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, but I really recommend making the jelly yourself. It’s such a major component in trifle, it makes all the difference – and it’s SUPER easy!
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)
- 2 – 3 punnets 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
- 1/2 cup cornflour / cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut cake into 3 cm / 1.2″ 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:
- Put half the cranberry juice into a saucepan over medium heat (3 cups / 750ml). Bring to a simmer, then turn off stove.
- Meanwhile, put remaining room temperature cranberry juice into a bowl. Sprinkle gelatine all across surface (don't dump in one place). Whisk until mostly dissolved.
- Pour in hot cranberry juice. Whisk until gelatin is fully dissolved. Proceed with recipe – jelly will be warm.
Jelly Layer 1:
- Pour HALF the cranberry jelly liquid carefully over the cake in the trifle dish. Refrigerate uncovered for 1.5 hours until it is partly set – still quite soft, but not watery (ie if you gently place a strawberry on it, it will stay on the surface).
- Pour remaining jelly in a bowl and leave on the counter (do not refrigerate).
- Meanwhile, make the custard (see below).
Custard Layer:
- Remove trifle from fridge. Spoon over the custard, smooth surface, press on glass to seal (stops jelly bleed). Refrigerate for 1 hour until surface has firmed up a bit – just enough to hold the jelly (jelly is soft so custard doesn’t need to be fully set).
- Put remaining jelly in the fridge at the same time (to thicken a bit, but not too much, see video, so you get a neat, clear layer of jelly – read Note 5). CHECK jelly at 30 minutes, just to ensure it's not setting too fast.
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.
- Pour into a bowl and cover with cling wrap, pressing onto surface. Leave on the counter 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. I can’t find cranberry juice (I live in France and it can be difficult to find). What could I use as a substitute? Thanks.
Any unsweetened juice of choice will work here – even grapefruit juice would work well! N x
Hey Nag!
I m planning to make strawberry trifle can I use strawberry juice instead of cranberries?
Sure can Sana! N x
Hi Nagi!
I made this trifle yesterday and i used a crancerry juice and gelatine and after 4 hours waiting jelly dosent set up!!
Can you ive me some advice what was wrong???
thank yoy Grace
Hi Grace, sorry you’re having issues – could it be the gelatine you’re using? Is it in date? N x
Sorry but my cranberry jelly is not set up, I dont know what I did wrong but after 3 hours in fridge not set up???
Can you please give me some advise.
Thank you
I made this trifle for Christmas Day and it was delicious and such a big hit with my family, it’s now made it on the dessert list for each Christmas. The only change I would make next time is less cake. as my trifle bowl must be skinnier than Nagi’s bowl she used, as my cake all sat above the jelly and to get the layers level less cake would be required.
Thank you Nagi for an amazing show stopper, delicious Trifle
Hi Rebecca, you could use as little or as much as you like – the beauty of trifle is that you can add whatever and make it however you like!! 🙂 N x
Hi made the cranberry jelly from scratch as per your recipe but did not really set
Hi Anna, sorry you had issues here – can I ask what type of gelatine you used? N x
I made this trifle for Christmas Day and I got the big “thumbs up” and 9.5 out of 10. My brother in law would like me to make another one for New Year’s Eve. Thanks for the very detailed instructions Nagi.
I’m so glad it was a hit Cathy!! N x
Sorry for spelling your name wrong, I blame it on predictive text 🙄
Hi Magi merry Christmas to you and your family 😘 great recipe but my bowl was too big and had to use all the jelly in a single layer. Made another layer with no-bake cheesecake filling and an extra fruit later. You custard is simple to make and awesome (I added some butter though, #nextlevelawesome) – my new go-to custard recipe
Great recipe, thank you
Hi Nagi, can I leave the first jelly layer to set for more than 1.5hrs? I need to run last minute errands so can’t finish the whole recipe in one sitting. Thanks!
Hi Nagi, I’m making this today and realised I only have arrowroot and not cornflour for the custard. Can I sub it? Hoping to avoid a Xmas Eve supermarket run!
Thanks
Hi Lucy, unfortunately it has a different affect and will alter the texture of the custard here. N x
Thanks so much. Cornflour purchased, I couldn’t risk a Christmas Day fail! Ha merry Christmas Nagi
Sorry you’re in lockdown Nagi. It’s a year to forget about. Quick question with the trifle please. Would port work or is it too overpowering. Hope you have a good Christmas, or as good as you can
Hi, what do you mean by ‘press on the glass to seal’? As in press custard onto glass from the inside or..? Thanks.
Yes press the custard onto the glass to seal Claire- N x
Hi Nagi, looking to make this for Christmas. I just wanted to check whether another layer of cake could be added or would it break down the pretty layers? Thanks!
You could definitely add another layer Sophie!! N x
Nagi, I contacted Aeroplane Jelly asking where to buy flavourless jelly. They no longer make this product. I am using gelatine instead. Thank you for your wonderful recipes
Hi Cheryl, yes I’ve been made aware of this so have updated the recipe 🙂 N x
I cannot wait to try this!! I’ve read your instructions a million times and am feeling confident (famous last words 😹) Could I make this three days ahead or do you think that would be pushing it? Of course wouldn’t do the cream and fruit till the day x
HI Mackenzie – you’ve got this! That will be fine to make ahead, just cover tightly with cling wrap and reserve the fresh cream and berries for the day of serving 🙂 N x
Hey there
This year is my first year making everything from scratch so ill be starting this tomorrow !
I just had 2 questions:
Do you know how many leafs of gelatin I would need if using leafs ?
And also could I use any concentrated fruit juice or is there an alternative to cranberry juice ?
All the best and happy holidays!
Hi Nagi,
Could I please have the original version using Aeroplane Jelly, my local IGA supermarket still had it which I have now bought along with the sugarfree Cranberry Juice.
Many thanks.
Hi Mandy! No problems at all – here it is:
https://www.recipetineats.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Christmas-Trifle-Recipe-2017.pdf
I’ve also now linked it in the recipe notes. – N x
Hi Nagi, you are a Christmas star!! ⭐ Thank you so much, your recipe helped me put a smile on each family member’s face! Merry Christmas and I wish you life full of love and joy! 🎄♥️
I use your recipe every Christmas and every year my family always double check I’ll be making that amazing trifle again for the Christmas party. Even people who don’t normally like trifle dig into this one!