Christmas, Dairy Free, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Holidays, Naturally Sweetened
Lemon Berry Trifle
Hi everyone! I’m finally getting around to sharing this delicious Lemon Berry Trifle that I made up a while ago. It was so quick to make all the individual layers with the Thermomix, and parts of the recipe can be made ahead of time so that it’s quick to assemble for a special occasion. The cake can be cooked, cooled, cut into squares and frozen (the cake recipe makes enough for two trifles, so freeze half); the lemon butter and berry coulis can be made up to a few days ahead, and the jelly and custard can be made when you are ready to put it all together.
I took this one to a BBQ recently, and it was very popular. It disappeared in record time – even the non-special-diet people loved it! How about trying it out this weekend? Mmmmm…
The layers are made up of:
Basic almond cake
Blueberry jelly
Cashew custard
Blueberries & strawberries
Lemon butter
Berry coulis
Here are the recipes for the layers and the instructions for assembling:
Lemon Berry Trifle
Ingredients
Basic Almond Cake
80g macadamia or coconut oil
260g almond meal
1 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
6 eggs
50g honey
Blueberry Jelly
300g frozen blueberries
100g water
2 Tbsp gelatin powder
40g honey (optional)
Cashew Custard
100g activated or raw cashews*
500g water
1 tsp vanilla powder
2 eggs
2 Tbsp gelatin powder
40g honey
Fruit
1 punnet fresh strawberries, sliced
1 punnet fresh blueberries
Lemon Butter
80g coconut oil
50g honey
30g lemon juice
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 eggs
Berry Coulis
500g berries (raspberries, strawberries, or mixed berries)
40g honey
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Line a 25cm round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
3. Add ingredients to bowl and mix 1 min/speed 6.
4. Pour mixture into a lined cake tin and bake for 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
5. Set aside to cool, then cut into 2cm cubes. Place half the cubes into a large, flat dish, and freeze the rest for another time.
Blueberry Jelly
1. Place all ingredients into the TM bowl and cook 10 mins/100C/ speed 3.
2. Blend 30 sec/speed 6 to puree.
3. Pour mixture over the cubed cake and freeze for 30 minutes to set.
Cashew Custard
1. Mill the nuts for 10 sec/speed 9.
2. Add the water and blend for 1 min/speed 9.
3. Place remaining ingredients into the bowl and cook for 7 mins/90C/speed 4.
4. Pour into a large bowl and place in the freezer to cool down for about 20-30 minutes, or until cool but not set firm.
5. If you accidentally leave the custard too long and it sets very firm, just put it back in the TM and cook 20 sec/37C/speed 4, or until it is smooth again.
Lemon Butter
1. Place all ingredients into the TM bowl, insert butterfly whisk, and cook 8 mins/80C/speed 3.
2. Pour lemon butter into a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
Berry Coulis
1. Place berries and honey into TM bowl and cook 10 mins/100C/speed 4.
2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds, using a silicone spatula to press coulis through the sieve.
3. Place in refrigerator to cool.
To Assemble
1. Place half of the cubed cake soaked in jelly into a trifle dish.
2. Spread a third of the custard over the cake.
3. Scatter a third of the fruit over the custard.
4. Dollop half of the lemon butter on top.
5. Drizzle over a third of the raspberry coulis.
6. Add the rest of the jelly cake cubes, spread over a third of the custard, scatter over a third of the fruit, and top with the rest of the lemon butter.
7. Spread the remaining custard on top, drizzle with the remaining coulis, and swirl coulis and custard together with a skewer, in figure eight patterns.
8. Decorate with the remaining fruit.
9. Place trifle in the fridge to set (or freezer if you’re in a hurry!), and serve once cold and firm.
Notes
* You can use blanched almonds instead of cashews, or use 600g coconut milk instead of the cashews and water.
Hi Jo, recipe looks delicious! Do you use the red or green Great Lakes Gelatin for this recipe?
I use the red one. 🙂
Hi Jo,
This look like an amazing combination, I haven’t had trifle for ever. If I wanted to use agar agar powder instead of gelatine what would you advise?
Thanks for all your amazing work.
yes you can swap it for equal if using powder 🙂
Hi Jo,
This looks amazingly yummy, I haven’t had trifle in ages. If I wanted to use agar powder instead of gelatine what would you recommend in terms of quantities + cooking times etc?
Thanks
I think you can halve the amount if using agar powder. 🙂
Hi Jo
Would you be able to use Agar Agar for the jelly?
Yes that should be fine!
Am a little confused. Am halfway through making this but suddenly got concerned have read your advise incorrectly. When you say halve the amount is the 1tbls of agar powder but same amount of blueberries and water, and cooking time? Is that also the same case for the custard that is 1tbls agar everything else remains the same?
Sorry I just saw your comment – if halving ingredients halve all of them! But cooking time will only be slightly reduced – for custard and jelly maybe reduce cooking time about 2 mins.
Would I be able to use regular milk for the custard? And would i still need the gelatin or just use cornflour?
I want to make for Christmas dessert but got guest don’t like nuts or coconut 🙁
I will make this with cashew custard later on, sounds very yummy
Yes you can use regular milk, and you can use cornflour. 🙂
Hi Jo 🙂 was wanting to make this for Christmas evening. Would it be ok to make and assemble Christmas Eve? Thanks ?
Yes for sure!
Hey Jo – this looks so yummy! How long in advance can this be assembled???
Thinking it would be perfect for Christmas Day
Love you work!!! ?
Make it a day or so ahead but do the top layer on the day so that the colours stay fresh!
HI Jo, I want to make this for Christmas day but only have time on Christmas eve to make and assemble it. Would it be alright in the fridge for a day?
Yes!
I want to make two of these for Christmas Day and Boxing Day
If i double the ingredients, would that alter the cooking times?
Am I better to do separately?
It generally takes 1 1/2 times to cook a double batch. 🙂
Hi Jo I notice that most of the parts of this recipe have honey in them. Is the honey just for sweetness or does it perform some other important role? My body wouldn’t tolerate that much sugar, I’d actually like to able to leave it all out. Would the recipe still work? Thanks
I have the same question 🙂 Would love to know if this can be omitted or swapped out with xylitol or stevia.
Yes you can swap for other sweeteners, it won’t affect the recipe.
Hi Jo, I don’t have a thermomix, but I do have a very good food processor. Any tips for cooking times/blending times for this recipe?
Hi Harmony, Yes for sure! Life-Changing Food includes this recipe with a conventional method if you have that, otherwise:
Cake: Mix all cake ingredients together in a food processor, or mix in a bowl with a wooden spoon, until batter is smooth.
Custard: Place all custard ingredients into a saucepan on the stovetop and heat gently, whisking now and then, until it begins to simmer. Lower heat and whisk continuously until custard thickens. Don’t allow it to boil.
Jelly: Place all ‘blueberry jelly’ ingredients into a blender and blend until mixture is smooth.
Pour into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Pour mixture over the cubed cake in a large, flat dish, and freeze 30 minutes to set.
Raspberry Coulis: Place raspberries and honey into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, over med heat for 5 minutes.
Lemon Butter: Whisk eggs and honey in a saucepan until smooth, then place pan over a low heat. Add the butter or coconut oil, lemon juice and salt and whisk continuously until thickened. Strain through a sieve into a sterilised jar. (Lemon butter can be used immediately, or stored in fridge for up to 1 week if assembling trifle later.)
I hope that helps!
Thanks for the amaizing recipe!
My son is allergic to egg, could it works as an EGGFREE version using chia egg instead?
Thanks!
Hi Maria, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe if you need to be egg free – this recipe has 10 eggs in it if you include the cake, lemon butter and custard! It wouldn’t be possible to recreate it easily without the eggs, sorry. x
Hi Jo
What would you recommend for the cake if you can’t have almonds? They cause too much inflamation for me including hazelnuts. I can have other nuts but some kids are anaphylactic. Could I use buckwheat flour?
I recommend swapping the almond meal for ground pepitas (nut free) or otherwise any nut meals that you can tolerate.