Christmas Trifle Cake 

Peach, raspberry & blueberry trifle cake 

There is nothing more satisfying to me than a chilled, cooling trifle on Christmas day. Made into a beautiful cake this one is an absolute showstopper yet because it’s made a day ahead and is truly easy to assemble it’s completely hassle-free!  

Serves 10-12 

2 store-bought trifle sponges 

75mls sherry 

600mls thick custard - make your own or store-bought is fine, just make sure it’s thick

2 cups sliced peaches (tinned will do if fresh ripe ones are not to be found) 

1 punnet each raspberries and blueberries

300mls cream, whipped

¼ cup slivered almonds 

Icing sugar for dusting

1. Line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper, extending the height of the sides using a baking paper collar. 

1. Cut one of the sponges through the middle so you have one thick and two thinner sponge cakes. Cut them to fit the shape of your tin. 

1. Place the thick sponge into the base of the cake tin. Drizzle with 1/3 of the sherry then spoon over a larger of custard. Top this with peach slices arranged continuously around the edge and scattered in the centre. Scatter over 1/3 of the raspberries. I squish them a bit as I like the look of them bleeding into the custard filling. Add a second layer of sponge and repeat; sherry, custard, fruit. Top will a final layer of sherry-soaked sponge. Press it down semi-firmly, cover (I use a dinner plate over the tin) and chill overnight. 

1. Just before serving, spoon over clouds of fresh-whipped cream, blueberries (some cut, some left whole) and the remaining raspberries. Scatter over almonds and dust with icing. Use a sharp knife to cut into wedges to serve! 

Nici’s note: Replace the sherry with orange juice to cater for children if you like (or just deem it out of bounds for them!) and you can use any fruit you like really as long as it’s well-ripe for maximum flavour and ease of cutting. 

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