Recipes

Summer strawberry trifle with strawberry jelly, custard, and moussey whipped cream

A proper trifle should be generous, nostalgic and a little bit indulgent. At its heart, the foundations are simple: jelly, custard and cream. But with a few adjustments, those familiar ingredients become something special.

This version starts with a homemade strawberry jelly made from fresh strawberries, caster sugar and lemon juice. The fruit is gently warmed to release a beautifully clear strawberry juice, which is then set with gelatine. Instead of adding sponge into the jelly, we’ve kept the texture clean and fresh with extra fruit.

The custard layer brings richness, while the Pâte à Bombe cream gives the trifle its final flourish. Light, glossy and marshmallow-like, it holds its shape beautifully and gives the dessert that soft, gelato-style texture without the risk of whipped cream collapsing or splitting.

It’s a summer garden party trifle.

Serves

8 to 10

Preparation time

45 minutes, plus chilling

Cooking time

40 minutes

Chilling time

At least 4 hours, ideally overnight

Ingredients

For the strawberry jelly

600g fresh strawberries, hulled
75g–100g caster sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit
Juice of ½ lemon
4–5 gelatine leaves, depending on the juice yield
250g fresh strawberries, sliced, for setting into the jelly

For the custard layer

500ml whole milk
100ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, split, or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
6 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
35g cornflour
25g unsalted butter

For the Pâte à Bombe cream

100g caster sugar
A small splash of water
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 gelatine leaf, soaked in cold water
600g double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

To garnish

Fresh strawberries
Small basil leaves
Optional: crushed meringue, white chocolate curls or freeze-dried strawberries

Method

Make the strawberry juice for the jelly

Place the 600g strawberries into a heatproof bowl with the caster sugar and lemon juice.

Set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cover the bowl tightly with cling film.

Leave the strawberries to warm gently for around 40 minutes. As they heat, they will release their natural juices.

After 40 minutes, carefully remove the bowl from the heat and strain the fruit through a fine sieve or muslin-lined bowl.

Do not push the fruit through the sieve, as this will make the juice cloudy. Let it drip naturally. You should get around 400g–500g of clear strawberry juice.
Set the strawberry jelly

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes until soft.

Weigh the strawberry juice. As a guide, use 1 gelatine leaf per 100g of juice. For 500g of juice, use 5 gelatine leaves.

Warm the strawberry juice gently until it is hot but not boiling – about the temperature of a hot cup of tea.

Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine leaves and stir them into the warm strawberry juice until fully dissolved.

Arrange the sliced strawberries in the base of a trifle bowl. Allow the jelly mixture to cool slightly before pouring it over the fruit. If it is too hot, the fruit may float.

Chill until fully set.
Make the custard

Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan. Add the vanilla and warm gently until steaming.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour together until pale and smooth.

Slowly pour the warm milk mixture over the egg yolks, whisking continuously.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until glossy.

Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and leave to cool. Once cool, spoon the custard over the set strawberry jelly and return the trifle to the fridge.
Make the Pâte à Bombe base

Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water.

Place the caster sugar into a small saucepan with a splash of water. Use just enough water to wet the sugar.

Heat the sugar syrup to 121°C.

While the syrup is heating, place the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer and begin whisking gently by hand.

Once the syrup reaches 121°C, slowly pour it into the egg yolks while whisking. Once the egg yolks and sugar are incorporated, use the stand mixer.

While the mixture is still slightly warm, squeeze out the soaked gelatine and whisk it into the Pâte à Bombe until fully dissolved.

Increase the speed and whisk until the mixture becomes pale, thick, glossy and cool to the touch.
Fold through the cream

In a separate bowl, softly whip the double cream with the vanilla. Be careful not to over-whip it. You want soft peaks rather than a firm, grainy texture.

Gently fold the whipped cream through the Pâte à Bombe mixture until fully combined.

The finished texture should be light, smooth, marshmallowy and mousse-like.
Finish the trifle

Spoon or pipe the Pâte à Bombe cream over the custard layer.

Chill the trifle until ready to serve.

Just before serving, garnish with fresh strawberries and small basil leaves. Strawberry and basil work beautifully together, bringing a fresh, aromatic finish to the dessert.

Chef’s tips

Don’t rush the jelly

The clearest, brightest jelly comes from letting the strawberries release their juice slowly. Avoid pressing the fruit through the sieve, as this will make the jelly cloudy.

Keep the cream soft

The Pâte à Bombe cream should be moussey and smooth. If the double cream is over-whipped before folding, the finished texture can become grainy.

Let the layers set properly

A good trifle should spoon cleanly from the bowl. Make sure the jelly is fully set before adding the custard, and the custard is cool before adding the cream.

Make it seasonal

Raspberries, cherries or thinly sliced peaches would all work beautifully using the same jelly method.

Why this recipe works

This trifle is all about texture. The homemade strawberry jelly is clean, bright and packed with fruit. The custard adds richness, while the Pâte à Bombe cream gives structure and lightness without becoming heavy.

It is a dessert made for sharing, ideal for summer lunches, garden parties or any occasion where you want something nostalgic, generous and a little bit special.

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