easy to use!
NOTE: I used to use flavourless Aeroplane Jelly for the jelly (click here for the original recipe). It’s no longer available, so the recipe uses plain gelatine instead which was preciously an alternative in the notes. Video not yet refilmed. Will do so next year!
For those of you wondering about the difference: Flavourless Aeroplane Jelly was sweet so the recipe called for unsweetened cranberry juice. Gelatine powder is unsweetened so we need to use sweetened cranberry juice.
I think the reason why it makes such a difference to use real Cranberry Juice for the jelly instead of flavoured Aeroplane Jelly is because there is so much of it in the trifle. Also, the jelly is slightly more concentrated in flavour than when you make it per the packet directions because the liquid to crystals ratio is lower, to ensure the jelly is firm enough to withstand the weight of everything piled on top of it.
Other than that, I have no other trifle rules. In fact, I’m pretty relaxed about everything else. Use whatever cake you want for the base – store bought or homemade madeira, Pound Cake or Vanilla Cake, even Christmas cake. Use homemade or store bought custard. Use any fruit you want – even canned is fine. I’d even say it’s pretty ok to use whipped cream out of a spray can over using flavoured Aeroplane jelly!!!
If you want quite neat layers, like depicted, please do follow the recipe carefully for each layer. In my trifle making life, there have been some not-so-pretty trifle efforts (albeit tasty!). Mainly bleeding between the layers, and jelly that set too much before ladling onto the custard, so it looked broken and split, rather than a clear jelly to show off the fruit in that layer.
If you’re catering for a large group this Christmas and/or you want a dessert you can make days in advance, this Christmas Trifle is ideal! Just assemble the layers then refrigerate. The only thing you’ll need to do on the day is whip the cream and pile on the fruit.
Then stand back and admire your handiwork. Beam with pride at how gorgeous your trifle looks. Enjoy that moment, because as soon as people start digging in, it will look like a complete and utter wreck. A delicious wreck. 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Christmas Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 x 450g / 14 oz Madeira cake or Pound cake store bought (Note 1)
- 1/3 cup orange or other fruit flavoured liquor (like Cointreau), or apple, orange or other fruit juice (or 2 tbsp brandy)
- 7 tsp gelatine powder (Note 2)
- 6 cups Cranberry juice, original (ie WITH sugar added, not No Added Sugar, Note 2)
- 500 – 750g (1 – 1.5 lb) strawberries , halved
- 1 each punnet blueberries, raspberries
Cream:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy / thickened cream (or pure whipping cream)
- 3 tbsp white sugar (caster sugar ok)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Homemade Thick Custard (or 900g 1 tub Pauls Double Thick Vanilla Custard, Note 3):
- 3 cups milk (full or low fat)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract) (Note 4)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar), extra
- 4 egg yolks (Note 7 for using leftover whites)
- 1/2 cup cornflour / cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut cake into 2 cm / 0.8" cubes. Cover bottom of 3.5 L / 3.5 qt trifle dish with cake (might not use all) and sprinkle with liquor or juice.
- Optional extra: Scatter over 1/2 to 1 punnet halved strawberries (this is not in ingredients list).
Cranberry Jelly:
- Heat half juice – Put half the cranberry juice into a saucepan over medium heat (3 cups / 750ml). Bring to a simmer, then turn off stove.
- Dissolve geatline – Meanwhile, put remaining room temperature cranberry juice into a very large bowl. Sprinkle gelatine all across surface (don't dump in one place, else you get lumps). Whisk until mostly dissolved (will finish dissolving in next step).
- Pour in hot cranberry juice. Whisk until gelatin is fully dissolved.
Jelly Layer 1:
- Pour HALF the warm jelly liquid carefully down the side of the trifle dish so the cake pieces are submerged. Refrigerate the trifle dish uncovered for 1 1/2 hours until it is partly set. It needs to be set enough so you can gently place a strawberry on it and it will stay on the surface. Proceed to Custard Layer steps.
- Pour remaining warm jelly in a bowl and leave on the counter. DO NOT refrigerate.
- Meanwhile, make the custard so it is ready to use (see below for how to make).
Custard Layer:
- Remove trifle from fridge. Whisk the room temperature custard to loosen. Spoon onto the jelly, smooth surface, press against wall of glass to seal (stops jelly bleed so you get neat layers). Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour until the surface has firmed up a bit – just enough to hold the jelly (jelly is soft, so custard doesn't need to be fully set).
Partially set remaining jelly
- Give the remaining jelly a good whisk then put it in the fridge at the same time to thicken a bit but not fully set. Refrigerate for 1 hour, but check at 30 minutes to ensure it isn't setting too fast. The jelly should be sloppy but spoonable, scoops up in a small mound. If it fully sets, you'll end up with a "broken glass" effect on the next jelly layer rather than a clear layer (read Note 5).
Jelly Layer 2:
- Remove trifle and jelly from fridge. Jelly should be sloppy. Carefully spoon over jelly, smooth surface. Scatter over 1 punnet halved strawberries (or half each raspberries and strawberries). Refrigerate for 3 hours+ (can leave in fridge for 48 hours, until ready to assemble).
Assembling:
- Cream: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until softly whipped.
- Once jelly is set, just before serving, top with cream, then pile over remaining berries. Dust with icing sugar.
- Serve!! PS It is imperative to ensure every servings includes a bit of every layer in the trifle 😂
Homemade Custard:
- Bring milk, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup sugar and yolks, then whisk in cornflour until smooth.
- While whisking, carefully pour in about ½ cup of milk mixture. Once mixed in, slowly pour in remaining milk while whisking. Once incorporated and smooth, pour back into saucepan.
- Return saucepan to stove over low heat. Whisk constantly until it becomes thick and custardy – this will happen quite quickly, about 45 seconds (ie it is liquidy when you start, then suddenly it thickens). Once thickened, remove immediately from heat (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Immediately pour into a bowl and cover with cling wrap, pressing onto surface. Leave on the counter to cool to room temp until trifle is ready to layer with custard. Makes 750ml. (Note 5)
Recipe Notes:
Life of Dozer
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is for this Trifle to fall off the table.
Love, Dozer 🐾
Santa won’t be making good on that wish, but while he was sleeping, Santa accidentally flung some custard on his face and he didn’t even stir….
Hi Nagi. How far ahead could this trifle be prepared? I’d apply the whipped cream and fruit on top at time of eating though. Cheers.
Hi Paul – 1-2 days before would be the most – otherwise your cake will turn to mush! N x
This was really helpful for how to layer the trifle. I didnt know you could leave the jelly on the counter for another layer so my trifle takes me forever to build while I wait for each layer to set. Will be using your method this xmas!
It’s all those little kitchen hacks that make our lives easier!!! N x
I have tried this twice, and each time my jelly doesn’t set. What could be the issue. I have followed the instructions to the letter. Thanks
Custard recipes scare me. They usually taste eggy when I make them. I think it has to do with overcooking the egg yolk mix. I really want to try your custard recipe, but worry that if I am not doing anything different, I should not expect a different outcome. Is there something intuitive you do that MUST be done precisely, like make sure you are constantly stirring, or only having it for cook for 45sec…or maybe once it starts to thicken immediately take it off the heat and cool it in an ice bath? I wish a blogger would talk about the science of making a no egg taste custart. Saying, “most custards taste eggy because…make sure to avoid this…or do that”. A good custard tastes clean, and not like an overcooked hard bolied egg. I wish I could figure it (my fail point) out so I would give this recipe a shot, having hope rather then expecting another flop. And I have used good real vanilla pods, just tastes like overcooked vanilla egg. In Arabic the word we use is zinnikh, to describe the bad egg taste. If you ever wash a dish with egg (like from fried eggs) residue on it in hot water, and then smell the dish or metal utensils used to eat the egg, even after washing, you will kinda get what I am talking about. But in smell, rather than taste form. Or if you have an Arab friend, just ask what zinnikh taste means, the look on their face is a good description of the taste. Pronounced zin-nikh
I think the egg flavour coming out may be from adding the milk when it is too hot. You have to add the milk when it is quite warm but not boiling hot to gently warm the mixture before adding all of the milk. It takes longer to heat and start thickening but you don’t risk lumps. Also you must whisk quite vigorously all the way through the process of adding the warmed milk to the eggs. Finally invest in fresh eggs and if you can use organic for the best results. I hope that helps.
Thank you! That is so kind of you to give me your advice.
Hi Nagi. I can’t find cranberry juice (I live in France and it can be difficult to find). What could I use as a substitute? Thanks.
Any unsweetened juice of choice will work here – even grapefruit juice would work well! N x
Hi Nagi
A little confused by this reply, as recipe says to choose one with added sugar ie. Sweetened ? Assume you meant sweetened?
Hey Nag!
I m planning to make strawberry trifle can I use strawberry juice instead of cranberries?
Sure can Sana! N x
Hi Nagi!
I made this trifle yesterday and i used a crancerry juice and gelatine and after 4 hours waiting jelly dosent set up!!
Can you ive me some advice what was wrong???
thank yoy Grace
Hi Grace, sorry you’re having issues – could it be the gelatine you’re using? Is it in date? N x
Sorry but my cranberry jelly is not set up, I dont know what I did wrong but after 3 hours in fridge not set up???
Can you please give me some advise.
Thank you
I made this trifle for Christmas Day and it was delicious and such a big hit with my family, it’s now made it on the dessert list for each Christmas. The only change I would make next time is less cake. as my trifle bowl must be skinnier than Nagi’s bowl she used, as my cake all sat above the jelly and to get the layers level less cake would be required.
Thank you Nagi for an amazing show stopper, delicious Trifle
Hi Rebecca, you could use as little or as much as you like – the beauty of trifle is that you can add whatever and make it however you like!! 🙂 N x
Hi made the cranberry jelly from scratch as per your recipe but did not really set
Hi Anna, sorry you had issues here – can I ask what type of gelatine you used? N x
I made this trifle for Christmas Day and I got the big “thumbs up” and 9.5 out of 10. My brother in law would like me to make another one for New Year’s Eve. Thanks for the very detailed instructions Nagi.
I’m so glad it was a hit Cathy!! N x
Sorry for spelling your name wrong, I blame it on predictive text 🙄
Hi Magi merry Christmas to you and your family 😘 great recipe but my bowl was too big and had to use all the jelly in a single layer. Made another layer with no-bake cheesecake filling and an extra fruit later. You custard is simple to make and awesome (I added some butter though, #nextlevelawesome) – my new go-to custard recipe
Great recipe, thank you
Hi Nagi, can I leave the first jelly layer to set for more than 1.5hrs? I need to run last minute errands so can’t finish the whole recipe in one sitting. Thanks!
Hi Nagi, I’m making this today and realised I only have arrowroot and not cornflour for the custard. Can I sub it? Hoping to avoid a Xmas Eve supermarket run!
Thanks
Hi Lucy, unfortunately it has a different affect and will alter the texture of the custard here. N x
Thanks so much. Cornflour purchased, I couldn’t risk a Christmas Day fail! Ha merry Christmas Nagi
Sorry you’re in lockdown Nagi. It’s a year to forget about. Quick question with the trifle please. Would port work or is it too overpowering. Hope you have a good Christmas, or as good as you can
Hi, what do you mean by ‘press on the glass to seal’? As in press custard onto glass from the inside or..? Thanks.
Yes press the custard onto the glass to seal Claire- N x
Hi Nagi, looking to make this for Christmas. I just wanted to check whether another layer of cake could be added or would it break down the pretty layers? Thanks!
You could definitely add another layer Sophie!! N x
Nagi, I contacted Aeroplane Jelly asking where to buy flavourless jelly. They no longer make this product. I am using gelatine instead. Thank you for your wonderful recipes
Hi Cheryl, yes I’ve been made aware of this so have updated the recipe 🙂 N x