I would have to say, this is my all time favorite dessert. My mom has been making trifle for as long as I can remember. It is a very popular british dessert – my mom lived in London before she got married and learned some recipes from my English aunt. 

Growing up the trifle was served in a lasagna pan- the flat casserole pan. The presentation was not as dramatic as it is in the trifle bowl- I love looking at the colorful layers of delicious heaven! I remember my mom would use canned mixed fruit and use the juice to soak the sponge cake. We also grew up with lots of custard and fruit for dessert- the custard was made out of a powder. I still remember my mom pouring the powder in hot milk to make the delicious custard. She would layer the soaked sponge cake with the fruit,custard and whipped cream. The dessert was topped with a thick layer of whipped cream and sprinkled with nuts. How good is freshly whipped cream?? I can taste it as I write about it- the fluffy and creamy goodness- so easy to eat lots of it without realizing how dangerous it is. I still remember when we first arrived in the US and I saw cans of whipped cream or the fake stuff you get in tubs- I was devastated! What happened to the real stuff- I couldn’t understand why someone would want to eat that stuff in the tub… 

Once you learn the technique and process of making a trifle, sky is the limit. You can change the cake flavor, types of fruit and the flavor of custard or curd. I used to make a generic one most of the time, like the one my mom made- but then I started experimenting with the recipe. Last year I made a raspberry with mango curd trifle- it was out of this world! A few years ago I had a dessert tasting party and made a ginger bread and lemon curd trifle- it was very good as well!

It is a crowd pleaser- most people like it. In my case, I wouldn’t make it unless there was a crowd since I am quite capable of eating the entire bowl in no time!

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