Traditional Trifle Recipe please

[rosybud]

I have never made a trifle and want to attempt one for about 10 people over xmas. can you use whatever flavour cake/jelly/fruit you like? alcohol or not? and is jelly essential? i like the sound of it but i have had trouble finding a recipe which uses it. Thanks soooo much.

I just do -

sponge cake across the bottom and sides of dish; cover with raspberries; tip over fresh custard and let it all soak in overnight. Then add whipped cream on top and toasted slivered almonds. If it's not for children or drivers I add copious amounts of port to the sponge and raspberries and then top it with pinenuts not almonds and a drizzle of port syrup made by reducing some port and sugar in a pan until thick and gloopy.

I do anlmost exactly the same as janeite, except i let it soak overnight after the rasperies and before the custard. I use tinned custard.

much as i like alcohol, for some reason i'm not keen on it in trifles.

It really is ridiculously easy and so lovely, I don't knwo why I don't make it more often!

Thank you, that is very helpful, sounds quite straightforward and hopefully hard to mess up!! if you are making it for kids to eat would you use a different liquid like juice instead of booze?

do it however you like!
my mum used to proceed thus:
arragne trifle sponges or sponge fingers in dish
add tinned mandarin oranges (or raspberries)
pour over jelly (orange if mandarins, red if raspberries)
leave to set
top with cold custard (custard powder + hot milk type)
top with whipped cream

one could soak the sponges in booze, or use it to flavour the custard and/or cream

qauntities depend more on the bowl you have than anything else

if you use frozen rasps and leave them overnight to defrost into the sponge, you don't need another liquid

Ok, that's fab. my son loves tiramisu which has loads of booze in it so i will definitely go with the alcohol option.