Ultimate Festive Trifle

Method:

Vanilla Cake Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 180 °C. Butter and line 2 x 20 cm pans with baking paper.

Beat eggs, oil and melted butter together for 30 seconds on high speed until well blended.

Add hot milk and beat briefly on high speed.

Add contents of the Vanilla Cake pack and gently mix in by hand with a spatula. Mix only until combined. It is important not to overmix. The mixture will be fairly soft and runny.

Scrape mixture into prepared pans.

Place in oven. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Cakes are done when a thin-bladed knife inserted in the centre comes out clean or cakes pull away slightly from the sides of the pan.

Cool cakes in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out on a cooling rack.

Keep one cake for another use and slice the remaining one in half horizontally.

Roasted Strawberries

Increase the oven temperature to 200 °C.

Place the halved strawberries into a baking dish. Sprinkle over sugar, black pepper and Balsamic Vinegar.

Roast open for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

Meringues

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 120 °C.

Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

The reserved egg whites go into a spotlessly clean, medium size glass (not plastic) mixing bowl.

Beat the egg whites and lemon juice with an electric beater on high speed.

Beat until the whites stand up in soft peaks. Do not add castor sugar until this soft peak stage. Now gradually add the castor sugar little by little while beating on high speed. You will end up with a snow white, thick and shiny meringue.

Spoon heaped teaspoons full of meringue onto baking paper.

Bake for 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 100 °C and dry the meringues out for a further 1½ hours.

Switch off the oven and leave the meringues to cool down in the oven.

Strawberry Jelly

Sprinkle gelatine over 3 T (45 ml) of water and leave on one side to sponge.

Bring the sugar, wine, water, orange and lemon juice just to the boil. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

Dissolve the gelatine sponge in the hot syrup. Add the roasted strawberries and their syrup to the jelly mixture and stir through.

Refrigerate syrup until it begins to set (like raw egg whites).

Custard

Heat the milk to nearly boiling point.

In a medium size mixing bowl mix together cornflour, sugar, salt and egg yolks.

Gradually whisk about ½ cup (125 ml) of the warm milk into the egg mixture. Add vanilla.

Return mixture to the saucepan and using a wooden spoon, stir over gentle heat until thickened. Add a little yellow colouring if needed. Allow to chill in the fridge.

Fresh Strawberries

Arrange over custard layer before serving.

Whipped Cream

Whip cream before serving.

Half-whip the cream, add Cheesecake Mix and whip until firm.

ASSEMBLY OF TRIFLE

1. Position one of the 20 cm halved cake layers at the bottom of a 20 cm glass bowl. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of Muscadel wine or Sherry.
2. Pour half the fruit jelly (with the roasted strawberries) over the cake.
3. Spoon half the cooled custard on top.
4. Repeat the layers. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.

Place the whole strawberries over final custard layer.

Top with whipped cream and meringues.