Cooking Lesson #1118: English Strawberry Trifle

…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Kitchen

How you doin’? Tell me this isn’t a thing of beauty! Picture yourself bringing this dessert to your holiday table. And yes, as promised it uses the same sponge cake recipe from Pastel de Tres Leches (#1117) published yesterday.
 
Trifle is a casually layered dessert of English origin. The usual ingredients are layers of sponge cake soaked in sherry, a fruit element (in this case, strawberries), pastry cream and whipped cream layered in that ascending order in a glass trifle dish.
 
The ingredients of a trifle are variable depending on the whims of the chef. Many varieties exist, some forgoing fruit entirely and instead using other ingredients, such as chocolate, coffee or vanilla. The fruit and sponge layers are suspended in pastry cream and topped with whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged to produce three or four visible layers.
 
If you been looking for the perfect recipe for a sponge cake, you’ve come to the right place. My sponge cake is perfect for use in a variety of desserts, and it is perfect for an English Strawberry Trifle—a fun alternative to pie for the holiday.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  25 minutes
Chill time:  1 hour
Yield:  12 servings / 1 10 x 15-inch cake
 
Ingredients 
For the sponge cake—here it is again
​
6 medium eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
 
Directions
To make the cake

1. Preheat an oven to 350° F.

1. Grease a 10 x 15-inch baking dish.
2. Beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. Gradually beat in the sugar until mixture is glossy.
4. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Reduce the speed to medium and mix in the flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time.
6. Mix in the milk, baking powder and vanilla.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
8. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

 
                                                  Ed’s Basic Pastry Cream
 
A classic pastry cream is used in bakeries and restaurants for fillings for cakes, pies, pastries and trifles. I hate it when I go to a restaurant and find out the pastry chef is using a pastry cream mix. What’s so hard to do my way?
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cooking time:  5 minutes
Yield:  5 Cups
 
Ingredients 
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
 
Directions
To make the pastry cream

1. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and whole egg.
3. Stir together the cornstarch and remaining sugar; then stir them into the egg until smooth.
4. When the milk comes to a boil, slowly drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream to temper the eggs (not to be confused with tempering chocolate) while mixing so that you do not scramble them.
5. Add the butter and vanilla and stir well to incorporate until the butter is completely melted.
6. Return the mix to the saucepan then cook over a gentle heat, whisking or stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil the pastry cream – it will break. If it looks like it has curdled, lift it off the heat and whisk firmly.
7. Pass the finished cream through a fine sieve. Cover with food film directly on top of the cooked cream to prevent a skin from forming.
8. Refrigerate until ready to build the trifle.

 
                                                 For the Trifle Construction

Ingredients 
For the trifle pastry cream layers
1 cup strawberry preserves
4 to 5 cups of sponge cake cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 cup sherry wine
4 cups of pastry cream (see recipe above)
3 cups strawberries cut in half
3 cups whipped cream

1. Using a clean hand (or gloved hand), smear the bottom inside of the trifle bowl with the strawberry preserves.
2. Next, layer about a third of the cake cubes on the bottom of the trifle bowl.
3. Sprinkle an ounce of the sherry over the cake cubes.
4. Spread about a third of the pastry cream on top.
5. Add a third of the strawberries on top of the pastry cream.
6. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream on top.
7. Repeat two more times with single layers of the cake, sherry, pastry cream, strawberries, and whipped cream.
8. Garnish with whole or half strawberries. And to dress up the dish, decorate with strawberry slices around the inside of the bowl.

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ChefSecret:  Use any ripe seasonal berries you have available—boysenberries, blueberries or raspberries or any combination of berries.
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Quip of the Day:  While driving to work today, I saw a huge cheesecake. Around the next corner was a large trifle, followed by an apple turnover. There were no cars. It seemed to me the roads were strangely desserted.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

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