Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz frozen summer fruit (raspberries
• blackberries
• strawberries
• blackcurrants and redcurrants work well)
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• or more to taste
• 2 tbsp blackcurrant or raspberry liqueur (cassis or Chambord)
• 500ml/18fl oz cloudy apple juice
• 5 sheets leaf gelatine
• 250g/9oz Madeira cake
• 250g/9oz mascarpone
• 500ml/18floz ready-made vanilla custard
• 300ml/½ pint whipping cream
• handful toasted almonds or hazelnuts
• to serve

Directions

• Put the fruit into a saucepan
• add the sugar
• then cook gently until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is slightly syrupy. Remove half of the berries and juice to a bowl
• stir in a tablespoon of cassis
• then set aside to cool.
• Add the apple juice to the fruit in the pan
• and bring to a simmer. Taste the fruit
• and add a little more sugar if necessary. Remove from the heat
• and add the remaining cassis.
• Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for five minutes
• until soft and floppy. Lift the gelatin from the water and squeeze out the excess liquid.
• Add the gelatine to the fruit in the pan and stir until it has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat
• and transfer the jelly mix to a bowl. Allow to cool
• then chill in the fridge until the mix has set to a softly wobbling jelly.
• Cut the madeira cake into 1cm/½in slices. Give the fruity jelly a stir - it should be softly set. Layer the cake
• jelly
• fruit and juice in the bottom of a trifle dish (roughly 20cm/8in diameter).
• For the custard layer
• put the mascarpone into a large bowl then add the custard. Whisk together until creamy and smooth. Spoon the custard over the fruit and sponge.
• Whip the cream until soft peaks form when you remove the whisk from the mixture.
• Spoon the cream over the top of the trifle
• starting from the outside and working in. This will avoid the cream sinking into the custard.
• Chill the trifle for an hour before serving. Finish with a scattering of toasted almonds.