All-American Berry Trifle

This trifle sings of summers in America – delicious pops of sweet summer berries, creamy mascarpone whipped with custard and infused with vanilla and set on Madeira or pound cake. On 4th July I top this trifle with flaming sparklers or mini American flags – it’s my American hero dessert! You can make it up to a day ahead and it’s great for entertaining a crowd. You can also serve it in smaller individual bowls but try to use glass so that you see the fabulous colours and layers. 450g fresh blueberries 375g fresh raspberries 75g caster sugar 3 tablespoons crème de cassis (optional) 300g Madeira cake, sliced 500ml ready-made cold custard 400g mascarpone cheese 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 300ml double cream, softly whipped

Place two-thirds of both berries and all the sugar in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat for 2 minutes. Pour in the crème de cassis, if using, then remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool. Arrange a layer of the madeira cake slices in the base of a large trifle bowl, then spoon the berry mixture on top.

Add the custard, mascarpone and vanilla extract to a large bowl and whisk together until smooth, but ensure that the mixture doesn’t become runny, as you want it to remain slightly thick. Spoon on top of the berry mixture, followed by the softly whipped cream.

Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. Just before serving, decorate the top of the trifle with the remaining berries.