Prosecco Strawberry Trifles
Here, I've combined one of my favourite trifles with one of my favourite cakes. The prosecco complements the strawberries beautifully, and makes it perfect for a celebration. In martini glasses, this dessert looks extremely elegant. If you're serving this for a dinner party, helpfully the component parts can be made in advance, then quickly assembled a few hours before, ready to chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
I reserve the smallest local and seasonal strawberries for this trifle, which are sweet and intense, and perfectly sized for laying in the martini glass. If you're using larger strawberries for the layers, cut the pieces fairly small - ideally, this trifle should be dainty enough for delicate mouthfuls, each spoonful combining each layer without having to use the spoon to chop one's way through!
This dessert is a great way of using up scraps of sponge (offcuts from cake decorating etc.). Freeze them and use when needed. Alternatively, bake a small Victoria sponge (suggested below) and crumble it into the bottom of each glass. I allow 20g of crumbled cake per martini glass.
This would also make for a lovely dessert on National Prosecco Day, 13 August.
Makes 4 individual trifles.
Ingredients
For the sponge
For the Prosecco syrup
For the strawberry puree
For the strawberry layer
For the strawberry cream
Equipment
Method
(If you are making the sponge from scratch, heat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C non fan). Line a 20cm cake tin. Beat the egg and sugar together using an electric hand whisk, until light and fluffy. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water. Fold in the flour gently, trying not to knock the air out nor to create pockets of unincorporated flour. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool and then crumble).
1. To make the strawberry puree, combine the chopped strawberries, sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved, the fruit has broken down and it has become a little syrupy (press the fruit between the side of the saucepan and a wooden spoon to encourage it to break down). Strain the mixture through a sieve, putting the puree in one bowl and the juice in another. Leave both to cool.
2. To make the Prosecco syrup, heat the Prosecco and sugar gently over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then turn up the heat slightly to allow it to bubble for 4 minutes, until a little syrupy. Leave to cool.
Here, I've combined one of my favourite trifles with one of my favourite cakes. The prosecco complements the strawberries beautifully, and makes it perfect for a celebration. In martini glasses, this dessert looks extremely elegant. If you're serving this for a dinner party, helpfully the component parts can be made in advance, then quickly assembled a few hours before, ready to chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
I reserve the smallest local and seasonal strawberries for this trifle, which are sweet and intense, and perfectly sized for laying in the martini glass. If you're using larger strawberries for the layers, cut the pieces fairly small - ideally, this trifle should be dainty enough for delicate mouthfuls, each spoonful combining each layer without having to use the spoon to chop one's way through!
This dessert is a great way of using up scraps of sponge (offcuts from cake decorating etc.). Freeze them and use when needed. Alternatively, bake a small Victoria sponge (suggested below) and crumble it into the bottom of each glass. I allow 20g of crumbled cake per martini glass.
This would also make for a lovely dessert on National Prosecco Day, 13 August.
Makes 4 individual trifles.
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 80g of plain/lemon/vanilla flavoured sponge, crumbled. Alternatively, follow the steps below to make a small quantity of quick trifle sponge especially for this dessert, for which you'll need (easily doubled):
- 1 egg
- 25g caster sugar
- 25g plain flour
For the Prosecco syrup
- 100ml Prosecco
- 38g caster sugar
For the strawberry puree
- 200g strawberries, chopped into quarters
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
For the strawberry layer
- 100g strawberries, thinly sliced
For the strawberry cream
- 125g mascarpone
- 150g creme fraiche
- 1 and a half tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 and a half tablespoons strawberry juice, drained from the puree (above)
Equipment
- 4 martini glasses
Method
(If you are making the sponge from scratch, heat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C non fan). Line a 20cm cake tin. Beat the egg and sugar together using an electric hand whisk, until light and fluffy. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water. Fold in the flour gently, trying not to knock the air out nor to create pockets of unincorporated flour. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool and then crumble).
1. To make the strawberry puree, combine the chopped strawberries, sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved, the fruit has broken down and it has become a little syrupy (press the fruit between the side of the saucepan and a wooden spoon to encourage it to break down). Strain the mixture through a sieve, putting the puree in one bowl and the juice in another. Leave both to cool.
2. To make the Prosecco syrup, heat the Prosecco and sugar gently over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then turn up the heat slightly to allow it to bubble for 4 minutes, until a little syrupy. Leave to cool.
3. Crumble 20g of sponge into the bottom of each glass, and drizzle 4 teaspoons of Prosecco syrup over the top.
4. Divide the strawberry puree into four, and spread a thin layer of puree over the crumbled sponge. Then, cover with the sliced strawberries.
5. To make the strawberry cream: use a hand whisk (electric whisk not required) to combine the mascarpone, creme fraiche, sugar and strawberry juice (strained from the puree). Divide into 4 portions and spoon over the strawberry layer. Garnish with strawberries and even strawberry flowers. Can be chilled in the fridge for a few hours until serving.