Strawberry Shortcake Trifles layered with custard and mascarpone cheese

Sun, 8 September 2024

Ingredients:

 

For the cake: 

• 225g caster sugar 
• 225g butter 
• 225g self raising flour 
• 4 eggs? 
• zest of a lemon 

 

For the custard: 

• 250ml milk 
• 75ml double cream 
• 4 large free-range egg yolks 
• 40g sugar 
• 1 heaped tablespoon cornflour 

 

Strawberry layer: 

2?lbs?fresh strawberries diced, plus 12 more small whole for garnish 

45g granulated sugar 

 

Cream layer: 

475ml heavy cream 

170g cream cheese, softened 

1/2?tsp?vanilla extract 

90g icing sugar 

 

Method: 

 

• Heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. 

• Cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy. 

• Add in zest and eggs one at a time beating after each addition. 

• Sift the self raising flour and?fold into mixture.  

• Add in vanilla. 

• Spread evenly over a parchment covered Swiss roll tin. 

• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until risen and golden brown.  

• Allow to cool. 

 

For the custard: 

• Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. 

• Whisk the?egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together until smooth. 

• As soon as the milk mixture starts to bubble at the edges, pour it into the egg yolk mix, whisking all the time. 

• Return the mix to the saucepan and place it back over the heat. Using a spatula, stir the custard until it thickens, then remove from the heat and pour into a clean bowl. 

• Cover with greaseproof paper and set aside to cool completely. 

 

For the strawberry layer: 

• Toss the diced strawberries with sugar and let rest 10 minutes. 

 

For the cream layer: 

• In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (no need to clean beater blades for next step).  

• In a separate medium mixing bowl whip cream cheese until smooth (scrape down sides of bowl occasionally), add icing sugar and vanilla and whip until light and fluffy.  

• Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form. 

 

To assemble trifles: 

• Place 12 cake rounds in 12 fairly tall dessert cups.  

• Add a spoonful of strawberries over each cake round.  

• Transfer cream mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe cream mixture over strawberry layer.  

• Repeat layering process once more.  

• Garnish each with a fresh strawberry.  

• Serve within an hour for best results (the cake can be made a day in advance and covered, just wait to prepare the cream mixture and strawberries until almost ready to serve).