Last night in my newsletter I shared a round-up of celebratory street party bakes fit for the Platinum Jubilee. I’m no royalist but love baking with a theme in mind – and any excuse to celebrate by making something a little different. Trifle is synonymous with British celebrations – in fact, the official bake of the Jubilee is lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle (recipe by Jemma Melvin). I was after something a little simpler, but with the fruit, custard and cream flavours. Enter my strawberry trifle layer cake: sponge soaked in Summerfruit cordial, layers of fruit and mascarpone “custard” cream. It’s simple to make – you just need to take the time to chill between steps. To make it, you will need:
A packet of ladyfinger biscuits (I used 14, but it depends on the size of your loaf tin)
Half a punnet of strawberries (I used 10, but again it depends on the size of the tin and the strawberries)
200ml double cream
100g mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp vanilla extract
30g icing sugar (or to taste)
4 tbsp Summerfruit cordial (or you could make a syrup with equal parts sugar and fruit juice).
First, prepare the tin: line with a strip of parchment, then a large piece of clingfilm generously overhanging the sides (so you can remove the cake easily). Place a layer of ladyfinger biscuits along the bottom of the tin, trimming their ends to fit, and so that you have a flat edge (offcuts are chef’s perk). Drizzle with fruit cordial evenly over the top, making sure a little goes on each biscuit (you can add a bit more if you need). Chop the strawberries into discs and place on top of the biscuits in an even layer. Pop in the fridge for an hour or so to soak.
Meanwhile, whip the cream until firm and then fold in the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla extract. You could add a little more sugar if you have a sweet tooth, but keep in mind that the fruit and biscuit filling is very sweet. Remove the tin from the fridge and add half of the mascarpone cream, smoothing the surface to create an even layer. Return to the fridge for another hour to set.
Once the filling is firm, repeat with another layer of biscuits soaked in cordial, strawberries on top, and finished with a layer of mascarpone cream. Put in the fridge for a few hours to set, then remove from the tin, top with more strawberries and serve in generous slices.
Recipe by me.