English Trifle, trifle recipes

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English Trifle

3 Apr 2008, 3:01 PM

English Trifle
“Zuppa Inglese”

What I really remember most about our garden in Lake Tahoe was the daily ritual of my Momma chasing deer away from her strawberry plants. At least they could have had the courtesy of eating the entire strawberry, but instead, they would manage to leave just a tiny hint of red on every single stem just to torture us. I never got a single strawberry the entire time we had the garden—years!

But Momma and I have had much better luck in the kitchen and for this issue I want to share one of our favorite desserts just in time for Spring!

It’s one of the simplest, most beautiful desserts you can present to the table. It is the sensational English Trifle or “Zuppa Inglese” and it’s always been a favorite in the D’Atri family. That’s why we included it in our cookbook.

Momma used to serve this dessert for special celebrity appearances at her famous restaurant at Lake Tahoe. What I really love about it is it looks like a “bowl of extravagance” yet it’s literally a piece of cake to put together. From the top, our English Trifle looks like a giant bowl of whipped cream topped with fresh fruit. But from the sides you can see all the layers of cake, vanilla pudding and sliced strawberries, kiwi and boysenberries. Sometimes what you don’t see is the best part—a subtle brushing of Grand Marnier over the cake layers.

By the way, how did the English Trifle get an Italian nickname?

The stories are as varied as the recipes you’ll find for this elegant dessert. But I’m sure it came about because when you dive your spoon into the layers, the consistency of the trifle is more like a sweet, rich soup or “zuppa.”

I call this recipe my “made for TV dessert” because the presentation is spectacular.

English Trifle “Zuppa Inglese”

Ingredients:

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 box of pudding and pie filling (do not use instant)
2 pints ripe strawberries
¼ cup granulated sugar
6-8 fresh ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 pint whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup Grand Marnier

Directions:

Bake cake mix as directed and pour into three disposable pie tins.

Prepare vanilla pudding as directed.

Chop one pint of strawberries and combine with granulated sugar.

Slice second pint of strawberries thin.

Slice kiwi fruit. Place the first cake disc in a trifle or clear glass bowl. Brush on one third of the Grand Marnier.

Around the edge of the trifle bowl, alternate slices of kiwi and strawberries, laying fruit flat against the bowl.

With a spoon, spread strawberries and sugar combination over cake layer.

Drop spoonfuls of one half of the pudding over strawberry m

ixture.

Add second cake disc and brush with Grand Marnier.

Line the edge of the bowl with fresh boysenberries.

Add third cake disc.

Brush with liquore and spoon strawberry mixture and pudding over cake.

Combine whipped cream and powdered sugar, beating until stiff.

Spread whipped cream over pudding and decorate with sliced fruit.

For the final touch, spoon some whipped cream into a piping bag and create a mound in the middle of the cake and top with a fresh strawberry.