Traditional English trifle

Rick Stein shows that making your own madeira cake and custard 

for traditional trifle is actually really easy.

Ingredients For the madeira cake

85g/3oz butter, at room temperature

85g/3oz caster sugar

2 medium eggs

125g/4½ oz self-raising flour

3 tbsp full-cream milk

½ lemon, finely grated zest only For the topping

330ml/10 fl oz full cream milk

750ml/1¼ pints double cream

6 large egg yolks

1 rounded tbsp cornflour

4 tbsp caster sugar

4 tbsp good-quality raspberry jam

6 tbsp Oloroso (sweet) sherry

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 450g/1 lb loaf tin, 

line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. 

Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating the mixture well between 

each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to 

prevent the mixture curdling.

Technique: Creaming butter by hand

Sift over the flour and gently fold it in, with enough milk to give a 

mixture that falls reluctantly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.

Technique: Zesting citrus fruit

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top and bake for 

30-45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool in the tin for ten minutes then turn out on to a wire rack and 

leave to cool completely. The cake can be made up to four days in 

advance and kept tightly wrapped in clingfilm.

For the custard, bring the milk and 300ml/10fl oz of the cream to the 

boil in a non-stick pan. Beat the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar 

together in a bowl, then gradually whisk in the hot milk and cream.

Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring 

constantly, for about ten minutes, until the mixture has thickened 

enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take care not to let it boil as it 

will curdle.

Transfer the custard to a bowl and leave to cool.

Cut the madeira cake into slices one centimetre (half an inch) thick 

and arrange a single layer over the base of the bowl. Spread the 

layer with two tablespoons of raspberry jam and lay another layer of 

cake on top (you might not need to use all the cake).

Spread the second layer with another two tablespoons of raspberry 

jam and sprinkle over the sherry.

Pour the custard over the cake, cover with cling film and chill for at 

least three hours.

Whip the remaining cream into soft peaks. Uncover the trifle, spoon 

over the cream and return it to the fridge until you are ready to 

serve.