This trifle will look smashing on your Christmas table!!! Layers of custard and jelly, studded with cake and piled high with cream and fruit, it looks stunning in a trifle dish but otherwise just use a glass bowl!
TOP TIP: you can buy the cake and custard ready made (though my recipe uses homemade). But I really recommend making the jelly yourself. It’s such a major component in trifle, it’s easy, and the difference between artificially flavoured packet jelly and real fruit jelly is phenomenal!
Christmas Trifle
The first time I made trifle, I used raspberry flavoured Aeroplane jelly and store bought custard. It looked so fabulous, I was beaming with pride. Blinded by the beauty of the trifle, I completely forgot the first rule of cooking – it doesn’t matter how pretty it looks or how good the photos are if it tastes meh.
One big bite, and I wrinkled my nose with distaste. The jelly flavour was just so incredibly artificial, it was really off-putting because its artificial-ness is such a stark contrast to all the other flavours going on in the trifle.
Now before you go thinking I’m some kind of food snob, let me just say this – I actually don’t mind Aeroplane jelly on it’s own, there’s something sentimental about it. And I thoroughly encourage you to use store bought custard if you are pressed for time (though homemade is really sooooo good!).
BUT PLEASE DO NOT USE FLAVOURED AEROPLANE JELLY IN THIS TRIFLE!!!!
I promise you, it is so crazy simple to make real juice flavoured jelly! All you have to do is use gelatine which is very cheap and easy to use!
NOTE: I used to use flavourless Aeroplane Jelly for the jelly (click here for the original recipe). It’s no longer available, so the recipe uses plain gelatine instead which was preciously an alternative in the notes. Video not yet refilmed. Will do so next year!
For those of you wondering about the difference: Flavourless Aeroplane Jelly was sweet so the recipe called for unsweetened cranberry juice. Gelatine powder is unsweetened so we need to use sweetened cranberry juice.
I think the reason why it makes such a difference to use real Cranberry Juice for the jelly instead of flavoured Aeroplane Jelly is because there is so much of it in the trifle. Also, the jelly is slightly more concentrated in flavour than when you make it per the packet directions because the liquid to crystals ratio is lower, to ensure the jelly is firm enough to withstand the weight of everything piled on top of it.
Other than that, I have no other trifle rules. In fact, I’m pretty relaxed about everything else. Use whatever cake you want for the base – store bought or homemade madeira, Pound Cake or Vanilla Cake, even Christmas cake. Use homemade or store bought custard. Use any fruit you want – even canned is fine. I’d even say it’s pretty ok to use whipped cream out of a spray can over using flavoured Aeroplane jelly!!!
If you want quite neat layers, like depicted, please do follow the recipe carefully for each layer. In my trifle making life, there have been some not-so-pretty trifle efforts (albeit tasty!). Mainly bleeding between the layers, and jelly that set too much before ladling onto the custard, so it looked broken and split, rather than a clear jelly to show off the fruit in that layer.
If you’re catering for a large group this Christmas and/or you want a dessert you can make days in advance, this Christmas Trifle is ideal! Just assemble the layers then refrigerate. The only thing you’ll need to do on the day is whip the cream and pile on the fruit.
Then stand back and admire your handiwork. Beam with pride at how gorgeous your trifle looks. Enjoy that moment, because as soon as people start digging in, it will look like a complete and utter wreck. A delicious wreck. 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Christmas Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 x 450g / 14 oz Madeira cake or Pound cake store bought (Note 1)
- 1/3 cup orange or other fruit flavoured liquor (like Cointreau), or apple, orange or other fruit juice (or 2 tbsp brandy)
- 7 tsp gelatine powder (Note 2)
- 6 cups Cranberry juice, original (ie WITH sugar added, not No Added Sugar, Note 2)
- 500 – 750g (1 – 1.5 lb) strawberries , halved
- 1 each punnet blueberries, raspberries
Cream:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy / thickened cream (or pure whipping cream)
- 3 tbsp white sugar (caster sugar ok)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Homemade Thick Custard (or 900g 1 tub Pauls Double Thick Vanilla Custard, Note 3):
- 3 cups milk (full or low fat)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract) (Note 4)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar), extra
- 4 egg yolks (Note 7 for using leftover whites)
- 1/2 cup cornflour / cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut cake into 2 cm / 0.8" cubes. Cover bottom of 3.5 L / 3.5 qt trifle dish with cake (might not use all) and sprinkle with liquor or juice.
- Optional extra: Scatter over 1/2 to 1 punnet halved strawberries (this is not in ingredients list).
Cranberry Jelly:
- Heat half juice – Put half the cranberry juice into a saucepan over medium heat (3 cups / 750ml). Bring to a simmer, then turn off stove.
- Dissolve geatline – Meanwhile, put remaining room temperature cranberry juice into a very large bowl. Sprinkle gelatine all across surface (don't dump in one place, else you get lumps). Whisk until mostly dissolved (will finish dissolving in next step).
- Pour in hot cranberry juice. Whisk until gelatin is fully dissolved.
Jelly Layer 1:
- Pour HALF the warm jelly liquid carefully down the side of the trifle dish so the cake pieces are submerged. Refrigerate the trifle dish uncovered for 1.5 hours until it is partly set. It needs to be set enough so you can gently place a strawberry on it and it will stay on the surface. Proceed to Custard Layer steps.
- Pour remaining warm jelly in a bowl and leave on the counter. DO NOT refrigerate.
- Meanwhile, make the custard so it is ready to use (see below for how to make).
Custard Layer:
- Remove trifle from fridge. Whisk the room temperature custard to loosen. Spoon onto the jelly, smooth surface, press against wall of glass to seal (stops jelly bleed so you get neat layers). Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour until the surface has firmed up a bit – just enough to hold the jelly (jelly is soft, so custard doesn't need to be fully set).
Partially set remaining jelly
- Give the remaining jelly a good whisk then put it in the fridge at the same time to thicken a bit but not fully set. Refrigerate for 1 hour, but check at 30 minutes to ensure it isn't setting too fast. The jelly should be sloppy but spoonable, scoops up in a small mound. If it fully sets, you'll end up with a "broken glass" effect on the next jelly layer rather than a clear layer (read Note 5).
Jelly Layer 2:
- Remove trifle and jelly from fridge. Jelly should be sloppy. Carefully spoon over jelly, smooth surface. Scatter over 1 punnet halved strawberries (or half each raspberries and strawberries). Refrigerate for 3 hours+ (can leave in fridge for 48 hours, until ready to assemble).
Assembling:
- Cream: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until softly whipped.
- Once jelly is set, just before serving, top with cream, then pile over remaining berries. Dust with icing sugar.
- Serve!! PS It is imperative to ensure every servings includes a bit of every layer in the trifle 😂
Homemade Custard:
- Bring milk, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup sugar and yolks, then whisk in cornflour until smooth.
- While whisking, carefully pour in about ½ cup of milk mixture. Once mixed in, slowly pour in remaining milk while whisking. Once incorporated and smooth, pour back into saucepan.
- Return saucepan to stove over low heat. Whisk constantly until it becomes thick and custardy – this will happen quite quickly, about 45 seconds (ie it is liquidy when you start, then suddenly it thickens). Once thickened, remove immediately from heat (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Immediately pour into a bowl and cover with cling wrap, pressing onto surface. Leave on the counter to cool to room temp until trifle is ready to layer with custard. Makes 750ml. (Note 5)
Recipe Notes:
Life of Dozer
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is for this Trifle to fall off the table.
Love, Dozer 🐾
Santa won’t be making good on that wish, but while he was sleeping, Santa accidentally flung some custard on his face and he didn’t even stir….
Hi Nagi 👋 thanks for the recipe! Just something I noticed, in the video you put the gelatine into the hot cranberry juice, but in the written instructions, it implies you should add it to the cold. I’m wondering if this could affect how it sets?
I just made this recipe for the first time and it will now be my go-to! Who knew you could make jelly out of cranberry juice so easily? The texture of the jelly was beautiful and the custard so creamy – I will not be going back to a box of jelly crystals! Note: I used a measuring spoon for the gelatine and didn’t add the cooked custard for several hours after – ensuring the jelly was set. I made this recipe using lactose free milk for the custard and it set beautifully. I made it 48hrs in advance with the exception of the cream – I added that, strawberries and grated chocolate a couple of hours prior to serving. I only made the three layers with jam roll pieces in the base of the jelly. My husband absolutely loved it and my guests commented on how nice it was. I am so pleased with the outcome.
Thanks Nagi.
Kerrie 🙂
Came out great. Definitely worth making the cranberry juice jelly from scratch.
Another awesome recipe, Nagi! I made it two days in advance, following the directions closely. The only thing I did differently is I made stabilized cream (with mascarpone) because it lasts longer. Turned out absolutely perfect, everyone loved it!
Hi Nagi, this recipe is outstanding! Question -Can I use frozen berries?
I love this recipe and have made it a few times now. Regarding all the comments on the jelly not setting, I found that it takes seven generous teaspoons of gelatine or eight normal teaspoons. This is by far the best trifle I’ve ever had. Thanks Nagi 🙂
Thanks for the tip Kelly! My first jelly didn’t set and then I saw this note. For the next attempt I used 8 (and a bit) teaspoons of gelatine and it was perfect.
The recipe is tasty and almost all the components worked for me, except for the jelly. The first layer of jelly took at least 3 hours to semi set, and then the other half of the jelly was in the fridge for 2+ hours and still watery. The jelly bled through the dish and it didn’t have the neat layers because of this. I used all the same brand of gelatine and cranberry juice shown in this recipe, so I’m unsure why it didn’t work out. I would make this recipe again but increase the amount of gelatine mixed in with the cranberry juice.
Hi Nagi and a very merry Christmas.
I’m going to make your beautiful trifle for Christmas Day can’t wait to try the real jelly addition. I love and have tried so many of your delicious recipes. Love your gorgeous DOZER XX
Thank you so much for responding to my question about what a punnet is!!
Best from New York! Jerrie
Wanting to make the jelly using cranberry juice but can only find cranberry drink in the supermarket that has 18% cranberry juice. Will this be ok
Hi Nagi,
What’s the most this can be made in advance please? Is three days (evening of 22nd Dec for Christmas Day lunch) pushing it? Thanks so much!
Interesting to see how you do this. Ma always put ladyfingers on base and around the trifle dish, sugared strawberries, custard and whipped cream.(US version, I guess.)She put images of trifles in her Christmas card paintings, English friends also made it like this. Yours looks great and I’m sure, tastes good,
Hi Nagi! Please explain for Americans what punnet means. Also castor and icing sugar. Aeroplane jelly?? I’m lost.
Hi Jerrie. Aeroplane Jelly is just a particular brand of artificially flavoured jelly crystals loved by kids but no comparison to natural flavours. A punnet is the container in which berries are sold. A punnet of strawberries is 250 gms or about 8 oz, and a punnet of raspberries or blueberries is 125gms. I hope that helps.
Thanks Christine for your reply! Very helpful!!
Hey Jerrie 😀 a punnet is one of those little plastic packs you get at the supermarket, a punnet of strawberries is usually 350g, a punnet of blueberries might be 250g. Castor sugar is superfine baker’s sugar, icing sugar is powdered/confectioner’s sugar. And Aeroplane jelly is a brand of flavoured jelly powder you can buy in Australia.
Thanks Katie!! I learned something new! Best, Jerrie
A punnet is just the container that strawberries come in. Castor sugar is finer than normal white sugar, and icing sugar is what we call powdered sugar. Aeroplane jelly is just a brand name, you just need plain gelatine powder
Also, caster sugar is like fine/bakers sugar. Icing sugar is like powdered sugar. Aeroplane jelly is a commercial brand of jello
They’re the the small plastic boxes strawberries and other berries come in. Strawberries are often 250g per punnet and blueberries/raspberries are usually 125g each
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I really appreciate it!
Trifle was awesome- the cranberry jelly truly made the difference. I made the recipe exactly as written and it filled a 3.5 litre trifle bowl exactly. I was reading the comments and I cannot understand why some people could not get the jelly to set. Though I admit I used the gelatine brand suggested and bought a new one so it was fresh so that may have helped. It was a fantastic recipe and I decorated it with strawberries and chopped chocolate Easter eggs since I figured it was perfect for Greek Easter Sunday lunch. Who says trifle is just for Christmas?
Hi Nagi, can you comment on my trifle efforts please. I used the ingredient quantities exactly and even bought new gelatine,MacKenzies, but the setting times you gave didn’t happen for me, it took hours, even had to leave it while I went to Ursula’s for dinner, you should go, it was delicious , and the second jelly layer was too set. I put extra gelatine in the second layer as it was still liquid after 4 hours in the fridge.
Stuart
Thanks Nagi. Appreciate that
Can you please tell me how to make with aeroplane jelly I still have some unflavoured. Thanks
There is a link to the original recipe using that under the photos of the gelatin! N x
Thanks Nagi. Appreciate that
Thank you for this recipe! The tip for making your own jelly with Cranberry juice was very helpful. You need an ENORMOUS bowl if you follow the recipe. I was able to make 2 large bowls and a further medium sized one which didn’t have cream on the top.
An absolute hit. Made it again 2 days on the 26th. This will be made again and again and again …… adopted into our family recipes as The RecipeTinEats Trifle 🥰
This was absolutely divine! Made for xmas day the day before. Jelly took a lot longer to set, (more like 4-5 hours) so a bit of patience was needed. The cranberry jelly definitely took it to the next level, so glad I didn’t use packet jelly.
Also used shop bought Madagascan vanilla bean custard (here in the UK), absolutely delicious! Was a big hit.