Hi Bold Bakers! WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Our Frozen Sherry Berry Trifle Recipe is what summer dreams are made of! Tempting layers of custard-based ice cream, sherry-soaked pound cake, sweet-tart jam, and aromatic macerated berries make a decadent yet elegant dessert. And it takes only an hour of hands-on prep time! Already have an account?
With its beautiful mosaic of textures and festive colors, this trifle looks like a celebration, and because it’s made in advance, it’s the perfect party dessert. The custard-based ice cream used here is supremely rich and creamy and ice cream-parlor worthy, and best of all, it’s no-churn!
Table of Contents
What is Frozen Sherry Berry Trifle?
Frozen Sherry Berry Trifle is a dessert made from ice cream, berries, raspberry jam, and sherry-soaked, cubed pound cake. The ingredients are layered into a loaf pan and frozen, and the finished trifle is served in slices. The ice cream in this trifle is technically semifreddo, which means “half frozen.” In this type of Italian ice cream, whipped cream is folded into a custard base, and no churning is necessary. This makes the texture wonderfully creamy and light. Early trifles, made with custard, biscuits or sponge cake, and wine and served in a trifle dish or trifle bowl, first became popular in England in the mid-1700s. The eventual pairing of the Italian semifreddo and English trifle became popular in the late 20th century and is an example of cross-cultural culinary genius!
Tools You Need
Mixing bowl Measuring cups Measuring spoons Glass measuring jug Kitchen scale (optional) 9×5-inch (23 x 12½ cm) loaf pan Parchment paper Whisk Stand mixer with paddle attachment and whisk attachment Spatula Cake tester Sieve Heatproof bowls Medium saucepan Ladle Spoon Spatula Plastic wrap
Key Ingredients and Why
All-purpose flour All-purpose flour with a protein content of 9-11% is perfect for creating a cake with enough gluten development to create a necessary structure while still having a tender crumb. Baking soda Baking soda contributes to the rise and tenderizes the cake’s crumb. When baking soda is combined with an acidic ingredient like buttermilk, it causes a chemical reaction that creates carbon dioxide bubbles that make the cake light and fluffy. Always have baking soda on hand when you learn How to Make Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Butter The fat in butter coats the flour and inhibits gluten formation. This gives the cake a delicate texture. Butterfat also gives the cake moisture and a pleasantly soft crumbliness. Egg and egg yolk Eggs are used as a binding agent in cakes. Additionally, they provide tenderness, aeration, emulsification, and structure. Importantly, unless specified, eggs should always be at room temperature. In the ice cream, using only yolks gives it unparalleled silky mouthfeel. Buttermilk Because buttermilk is acidic, it tenderizes the gluten in the batter, giving this cake a delicate, tender crumb. The acidity in buttermilk works with the baking soda to give the cake a light, fluffy rise, and a rich and slightly tangy taste. Learn how to make your own buttermilk substitute, and you won’t have to worry about running out! Sherry Sweet, nutty, and smooth sherry is the most common dessert wine for soaking cake used in trifle. Brandy, rum, or even a flavored liqueur like Grand Marnier can be substituted for the sherry.
Granulated sugar In the pound cake, granulated sugar provides sweetness and keeps the cake moist and tender by inhibiting gluten formation. In ice cream, granulated sugar sweetens the ice cream. Additionally, sugar lowers the mixture’s freezing point, preventing it from freezing hard and developing ice crystals. This keeps the ice cream smooth and pleasantly soft. Salt The small amount of salt in this ice cream is essential to balance and enhance the flavors. Whole milk Whole milk, with a fat content of 3.25 percent, has the perfect richness for making a deliciously creamy custard base. Custard made with milk ensures a smooth ice cream that’s not dense. Vanilla extract Vanilla extract adds a pleasingly floral note to the ice cream. Vanilla also helps lower the freezing point of the mixture so it doesn’t freeze icy hard. Heavy whipping cream Heavy cream whipped and folded into the custard aerates the ice cream. The fat from heavy whipping cream also adds flavor and creaminess and lowers the freezing point to make ice cream still scoopable once frozen. I recommend full-fat heavy cream (35 % to 38% fat) since this type of cream whips up the best. Mixed berries Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries (blackberries would work well, too) give the trifle juiciness, sweetness, and beautiful color. The berries are macerated (sprinkled with sugar and set aside to blend) to bring out their sweetness and juiciness. Raspberry jam The jam elevates the fruit flavor and adds moisture, sweetness, and textural interest. You can use strawberry jam here if you prefer it.
How to Make Frozen Sherry Berry Trifle
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use a handheld electric mixer to make the pound cake and later for whipping the cream. For best results, you should be baking the cake the day before to save time on the day of assembly. Also, a day-old cake will soak up the liquid better. You can vary the flavor of this trifle by soaking the pound cake in a different flavored liqueur and using other fruits. For example, you could use Cointreau for the pound cake and layer with macerated chopped mango and pineapple for something more tropical. If you like this, try my Tiramisu Semifreddo next!
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Yes, you can make Frozen Sherry Berry Trifle in advance.
Cake: The pound cake can be made up to two months in advance: soak in sherry, then cube and freeze in a single layer before transferring to an airtight container. When assembling the trifle, the cake cubes can be used while frozen. Custard: The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Once assembled and frozen, serve the trifle within three days, as it can get icy after that.
How do I make a perfectly smooth custard? Start with getting your clean bowl and sieve ready so you can stop the custard cooking immediately. If not, it can overcook and curdle. Tempering, which is easy to do, is crucial when making custard. Tempering is slowly and gradually introducing hot liquid to eggs. By combining the ingredients in this way, you prevent curdling. Here’s the process: Start by whisking the egg mixture with one hand. With the other hand, use a ladle to slowly add the hot liquid to the eggs. Doing it this way prevents hot spots so the eggs can warm up evenly. Also, DO NOT overwhip the cream, as that will cause it to turn into butter. How can I make this English Trifle Recipe alcohol-free? Non-alcohol: If you prefer an alcohol-free trifle, use orange juice in place of the sherry. Can I make this trifle gluten-free?
Yes! For a delicious option that will work beautifully in this trifle, just use my Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake.
More Trifle Recipes
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