1-Preparing the Custard: First, heat 4 cups of whole milk in a saucepan until it simmers gently. In a bowl, whisk 8 large egg yolks with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 4 tablespoons cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and light. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking to prevent curdling, then return it to the saucepan.

2-Preparing the Custard: Heat this over low until it boils and thickens, which takes about 1-2 minutes with constant stirring. Once done, remove from heat, stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces and whisk until smooth. Cover the custard with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge.

3-Handling the Cake Layer: Next, take your 9×13-inch baked and cooled white or yellow cake and cut it horizontally. Brush the cut sides with 1/2 cup cream sherry and spread 3 heaping tablespoons of seedless red raspberry jam or preserves on top. Then, cut the cake into small squares for easy layering. Check out our grilling tips for ideas on baking the cake if you’re coming from our BBQ side of things.

4-Prepping the Fruit Layer: Now, mix 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries with 1 cup fresh raspberries, 1 tablespoon cream sherry, and 1 tablespoon sugar to let the fruit macerate and release its juices. This step adds that burst of fresh ingredients we love in an English trifle recipe.

5-Whipping the Cream: For the topping, whip 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, then keep it chilled until you’re ready to use it.

6-Assembling the Trifle: To put it all together, start with a glass bowl and add one-third of the cake cubes jam-side up. Follow with one-third of the macerated fruit, one-third of the custard, and one-third of the whipped cream. Repeat these layers twice more, then garnish with fresh fruit. Chill the trifle until serving to let the flavors blend. The total time is about 1 hour 5 minutes, with 20 minutes of active cooking.