04 Nov Trifle Ice Cream Cake

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Trifle is a classic Christmas dessert, and for good reason! What’s not to love about layers of dipped biscuits, creamy custard, jelly, fruit and whipped cream. All the colours and textures work so beautifully together. I got to thinking that a frozen version of this traditional treat would make for a refreshing change, and would be perfect for our hot climate here in South Africa!

This Trifle Ice Cream Cake is sure to wow your guests and delight the senses! It’s made up of layers of finger biscuits, creamy Danone Ultramel Vanilla Custard ice cream, peach sorbet, strawberry jelly ice cream and more custard ice cream, then topped off with a crown of fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Christmas is all about sharing and that’s why this glorious dessert is made to feed a crowd! And no need to wait until Christmas, why not treat your friends and family to this delicious dessert at your next braai? Together, life is sweeter!

Ingredients:

Prep time: 1 hour plus freezing time
(Serves 12)

For the base:
200g packet of finger biscuits
200ml sherry, liqueur or fruit juice

For the first custard ice cream layer:
500ml Danone Ultramel Vanilla Custard (2 cups)
200ml cream
60ml condensed milk (¼ cup)

For the peach sorbet layer:
2 x 410g tins of peach slices in syrup

For the strawberry jelly ice cream layer:
225 g strawberries, hulled and chopped
30ml strawberry jelly powder (2 tbsp)
45ml hot water (3 tbsp)
180ml cream (¾ cup)
125ml condensed milk (½ cup)

For the second custard layer:
500ml Danone Ultramel Vanilla Custard (2 cups)
200ml cream (1 cup)
60ml condensed milk (¼ cup)

To decorate:
250ml cream (1 cup)
15ml icing sugar (1 tbsp)
5ml vanilla essence (1 tsp)
About 2 cups fresh nectarines (sliced) and berries

Directions:

• Refrigerate the Danone Ultramel Vanilla Custard and condensed milk overnight. Freeze the tinned peaches (in the tin) overnight. Grease and line a 23cm diameter springform cake tin with greaseproof paper, leaving an extra 10cm length of paper sticking up over the edge of the tin.
• Place the sherry, liqueur or juice into a flat dish. Dip each biscuit briefly into the liquid, then use to line the base of the tin. Cut the biscuits as necessary so the whole base is covered and the biscuits fit snugly. Freeze until needed.
• To make the custard ice cream layer, place the cold condensed milk and cream into a large bowl and whip until you have stiff peaks, using a stand or electric mixer. Gently fold in the cold Danone Ultramel Vanilla Custard until combined and spread evenly over the biscuit base. Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until solid.
• To make the peach sorbet layer, dip the frozen tins into hot water for a minute or two, then open the tins and empty the contents onto a chopping board. Use a large knife to chop the frozen peaches and syrup into chunks, then process in a blender for about 5 minutes until you have an opaque, slushy mixture. Spread evenly over the custard ice cream and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until firm. In order to keep all the layers a consistent thickness, I only used about ¾ of the sorbet and froze the rest in a separate container.
• To make the strawberry jelly ice cream, blitz the strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Mix the jelly powder and hot water in a small cup until dissolved. Add to the strawberries and blitz again for 30 seconds until you have a smooth puree. Whip the cream and condensed milk together until thickened, then fold in the strawberry puree. Spread evenly over the peach sorbet and freeze for 2-3 hours, until solid.
• Make the second custard ice cream layer just as you did the first. Spread over the strawberry jelly ice cream and freeze for about 3 hours until solid.
• When you are ready to serve, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla essence until stiff peaks form. Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe cream kisses around the edge of the cake, then carefully place the fruit in the centre.
• Use a knife dipped in boiling water to cut generous slices and enjoy with friends and family!