The best berry, lemon curd and prosecco trifle

ingredients

• Trifle sponge

  • 110 gram butter
  • 110 gram sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup self-raising flour (or use gluten-free flour)
  • few tbsp milk

• Lemon curd

  • juice and zest of 3-4 lemons
  • 100 gram caster sugar
  • 50 gram chilled butter, chopped
  • 2 eggs, plus extra yolk

• Berry, lemon curd and prosecco trifle

  • 1 trifle sponge (see recipe above)
  • 200 millilitre prosecco
  • 4 cup fresh berries – Nici used a mix of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
  • 2 tablespoon icing sugar
  • 400 gram store-bought custard
  • 600 millilitre cream, lightly whipped
  • 100 gram crème fraîche
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd (see recipe above)
  • fresh raspberries, to garnish

method

• Trifle sponge

  • 1

    Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a springform tin.

  • 2

    Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Continue beating, adding the eggs, one at a time. Beat until smooth. Fold in the flour and mix with enough milk to get a dropping consistency.

  • 3

    Scrape into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 20 minutes or until well risen and springs back to the touch.

  • 4

    Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin and cooling on a wire rack.

  • 5

    This makes a stiff sponge, which is ideal for a trifle as it is robust enough to soak up the berry juices and prosecco.

• Lemon curd

  • 1

    Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk together as it warms over a low heat. Simmer until it thickens – about 15 minutes. Store in sterilised jars.

• Berry, lemon curd and prosecco trifle

  • 1

    Slice the strawberries into a large bowl, mix with the other berries, icing sugar and 100ml prosecco. Leave for 10 minutes.

  • 2

    Whisk the custard with a third of the whipped cream and crème fraiche.

  • 3

    Break the sponge into lumps to make a layer, using a third of the sponge, at the base of a trifle bowl or other suitable dish. Splash with the remaining prosecco.

  • 4

    Add a layer of fruit, then a third of custard mix. Dot lumps of sponge over the top, then repeat, spooning over fruit, then custard. Repeat with remaining sponge, fruit and custard. Top with whipped cream. Drop in teaspoons of lemon curd and raspberries.

  • 5

    Chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before serving.

notes

• Serves 10-12 (at least). - Buy your strawberries a week ahead of Christmas (before they’ve increased in price) and mascerate with sugar and prosecco.