‘Tis the season for delicious dishes at dinner parties and we’re especially excited about trifle making its annual appearance. Impress your loved ones with sweet, sensational twists of this traditional English dessert to keep them in a holly, jolly mood all season long. 

 1. Red velvet trifle with cream cheese, icing, meringue and brandy snaps 

Serves 8–10
Total time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the red velvet sponge cake 

2⅔ cups cake flour 
¼ cup cocoa powder 
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened 
1⅔ cup light brown sugar 
2 large eggs 
½ cup canola oil 
2 tbsp red food colouring 
2 tsp vanilla essence 
1 tsp white vinegar 
1⅓ cup buttermilk  

For the meringue kisses 

2 egg whites  
½ cup castor sugar 
1 tsp vanilla essence  

For the brandy snaps

1¼ cup melted butter 
1 cup light brown sugar 
1¼ cup maple syrup 
2 tbsp brandy 
1¼ cup bread flour 
½ tsp ground ginger  

For the cream cheese icing 

2 tubs plain cream cheese 
1 cup icing sugar 
1 tsp vanilla essence 
½ cup cream, whipped
2 tbsp berry jam or preserve  

Method

 For the red velvet cake 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Line a large, deep rectangular baking dish with baking paper, and grease with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar for about 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Whisk in the eggs, oil, vanilla, vinegar and buttermilk.
6. Combine the wet and dry ingredients using a wooden spoon until smooth. Be careful not to overmix.
7. Fold in the food colouring until the mixture turns the desired shade of red.
8. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and level using the back of a spoon or spatula. Set aside for 10–15 minutes.
9. Bake for about 30–35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
10. Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting it into squares. Set aside.  

For the meringue kisses 

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C.
2. Use a standing mixer to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
3. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Repeat with the remaining sugar until the meringue is glossy and thick.
4. Fold in the vanilla essence.
5. Use a pastry brush to paint the inside of a piping bag, fitted with a star nozzle, with the red food colouring.
6. Fill the bag with the meringue mix.
7. Pipe meringue kisses onto a greased and lined baking tray making sure to leave space between each meringue.
8. Bake at 120°C for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Switch the oven off with the door slightly ajar and allow it to cool completely. 

For the cream cheese icing 

1. Whisk together the cream cheese until smooth and lump-free.
2. Stir through the icing sugar and vanilla essence. Lastly, gently fold in the cream.
3. Fold the berry jam or preserve into the icing to create a marbled effect. 

For the brandy snaps 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine the butter, sugar, maple syrup and brandy in a large bowl.
3. Fold in the flour and ginger and mix until smooth.
4. Place teaspoonfuls of cookie batter onto a baking tray, making sure to leave enough space between each cookie as they spread quite a bit when baking.
5. Bake for about 4–5 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven immediately and shape over a greased rolling pin to create different curvy shapes. This must be done while the cookies are still warm.
7. Repeat the process with the remaining cookie batter. 

To assemble

In a large trifle dish, create layers by alternating between red velvet sponge, berries, meringue, icing and brandy snaps.  

Top tip 

Elevate your trifle by topping it with dollops of meringue. Use a blowtorch to lightly toast the meringue and sprinkle it with gold dust. 

 2. Milk tart trifle

Serves 4
Cooking time 1 hour 

Ingredients 

1½ tbsp flour
1 tbsp corn flour
2 eggs, separated
2½ cups milk
½ cup caster sugar
1 tbsp butter
3 cinnamon sticks
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
3 cardamom pods, roasted and split
1½ cups fruit cake mix
1 sponge cake, sliced
Ground cinnamon, to garnish 

Method

1. Whisk the flour, corn flour and egg yolks together in a large bowl
2. Place the milk, castor sugar, butter, one cinnamon stick and salt in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick and pour it into the flour-egg-yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Return to the pot and cook over medium heat, whisking until it thickens.
4. Transfer the resulting custard to a clean bowl, lay some cling film directly onto the surface of the custard and leave to cool.
5. Place sugar and one cup of water in a small pot over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, continue to simmer until it is a glossy syrup. Add the cardamom pods and fruit cake mix, and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain, reserving both the syrup and the fruit. Remove the cardamom pods.
6. Dip each slice of sponge cake into the syrup, then arrange a single layer in a large glass dish.
7. Top with a few spoons of fruit, then pour over a thick layer of custard. Repeat until all the cake and fruit has been used. End with a layer of custard.
8. Dust with cinnamon and garnish with 2 cinnamon sticks. Leave to stand for 30 minutes before serving.  

 3. Peach and berry trifle

Serves 6–8
Cooking time 1 hour  

Ingredients

50 g flaked almonds
250 g mini-Swiss rolls, each cut into slices
180 g berry coulis
410 g tin peach slices
2 cups custard
250 g strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup cream, whipped
100 g blueberries 

Method

1. Lightly toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden brown.
2. Arrange the Swiss roll slices to line the bottom and sides of a 20cm diameter × 10cm deep glass bowl.
3. Drizzle the Swiss roll with the coulis. Arrange the peach slices in a concentric circle on top of the Swiss roll, then pour the custard over it.
4. Arrange half the strawberries in a circle on top of the custard. Spoon the whipped cream over them, then arrange the rest of the strawberries and blueberries on top. Scatter over the almonds.
5. Chill the trifle for at least 30 minutes before serving.

4. Trifle cheesecake

Serves 6
Cooking time: 1 hour 35 min 

Ingredients

For the crust
400 g ginger biscuits, crushed
⅓ cup melted butter, cooled 

For the jelly

80 g sachet red jelly 

For the filling

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
500 g cream cheese
3 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp flour 

To assemble

½ cup cream, whipped
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
⅓ cup raspberries
¼ cup cherries
Mini meringues, to decorate 

Method 

For the crust

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Whizz the biscuits and butter together in a food processor. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a springform tin.
3. Blind bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

For the jelly

1. Line a cake tin the same size as the one used for the bas
2. Prepare the jelly according to the packet instructions. Pour into the prepared tin
3. Refrigerate until set.

For the filling

1. Beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 minutes until the mixture is thick.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, cream, vanilla lemon juice and zest. Fold in the egg mixture.
3. Sift in the flour and fold in to combine.
4. Pour into the crust and wrap the outside edges of the tin in foil. Place in an oven dish filled with water to create a bain-marie.
5. Bake for 1 hour. When done, turn off the oven, open the door slightly and allow the cheesecake to cool inside for 1 hour. Then remove it from the oven to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled.

To assemble

1. Remove the jelly from the tin and place it on top of the cheesecake layer. Refrigerate it overnight.
2. Place the meringues under the grill, or blowtorch them until they are golden on the edges.
3. Decorate the top of the trifle cheesecake with the whipped cream, meringues, pomegranates, raspberries and cherries.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli 

Photography: Gareth van Nelson // HMimages.co.za 

5. Lemon and poppy seed trifle

Serves 14
Cooking time: 2 hours 10 min  

Ingredients 

For the jelly

2 packets of lemon jelly 

For the lemon curd

2 tins of condensed milk
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp yellow food colouring
2 tbsp corn flour
1 cup cream, whipped 

For the lemon sponge

500 g box vanilla cake mix
¼ cup poppy seeds
2–3 lemons
½ cup sugar
½ cup water  

For the custard

300 g butter, cubed
2 tins of condensed milk
5 tbsp corn flour
300 ml milk
4 eggs, separated 

To serve

Poppy seeds
White chocolate, grated 

Method

For the jelly

1. Prepare the jelly as per the packet instructions
2. Pour into the trifle dish and place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

For the lemon curd

1. Mix condensed milk, lemon zest and juice, and food colouring in a glass bowl.
2. Place over a pot of simmering water to heat gently. Whisk until slightly thickened.
3. Mix the corn flour into a paste with 2 tbsp water, then pour into the curd mixture and whisk until thickened.
4. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside to cool to room temperature.

For the lemon sponge

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 tins the size of your trifle dish.
2. Prepare cake batter as per packet instructions. Fold in poppy seeds and zest of 2 lemons.
3. Bake the cakes. Once cooled, slice the cakes into 4 layers.
4. Place ½ cup lemon juice, sugar and water in a pot. Cook on medium heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves.
5. Brush the syrup over the sponge layers.

For the custard 

1. Melt the butter in a pot. Whisk in the condensed milk. Use the empty tins to add 2 tins of boiling water to the pot (be careful, the tins can get hot).
2. In a bowl, mix the corn flour into a paste with some milk. Then whisk in the remaining milk and the egg yolks. Slowly pour into the pot and cook until thickened
3. Whip the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the mixture. Allow to cool, then place into a piping bag.

To serve

1. Place a layer of sponge on top of the set jelly. Top this with ½ lemon curd.
2. Place the second layer of sponge down and top with ½ custard and a sprinkle of poppy seeds. Finish off with the last 2 layers of sponge cake.
3. Pipe the remaining custard and curd on top and add a sprinkle of white chocolate.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil 

Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za 

Also read: Easy-to-bake treats for festive cheer 

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