Individual English Trifles are a show stopping end to any meal, and are traditionally served in Britain, often at Christmas. Make them anytime you have leftover cake and customize with color and fruit to suit the time of year or season!
If you ever want to have an easy, impressive, make ahead dessert; or have some leftover cake (usually from trimming the top off), these individual English trifles are a great idea.
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It is important to use clear cups, bowls, glasses, etc. when making any kind of trifle as the point is to be able to see the layers.
Have you ever heard of English Boodle? If you like trifle, you’ll like Boodle, too!
My friend Cynthia at What a Girl Eats has a stunning trifle recipe which she has made in a large trifle bowl.
English trifles often include bananas (which I prefer not to put in my trifle) and the gelatin is poured in over the cake whilst still in liquid form. Here’s my version made in individual dessert glasses; very elegant.
Christina’s Individual English Trifles
by Christina Conte
Ingredients
- leftover yellow or pound cake, broken into small pieces
- Sherry (Harvey’s Bristol Cream) or your favorite liqueur
- one 15 oz can of mixed fruit cocktail in juice (you can add bananas if you like)
- one 4 serving packet of flavored gelatin, prepared as directed (your choice of flavor)
- homemade custard, not yet set, at room temperature, or Bird’s custard (cooked with milk)
- freshly whipped cream
Place the cake in the bottom of the cup or bowl and sprinkle with Sherry.
Next, add some fruit cocktail with a little juice.
Mix the gelatin with a fork (I like to use strawberry flavor) and layer it over the fruit.
Next is the custard layer. Make sure it’s not hot or it will melt the gelatin, but if it’s already set, it won’t look good, so it has to be room temperature.
Finally, top with the freshly whipped cream, either spooning it on, or piping it for a more formal presentation.
You have just made English trifles!
These need to be kept refrigerated, and will be delicious for about 24 hours, and they are actually best if left for a few hours before eating, as the flavors will meld together more.
Trifles are a super-easy, make-ahead dessert which will be sure to please, and you can always give them your own spin by changing the flavors of cake, fruit, gelatin, etc. For example, here’s a Christmas trifle made with strawberry and lime gelatin.
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Christina's Individual English Trifles...Easy, Impressive and Delicious!
Impressive and delicious: individual English trifles are perfect for holiday entertaining, or anytime you want a no bake dessert.
Ingredients
- 6 oz leftover yellow or pound cake, broken into small pieces
- 3 oz Sherry (Harvey's Bristol Cream) or your favorite liqueur
- one 15 oz can of mixed fruit cocktail in juice (you can add bananas if you like)
- one 4 serving packet of flavored gelatin, prepared as directed (your choice of flavor)
- homemade custard, not yet set, at room temperature, or Bird's custard (cooked with milk)
- 10 oz heavy cream, freshly whipped
Instructions
- Place the cake in the bottom of the cup or bowl and sprinkle with Sherry.
- Next, add some fruit cocktail with a little juice.
- Mix the gelatin with a fork (I like to use strawberry flavor) and layer it over the fruit.
- Next is the custard layer. Make sure it's not hot or it will melt the gelatin, but if it's already set, it won't look good, so it has to be room temperature.
- Last, but not least, top with the freshly whipped cream, either spooning it on, or piping it for a more formal presentation.
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Thank you! I bought the Sherry that you mentioned today.
Your trifles will taste very British now, Adriana! And not bad for sipping after dinner, either! ;) CC
Hi Christina, I am planning on making this for St. Patrick’s Day.
I will be using Bird’s Custard powder (British brand, I am sure you heard of it). I understand that i should not pour it hot over the gelatin…but you mentioned it should not be ”set” it or it won’t look good. Can you please tell me what you mean by ”set”? haha sorry… I want to make sure I don’t mess this up! I have Irish people to impress around here Christina! Should I cook it until it’s perfect and let it cool off or should I take if off the heat before it’s actually ready? Sorry, I’ll appreciate your help. Thank you! :)
Hi Adriana, no problem, I can understand how that might be confusing. Once you’ve made the Bird’s Custard, you’ll have to take it off the heat and keep stirring it to cool it off so it’s not steaming hot. Once it’s lukewarm (you just don’t want it to melt the jello) then pour it in the bowls. I’m sure everyone will be impressed! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! CC
I make my trifle by switching the custard and jello layers using a large decorative glass bowl. After pouring the slightly cooled custard over the cake/fruit layer cover the bowl with saran wrap so it will cool and ‘set’ without forming a skin. Once set I take my previously prepared jellos (one red; one green) and slightly stir each one with a fork to make it frothy. Scoop the red jello around the edge of the large glass dish over the custard leaving the middle for the green frothy jello. Then I decorate with blobs of whipped cream around the edge and one in the middle; place a few almond slices and a maraschino cherry on each blob of whipped cream. Very festive. Refrigerate till time to serve. My British mother’s recipe. We prefer it without sherry…always a big hit in my family.
I love individual desserts. These look so easy!
Easiest dessert, ever! :)
i never knew trifle was this easy to make! :) i have always been too intimidated by recipes like this.
Goodness Esther, trifle is soooo easy! Children can make them! I hope you give it a try! CC
I can never read a trifle recipe without thinking about the episode of Friends where Rachel botched her trifle by cooking from two recipes!
I never saw that one, but there’s really not much cooking involved with trifles so now I’m wondering what she did wrong! :)
Such a fun idea to make individual servings! I love a good trifle, but it is sometimes hard to dig in and get equal amounts of everything, so this is perfect.
Yes, I love individual trifles for this reason alone, Heather. :)
Christina, the word is Trifle, singular. Do I need to teach you Scot/ Italian everything !!
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Haha! But these are individual trifles! :)
That is so beautiful! What a great idea make-ahead dessert idea.
Thanks, Cathy! That’s one of the things I love about any kind of trifle or dessert like your Pumpkin Mousse…everything’s done when company arrives! :)