Lemon & Raspberry Trifle
A light English trifle — gluten-free fatless sponge soaked in fresh lemon juice and dry sherry, layered with homemade vanilla custard, tangy lemon curd, fresh raspberries and softly whipped cream, finished with toasted flaked almonds.
> Gluten-free | goat dairy | vegetarian | contains sherry, eggs and almonds. A light English trifle that improves after resting overnight — the flavours meld while the sponge softens without going mushy. The sponge and custard use the same method as my English Sherry Trifle.
Serves 8 generous portions · one 7-inch sponge · assemble the day before serving
Ingredients
Fatless sponge
- 3 eggs, separated
- 90g caster sugar (or 60g caster sugar + 30g monk fruit sweetener)
- 56g Doves Farm Freee Plain Flour
- 19g cornflour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp hot water
Soak
- Juice of 2 lemons (approx. 80–100ml)
- ~50ml dry or medium sherry
Custard
- 500ml whole goat milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 20–50g caster sugar (or equivalent monk fruit sweetener, to taste)
- 30g cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 300–350g homemade lemon curd
- 350–400g fresh raspberries
Cream
- 400ml goat whipping cream, softly whipped
- Optional: fold through 200–300g thick goat yogurt for a lighter finish.
Topping
- 40g toasted flaked almonds
Method
1. Bake the sponge
1. Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Line the base of a 7-inch tin; don't heavily grease the sides — the sponge benefits from climbing slightly.
2. Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy, then to soft peaks. Gradually add about half the sugar; whisk to glossy medium peaks.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and ribboning. Add the vanilla and hot water; whisk briefly.
4. Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt together, and fold gently into the yolks.
5. Fold in the egg whites in 2–3 additions, keeping as much air as possible.
6. Spoon into the tin, level gently, and bake until golden, springy and a skewer comes out clean — start checking around 18–20 minutes.
7. Cool completely before cutting into cubes.
2. Make the custard
1. Heat the goat milk in a saucepan until steaming, not boiling.
2. Whisk the yolks, sugar, cornflour and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolks, whisking constantly, then return to the pan.
4. Cook on low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Transfer to a shallow container, cover the surface with cling film and chill completely.
3. Prepare the soak
- Mix the lemon juice and sherry together.
4. Assemble
Layer in this order:
1. Sponge cubes
2. Brush generously with the lemon & sherry soak
3. Scatter over half the raspberries
4. Spoon over half the lemon curd
5. Pour over the custard
6. Remaining raspberries
7. Remaining lemon curd, in small spoonfuls
8. Whipped cream
9. Toasted flaked almonds
Make Ahead
Friday
- Bake the sponge (freeze if preferred)
- Make the custard
- Make the lemon curd
Saturday
- Defrost the sponge if frozen
- Assemble the trifle
Sunday
- Remove from the fridge 20–30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Gluten-free
- Made with goat dairy
- Contains eggs
- Contains almonds
- Contains alcohol (sherry)
- Vegetarian
Chef's Notes
- Don't over-soak the sponge — it should be moist, not saturated.
- Plain vanilla custard balances the sharpness of the lemon curd better than lemon custard.
- Fresh raspberries throughout provide acidity and stop the dessert becoming overly rich.
- The trifle improves after resting overnight: the flavours meld while the sponge softens without becoming mushy.
- Softly whipped cream gives the lightest finish; avoid over-whipping as it can become dense after chilling.
