The History Of The Trifle, An Elegant English Dessert

Originating in England, trifle is a delightful and visually appealing dessert that has a rich and captivating history. Read on to know more:

Desserts are an integral part of our festive feasts. We all love indulging in cakes, cupcakes, pies, puddings, trifles and many other desserts. Since it is the holiday season, the demand for desserts has doubled. Speaking particularly about trifle, it is a quintessential dessert that has been a part of British tables for more than four centuries.

Originating in England, it is a delightful and visually appealing dessert that has a rich and captivating history. Very popular during festivals like Christmas and Thanksgiving, English trifles can be made with alcohol, jelly or fruits that makes it ideal for every celebratory occasion. It is a great way to transform your leftover cakes into a crowd-pleasing dessert. Besides its taste, the elegant presentation of this British delight also makes it a winner.

The History Of English Trifle

This English dessert originated in the 18th century in Britain and was invented to use up leftovers and stale pieces of cake. Traditionally the slices of the cake were soaked in alcohol and then stacked with ingredients like fruit, custard, and jelly in a round glass bowl. It is believed that trifles came to America through the British who were acquainted in the coastal South. It became very popular among the Southern planters who enjoyed decadent desserts.

Though it has a British origin, the term trifle is actually derived from an old French word called trufe (or truffle) which means something of little importance. This can be said to be the appropriate definition of trifle as it is an easy and effortless dessert you can prepare.

In Southern America, trifles are also known as “tipsy parsons". This is because, trifle was believed to have lured many Sunday-visiting preachers off the wagon. Today, it has become a compulsory part of holiday feast not only in the Southern region but other parts of the world as well. In 2022, a trifle also became the Platinum Pudding for the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Here is a delicious recipe to make trifle at home:

Prep Time-30 minutes

Cook Time-15 minutes

Ingredients

For the custard

• 4 cups whole milk
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup of sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 tsp vanilla extract

Items for Assembly

• 16 slices lemon pound cake (about 1/2" thick)
• ½ cup cream sherry
• 30 oz raspberry jam
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream (whipped with 4 tbsp sugar a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Method

For the custard

• 350g white chocolate, choppedPlace the vanilla essence in a large mixing bowl. Set a fine mesh strainer over the top and keep it aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk the milk, corn starch, egg yolks, sugar and salt.
• Bring this to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once done, turn the heat down to low and cook another 30-45 seconds, whisking vigorously.
• Switch off the heat and strain the custard into the bowl with the vanilla. Combine the custard and vanilla together thoroughly.

To Assemble

• Cut rectangles of pound cake about 1/2" thick and set them in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish. Drizzle a little sherry over the layers and evenly spread on a layer of raspberry jam about 1/8"-3/16" thick.
• Add another layer of cake. Sprinkle with some more sherry. Spread on another layer of jam. Pour the custard evenly over the top of the trifle (make sure that custard runs down into any gaps between the cake and the sides of the pan).
• There should be about 1/2" of space between the top of the custard and the top of the pan. This place should be left to spread the whipped cream.
• Cover the trifle with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly. Once done, spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the dessert.