Aussie blueberry trifle
Using the best blueberries on the market, create an easy, home-made trifle that will be a Christmas party hit.
INGREDIENTS
♦ Sponge cake ♦ 1/3 cup corn flour ♦ 1/3 cup plain flour ♦ 1/3 cup self-raising flour ♦ 4 x eggs, room temperature ♦ 2/3 cup caster sugar ♦ salt ♦ custard ♦ 1 cup milk ♦ 1 cup thickened cream ♦ 1 vanilla bean ♦ 4 egg yolks ♦ 1 tablespoon corn flour ♦ 1/3 cup caster sugar
Trifle: ♦ Pre-made sponge cake (see recipe below) ♦ Pre-made raspberry jelly ♦ Pre-made custard (see recipe below) ♦ A pot of cream ♦ 2 punnets of blueberries
METHOD
Make the sponge: Grease two deep, 20cm cake tins and line bases with baking paper. Sift flours and 1/4 teaspoon salt together three times to aerate. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed for six minutes, or until mixture is thick, pale and tripled in volume. Gradually sift flour mixture over egg mixture while simultaneously folding in with a large metal spoon until just combined. Divide mixture between prepared tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cakes have shrunk away from the sides slightly and spring back when gently touched. Turn out on to baking paper-lined wire racks. Carefully peel away the baking paper from the tins, then leave it to cool.
Make the custard: Combine milk and cream in a small saucepan. Using a sharp knife, split vanilla bean in half lengthways and scrape out seeds. Add bean and seeds to milk mixture. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly for five minutes or until hot. Do not allow mixture to boil. Remove pan from heat. Whisk egg yolks, corn flour and sugar in a heatproof bowl until well combined. Remove vanilla beans from milk mixture. Pour hot milk mixture over egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes or until custard thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon do not allow custard to boil, as it might curdle.
Assemble the trifle: Make the jelly as per the instructions on the packet, using two packets of jelly per single serve of water for thicker jelly. Once the sponge is cool and the jelly is set, divide them into pieces. Start assembling the trifle by placing a layer of sponge inside the serving bowl. Then add a layer of jelly and a layer of custard, letting the custard seep in between the jelly pieces. Add a layer of blueberries to the top of the custard layer. Repeat with another sponge, jelly and custard layer. Finish by adding a layer of cream on top of the custard, then add a final layer of blueberries.