This Rhubarb Strawberry Trifle is a lil spin on the classic trifle dessert. This version has been made in glasses to make very generous individual servings. However, you could absolutely make this in a large serving bowl and scoop out more reasonable servings into bowls. This trifle is definitely designed from an authentic, Old Fashioned Irish trifle. This means there are usually layers of sponge (or in my Irish grandmothers case, swiss roll!), fruit cocktail (from the can), jelly, custard and cream. I have replaced the fruit cocktail with a Rhubarb Strawberry Compote. The trifle has Strawberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache to top it. I just happened to have some of the whipped ganache leftover. If you don’t want to go to the trouble, I have also included how to top it with whipped cream.
This trifle may have many layers that look super complicated but a lot of these steps can be made easier by using pre prepared, store bought versions!
The first layer of this Rhubarb Strawberry Trifle is the sponge layer. You can use a vanilla or madeira loaf cake or vanilla or madeira cupcakes from the shop. I do have a recipe for vanilla cupcakes if you would prefer to make your own. You could also use Swiss Roll like my grandmother prefers! Begin by sliced your cake of choices into small chunks. To your glass, add two large tablespoons of the cake chunks, with a tablespoon of rhubarb strawberry compote or stewed rhubarb in between.
This is one of the few steps that can’t be bought in, or I haven’t seen a product like this available in supermarkets in Ireland anyways. You can make your own Rhubarb Strawberry Compote or Stewed Rhubarb. My recipe for Rhubarb Strawberry Compote as linked in the previous sentence, is quite thick and ideal for trifle or cake fillings.
To make your own stewed rhubarb, add about 250 grams of chopped rhubarb, 70 grams of sugar and 50 grams of water to a saucepan. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes stirring often until the rhubarb has softened. Allow to cool fully before adding a 2 generous tablespoons to each trifle, in between the cake layers.
To make the jelly, I use Chivers Strawberry Jelly Cubes to make the jelly layer. Prepare the jelly per the instructions on the packet and divide the jelly between the serving glasses, pouring directly over the cake chunks and rhubarb and strawberry compote. The cake and fruit should be mostly covered with jelly. Allow to cool before placing in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
Please note that as Chivers Jelly contains gelatine derived from pork, these desserts are not suitable for vegetarians or those following a halal diet. Please make sure if you have either if these diets to always check any dessert that contains jelly or gelatine where the gelatine or setting agent comes from.
For this recipe, I used Birds Custard powder made up with milk as per the instructions on the package. I allowed it to cool slightly before layering 1-2 tablespoons on the set jelly. You can also use a premade custard, Birds also do a version, as does Avonmore and most supermarkets have their own brand also. It’s also possible to make your own homemade custard for this recipe.
To top this trifle, I used Strawberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache however you can use a simple whipped cream topping too. To make the whipped cream, add the cream, icing sugar and 1-2 drops of red food colouring, if using, to a mixing bowl. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes until soft peaks appear and the cream holds its shape. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream or whipped ganache onto the custard.
Top with fresh strawberries or stewed rhubarb for decoration and serve immediately. Leftovers can be covered and left in the fridge for up to 3 days. The trifle without the custard or cream can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes! As the jelly needs at least 2 hours to set, I would advise doing the jelly layer the day before if possible. The custard and cream layers can be left for the day of serving for extra freshness.
This is really a personal preference, especially if making individual servings. You can make it as thick or as runny as you would like.
This can sometimes happen if you added too much water to the jelly, too much liquid to the custard or added the custard while hot. Make sure to pay attention to the packages when preparing jelly or custard and only add the amount of liquid it suggests, or less. I also allow my custard to cool before adding to the trifle to prevent it melting the jelly or creating any extra condensation. The jelly layer should also be fully set before adding the custard.
With a few tweaks, yes! You can replace the strawberry jelly with Vegan Strawberry Jelly Crystals, replace the cake with a vegan friendly cake, make the custard with plant based milk (Birds custard powder is vegan friendly!) and top with a vegan cream.
Absolutely, just replace the vanilla cake with a gluten free cake.
For more Dessert Recipes, check out my Dessert Category, here.
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