Mary Berry Chocolate Trifle Recipe

Mary Berry’s chocolate trifle is layers of jam-filled trifle sponges, pears and ratafia biscuits soaked in Baileys, set under homemade custard and whipped cream, and finished with grated dark chocolate. It serves 8, and is best chilled overnight before serving.

Berry calls it Baileys and Chocolate Trifle in Mary Berry’s Traditional Puddings and Desserts (2009). It’s her own variation on her Old English Trifle: Baileys cream liqueur replaces the sherry, and dark chocolate replaces the toasted almonds. Chocolate also goes in twice, grated over the pears inside the trifle as well as on top.

The step that decides the texture is the overnight chill. Berry covers the custard with cling film and chills it “preferably overnight (to let the sponge absorb the juices).” Serve it after an hour or two and the sponges are still firm and dry in the centre.

Mary Berry Chocolate Trifle Recipe

Recipe by Pinch Perfect

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Dessert, SnacksCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

430

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

A grown-up twist on the classic trifle, from Traditional Puddings and Desserts (2009). The custard is made from scratch with egg yolks, but it’s a quick one, thickened on the hob in a few minutes. You make it the day before, so it suits Christmas and parties.

Ingredients

• For the trifle:

• 1 x 400g can pear halves

• 6 trifle sponges

• 4 tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam

• 60g (2oz) ratafia biscuits or macaroons

• 75ml (2½fl oz) Baileys cream liqueur

• 30g (1oz) dark chocolate, grated

• For the custard:

• 3 egg yolks

• 30g (1oz) caster sugar

• 1 tsp cornflour

• 300ml (½ pint) milk

• For the topping:

• 300ml (½ pint) double or whipping cream

• 30g (1oz) dark chocolate, grated, or chocolate curls

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Directions

• Prepare the fruit: Drain and slice the pears, reserving the juice.
• Fill the sponges: Cut the trifle sponges in half horizontally and sandwich the halves together with the jam.
• Layer and soak: Line the bottom of a glass serving bowl with the sponges and arrange the pears and biscuits on top. Grate 30g of the dark chocolate over the pears. Drizzle over the Baileys and reserved fruit juice, and leave to soak while you make the custard.
• Make the custard: Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Warm the milk in a heavy pan, then pour it over the yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Return to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens. Leave to cool slightly.
• Chill: Pour the custard over the sponges, fruit and biscuits. Cover the surface of the custard with cling film to stop a skin forming, then chill until set, preferably overnight.
• Finish: Whip the cream until thick and spread it over the custard. Scatter the grated chocolate or chocolate curls over the top, and serve chilled.

FAQs

How do I stop the custard curdling?

Keep the heat low and stir constantly, as Berry says twice in step 4. The teaspoon of cornflour helps too, because it stabilises the egg yolks so they’re less likely to scramble. The custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Take it off the heat as soon as it does, because it keeps thickening as it cools.

Why put cling film right on the custard?

Air on hot custard forms a thick, rubbery skin as it cools. Berry presses cling film directly on to the surface “to prevent a skin from forming,” which keeps the custard smooth for the cream layer. Lay it so it touches the custard all the way to the edge of the bowl.

Can I use a different liqueur, or none at all?

Berry’s chocolate version is built around Baileys, which takes the place of the 75ml of sherry in her Old English Trifle. For an orange version, she swaps the sherry for Grand Marnier, uses orange segments instead of pears, and switches to apricot jam. The original Old English Trifle itself uses sherry with peach or pear halves.

Can I make it more than a day ahead?

Berry gives no longer keeping time, only that it’s best chilled “preferably overnight.” I’d make the base and custard the day before, then whip and spread the cream on the day you serve it. That keeps the cream fresh and the chocolate on top from going dull.

What else could I serve for a chocolate-loving crowd?

If Baileys is the draw, Berry’s Baileys cheesecake is the obvious partner on a dessert table. Her no-bake chocolate biscuit cake also slices neatly for a buffet. At Christmas, it sits well alongside her Christmas cake.