Description
This luscious Holiday Berry Trifle layers homemade sponge cake, tangy cranberry jelly studded with fresh strawberries, a rich white chocolate custard, and a smooth mascarpone cream. Garnished with a medley of fresh berries and mint, it’s a festive and elegant dessert perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Sponge Cake
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Jelly
- 3 cups regular cranberry juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup strawberries, halved
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional, depending on juice tartness)
White Chocolate Custard
- 2 cups full fat milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 2 oz white chocolate, chopped
Mascarpone Cream
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp orange liquor (optional)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Extras
- 2 punnets strawberries
- 1 punnet raspberries
- 1 punnet blueberries
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Sponge Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Beat the eggs on high speed for about 1 minute, then gradually add sugar and continue beating until the mixture is thick and fluffy, approximately 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk flour and baking powder together, then sift this into the egg mixture. Gently fold with a spatula until combined, stopping when no flour streaks remain to avoid deflating the batter. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 23 to 25 minutes until golden. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then loosen edges, transfer to a wire rack, and peel off parchment. Store in an airtight container once cool.
- Jelly: Wash and hull strawberries, halving them. Heat half of the cranberry juice until it just simmers, then remove from heat and stir in sugar if using. Sprinkle gelatin over the remaining cold juice and let it sit 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine warm juice with gelatin mixture and pour into the trifle bowl. Refrigerate until semi-firm, about 2 to 3 hours. Distribute strawberries around the sides and center of the jelly. Chill until fully firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
- White Chocolate Custard: Whisk egg yolks, 1/3 cup milk, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Heat remaining milk over medium heat until simmering, gradually whisk into yolk mixture, then return to pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and able to mound on a spoon (about 5 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat, strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, and stir in chopped white chocolate until melted. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Mascarpone Cream: Before assembling, fold mascarpone cheese and orange liquor until combined. In another bowl, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fluffy with soft peaks. Fold half the whipped cream into mascarpone to lighten, then fold in the rest until smooth.
- Trifle Assembly: Pour chilled white chocolate custard over the jelly layer. Crumble the sponge cake over the custard, then sprinkle with a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Spread the mascarpone cream evenly on top. Decorate with extra berries, fresh mint leaves, and a dusting of powdered sugar for a festive finish.
Notes
- This Holiday Berry Trifle recipe is inspired by a version from Home Beautiful magazine.
- The amount of sugar in the jelly can be adjusted based on the tartness of the cranberry juice.
- Using freshly made sponge cake and custard makes the dessert special, but you can use store-bought sponge cake if short on time.
- Ensure to refrigerate the jelly long enough to fully set before assembling the layers for best results.
- Orange liquor in the mascarpone cream is optional but adds a lovely festive aroma and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/10th of trifle)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 175 mg
