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    Home > Cakes, Desserts & Treats

    Proper Sherry Trifle

    Published: Dec 19, 2022 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is a nostalgic recipe for me. My Nan's sherry trifle.
    We're talking jam swiss roll and fresh raspberries in jelly, topped with more swiss roll (soaked in sherry this time) and good old Bird's custard. All finished with a pillowy layer of sweetened whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles!

    Sherry trifle in a large glass dish on a wooden table against a dark background. There is a glass of sherry and a bowl of sprinkles also in shot.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 What do we need for this classic trifle?
    • 🍽️ What to serve it with
    • 🍲 More fantastic Desserts
    • Nan's proper sherry trifle
    • 💬 Reviews
    • Nope - I don't use ladies finger sponges in my trifle
    • Nope - I don't make the custard from scratch
    • Nope - I don't top with posh cherries or gourmet chocolate curls - it's sprinkles all the way. Although a crushed up Cadbury flake is also allowed.

    To be fair, I do love a posh trifle made with all of those goodies above. There are so many variations and adaptions out there, and I'm willing to give them ALL a go.

    Except maybe that one Rachel from Friends made with minced beef and bananas? That's a hard no.

    But today I was feeling nostalgic for my Nan's sherry trifle. The way she used to make it when we went round for a big buffet family dinner.
    My grandad was always the cook in the family, but trifle was 100% my nan's domain.

    I think she may have gone a little heavier on the sherry then I do (i.e probably double) but this recipe took my right back there.

    📋 What do we need for this classic trifle?

    • Jam Swiss rolls - the ones that ONLY have jam in, not the ones with cream in too.
    • Raspberries - fresh or frozen.
    • Jelly cubes - you could use the powdered jelly sachets, I think the non-sugar-free jelly cubes taste better though.
    • Sherry - you can leave this out if you don't want to use alcohol.
    • Custard powder, along with milk and sugar to make up the custard. Yes, you can use ready-made custard (or even make your own from scratch), but Bird's custard powder was the way my nan made it. I use a little less milk than the Bird's recipe suggests, so it's a little more firm, to hold the trifle together better (no, i'm not affiliated with Bird's custard, by the way).
    • Whipping cream, along with confectioners's sugar and vanilla extract to add extra sweetness to the cream.
    • Sprinkles - mandatory for all 80's throw-back trifles.
    Overhead shot of glass trifle bowl with slices of jam swiss roll and fresh raspberries in. The bowl is on a wooden table.

    I love the layering of a good trifle. I think the swiss rolls lined around the trifle dish look so pretty when they're suspended in that lovely jelly!

    👩‍🍳PRO TIP Be sure to give yourself enough time for the jelly to set. It will take at least 4 hours. I prefer to let the jelly set overnight, then carry on with the rest of the trifle the next day.

    Sherry trifle, topped with sprinkles, on a wooden table.

    🍽️ What to serve it with

    For me, trifles are either a dessert served at the end of a big Sunday roast, or a brilliant addition to any buffet - especially a Christmas trifle! Here are some other recipes that appear on my buffet table.

    • Sausage rolls (try my vegetarian sausage rolls too)
    • Coconut shrimp
    • Pigs in blankets
    • Cheesecake-stuffed strawberries
    • Buffalo chicken wings
    • French-pressed sandwich bites

    Side image of a large glass bowl of sherry trifle on a wooden table against a dark background.

    Do you have any favourite nostalgic desserts?
    Now I've had this trifle again, I'm dreaming of blancmange, syrup sponge and rice pudding. Not forgetting those shop-bought classics - viennetta, arctic roll and Angel Delight (butterscotch flavour was the best!).


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      Baked Strawberry Cheesecake
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    • A grey plate with a slice of deep dish apple pie on top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top with a napkin and fork in the background on a grey table.
      Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipe
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      Sticky Toffee Pudding
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      Winter Spiced Pecan Caramel Cheesecake - no bake and gluten free!
    • Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake with Sticky Whisky Glaze – this is bonfire night all wrapped up in one bite! Eat cold or serve warm with custard.
      Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake with Sticky Whisky Glaze
    Rainbow sprinkles being sprinkled onto a large bowl of sherry trifle. The trifle is on a wooden table, against a dark background.

    Stay updated with new recipes!
    Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

    Square image of sherry trifle in a large glass dish on a wooden table against a dark background. There is a glass of sherry and a bowl of sprinkles also in shot.

    Nan's proper sherry trifle

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Layers of jam swiss roll and raspberries in jelly, sherry-soaked swiss roll, custard, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles!
    5 from 2 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    setting time 4 hours hrs
    Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine British
    Servings 10 - 12 people
    Calories 496 kcal

    Equipment

    • 3.5 litre trifle dish

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 x 190g (3 x 6.7oz) jam swiss rolls - the ones with jam only - not the ones with cream in
    • 200 g (7 oz) fresh raspberries - you can use frozen, but don't defrost first
    • 2 x 135g (2 x 4.8oz) packs of raspberry jelly cubes
    • 3 tbsp sherry
    • 70 g (7 level tbsp) custard powder
    • 70 g (5.5 level tbsp) caster sugar
    • 1 litre (1.75 pints) full-fat milk
    • 600 ml (2.5 cups) whipping cream
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 30 g (4.5 level tbsp) icing sugar - (confectioners’ sugar/powdered sugar)
    • 1 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Slice up 2 of the swiss rolls into 1cm thick slices. Use it to line the side of a 3.5 litre trifle dish – just one layer. If you have any left over, put to one side and cover for now. We’ll use it later.
      3 x 190g (3 x 6.7oz) jam swiss rolls
    • Add the raspberries to the centre of the trifle dish.
      200 g (7 oz) fresh raspberries
    • Slice up the jelly cubes and place in a bowl or jug. Add 400ml of boiling water and stir together until the jelly cubes have dissolved.
      2 x 135g (2 x 4.8oz) packs of raspberry jelly cubes
    • Add 500ml of cold water and stir together.
    • Pour this jelly mixture into the trifle dish, over the raspberries and swiss roll.
    • Place the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours (up to 2 days)
    • Once the jelly has set, take it out of the refrigerator.
    • Chop the remaining swiss rolls into chunky pieces – approx. 1-1.5cm cubed. Place in a bowl and drizzle over the sherry – try to ensure a little bit of sherry gets onto each piece.
      3 tbsp sherry
    • Arrange the sponge pieces over the top of the jelly and place back in the fridge while you make the custard.
    • Place the custard powder, sugar and 4 tbsp of the milk into a saucepan. Stir together to form a paste.
      70 g (7 level tbsp) custard powder, 70 g (5.5 level tbsp) caster sugar, 1 litre (1.75 pints) full-fat milk
    • Now slowly pour in the remaining milk, while stirring, until fully mixed together.
    • Put the heat on under the pan and heat over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until the custard thickens (be sure to keep stirring, otherwise the custard can catch and burn at the bottom of the pan). It will thicken quite quickly just as it’s starting to approach boiling point.
    • As soon as it thickens, turn off the heat.
    • Leave to cool to room temperature – about 20-30 minutes. If you want to prevent any skin forming, place a piece of clingfilm on top (touching all exposed parts of the custard) when cooling.
    • Remove the clingfilm and give the custard a stir. Take the trifle out of the fridge and pour/spoon the custard over the top, to completely cover the sponge pieces in custard.
    • Place back in the fridge for 1 hour to chill the custard (again, cover with clingfilm if you wish to prevent a skin forming. This is optional).
    • Add the whipping cream to a large bowl or stand mixer. Whisk using a hand whisk or the whisk attachment on your stand mixer until you get to the soft peaks stage (the creamy should look soft, thick and pillowy, and will just stay on a spoon if you turn a spoonful of it upside-down.
      600 ml (2.5 cups) whipping cream
    • Add the vanilla extract and then sift over the icing sugar. Whisk again for a few seconds to combine the vanilla and icing sugar into the cream.
      1 tsp vanilla extract, 30 g (4.5 level tbsp) icing sugar
    • Spoon the cream over the top of the trifle in big dollops.
    • Sprinkle over the rainbow sprinkles, then serve.
      1 tbsp rainbow sprinkles
    • Alternatively, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until ready to eat (it should keep for 2 days). If you’re refrigerating it for more than a couple of hours, I would leave the sprinkles off until you’re just about to serve – as the colour from the sprinkles will ‘bleed’ into the cream if left for too long.

    ✎ Notes

    US terms
    There are quite a lot of British-isms in this recipe, so I'll try to decipher for those of you in the US. If you think i've got something wrong, please let me know in the comments.
    • Jam Swiss Rolls - same as jelly roll cake - it should just be a thin sponge rolled up with jelly (we call is jam in the UK), no cream or anything additional in there.
    • Jelly - same as your Jell-O. I'm using cubes in this recipe.
    • Caster Sugar - same as your superfine sugar
    • Icing/Confectioners' sugar - same as your powdered sugar
    Trifle dish
    I use this 3.5 litre trifle dish (<-- affiliate link).
    If you're in the US, this link should take you to a similar one to the one I use, it's a little smaller, at 3 liters, but will still work fine.
    My trifle dish is height 18cm, top diameter 23cm.
    Ingredient swaps
    • Swap raspberries for strawberries (you can also swap the raspberry flavoured jam swiss roll and jelly for strawberry flavoured)
    • Swap the swiss roll for your favourite sponge. A plain or jam sponge works best (as opposed to chocolate/cream fillings)
    • Swap the sprinkles for a topping of your choice - kirsch cherries, fresh berries, flaked almonds, grated chocolate - all make great toppings
    • Swap the sherry for another spirit/liqueur - cherry brandy, amaretto, spiced rum and calvados are great options
    Sizing down this recipe
    You can halve or even quarter this recipe to serve 4-6 people - sticking to the same ingredient ratios.
    You will need a smaller dish (1 litre for 4 people, 1.5-2 litre for 6 people).
    Alternatively, you can make in small individual dishes. If you're doing this, you won't be able to line the edge of the dish all the way around with jam sponge - as it will take up too much space. You can simple add chunks of jam sponge in with the raspberries and cover with jelly.
    Storage:
    This trifle should keep well, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    Nutritional information is approximate, per serving, based on this recipe serving 12 people.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 496kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 9gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 437mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 1gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 970IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 191mgIron: 2mg
    Keywords sherry, traditional trifle, Trifle
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

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    1. Ian says

      March 19, 2023 at 9:55 am

      No, no, no!!! A traditional British trifle uses plain sponge fingers (not jam Swiss roll). The sponge is then spread with Raspberry jam and soaked with sherry. Then raspberries are layered, custard layer. Layer of banana, layer of custard, then whipped cream ans slivered almonds scattered on top. NEVER jelly - that is a leftover from the rationing of WWII.

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        March 20, 2023 at 11:53 am

        We all have our own recipes Ian. Your sounds lovely too, but I have a particular fondness for this version as it reminds me of my nan.

        Reply
    2. Sean says

      January 13, 2023 at 9:02 pm

      Will the Swiss roll retain it's texture or will it go soggy? I have only ever used trifle sponges for my trifles but want to give Swiss roll a try.

      Reply
    3. Fiona says

      December 21, 2022 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      Omg nicky love this finding swiss roll with just jam is a nightmare but this is one from my childhood too fabulous X

      Reply
    4. Nick says

      December 20, 2022 at 6:22 pm

      Anyone know where you can buy jam only swiss roll in the UK?

      Reply
    5. Penny says

      December 20, 2022 at 4:33 pm

      Blimey, you were posh! We used to have a practically identical trifle but our raspberries were strictly out of a tin!
      I still make it for my children and now my little grandsons. It's always called my Trashy Trifle but it's very popular.
      Happy Christmas to you all and many thanks for all the lovely recipes.
      P

      Reply
    6. Jane says

      December 20, 2022 at 3:43 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely love this, takes me back to childhood, a real old fashioned favourite.

      Reply

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    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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