Trifle sponge cake

 

Recently I made a trifle and it dawned on me that, with a bit of tweaking as to the order of construction you could make trifle cake.  And here it is!  It may sound immodest (OK, definitely immodest!) but I consider this my masterpiece; so often I am disappointed with my final product as it doesn’t match the perfection I pictured in my mind.  This one exceeded my wildest hopes!

Mr CC is very hands off re cooking and is totally happy to go along with whatever I wish to make, however I wish to make it – with one big exception: trifle.  The look on his face when I once served him trifle without jelly in it now forms the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of “disgust”. 

The look on his face when I used posh fresh custard rather than Bird’s...well, let’s just say that I’m amazed I ever made it to becoming Mrs CC!

This cake really is, barring the homemade sponge, comprised of trifle ingredients of the 1970s i.e. the decade of my (and Mr CC’s) youth.  Tinned fruit, packet jelly, Bird’s custard and whipped cream.  Happy days.

In order for everything to set make the sponge two days before you wish to serve the cake. 

Leave it overnight to firm up and then, one day before serving slice it into three, place a layer in the tin and add the custard.  Place another layer of sponge on top then back in the fridge to set. 

A little later pour some jelly on to the sponge and then refrigerate until set.

Then add the tinned fruit and the rest of the jelly, top with the remaining sponge and – you’ve guessed it - back into the fridge to set. 

On the day of serving add the whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.  Easy enough, but it does require planning.  I only say this so no one tries to make the cake in one day and then get cross that I didn’t point out the timescale involved!

Slice of trifle anyone?

Ingredients

For the cake:
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
220g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
80ml milk
300g self raising flour

For the filling:
1 pint of powdered custard – made up as per the instructions on the pot (you can’t use fresh custard as it won’t set and hold its shape like Bird’s)
1 tin of fruit cocktail (in fruit juice, not syrup)
1 packet of jelly – made up as per the instructions on the packet

To decorate: whipped cream and flaked chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Line the base of a 20cm springform deep baking tin with baking paper.

Start by making the sponge 2 days before you wish to serve the cake: Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Don’t skimp on this stage as this is when you get lots of lovely air into your sponge.

Beat in the eggs gradually, add some of the flour if it looks like it might curdle.

Beat in the milk.

Stir in the flour until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Spoon into the prepared tin and level the surface.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the sponge comes out clean. Another good sign is if the sponge is just pulling away from the edge of the tin.

Leave to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.

Store the cake in an airtight tin overnight – this will firm the sponge and make it easier to carve.

One day before serving: Slice the sponge cake into three even layers.

Line the springform tin you baked the cake in with clingfilm, then wrap the outside in foil. This is so no jelly or custard can escape while it’s setting.  I have an adjustable cake ring so used that – but it’s important to get a tight fit around the sponge.  Also, ensure that the foil (or baking paper) comes up above the height of the tin – this is a tall cake.

Sit the bottom disc of sponge in the bottom of the lined tin.

Now make a pint of custard as per the instructions on the custard pot.  Don’t use fresh custard as it won’t set firm enough to support the cake.

Allow the custard to cool a little but not so much that it sets.

Pour the custard onto the sponge base and level the surface.

Press  the middle disc of sponge onto the top; doing this now will prevent a skin forming.

Refrigerate for about 2-4 hours or until the custard is very firm.

Now make the jelly per the packet instructions.  Leave to cool as you don’t want to upset the set custard.

Remove the cake from the fridge and pour over just enough jelly to soak into the sponge and saturate it – you know when it’s enough as the liquid jelly will start to pool on the sponge.

Put back in the fridge – once this firms up it will act as a seal and ensure that the rest of the jelly sets around the fruit.

Tip out the contents of a tin of fruit cocktail into a sieve, you don’t need the juice.

Spoon the fruit onto the top sponge disc and spread out into an even layer.

Pour the remaining cooled jelly over the fruit.

Gently place the remaining disc of sponge on top and loosely cover the tin with clingfilm.  (You want to put the remaining sponge on now as the jelly will set against it and hold all the layers in place)

Place in the fridge and leave to set – this will take several hours and is best left overnight.

On the day of serving decorate with whipped cream and chocolate.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have made.

Eat.