Berry and cassis brioche pudding

An elegant twist on the traditional summer pudding.

Serves 8-10

Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus overnight chilling

Cooking time: about 5 minutes

1.2kg mixed berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants, plus extra to decorate 150g caster sugar

175ml cassis

Butter, to grease

600g pre-sliced brioche loaf

For the elderflower cream

125ml double cream 50g icing sugar

25ml elderflower cordial 150g crème fraîche

1 Hull and slice the strawberries. Put all the fruit (except strawberries) into a pan with sugar and 100ml water. Cook over a medium heat, stirring from time to time, until juices begin to leak out of the fruit. Add strawberries; bubble for 3min more.

2 Pour the mixture into a sieve set over a large bowl; leave to drip for 10min. Taste the juice in the bowl and add sugar if it’s tart. Add cassis to the juice.

3 Grease the sides of a 20cm round tin and line the sides with baking parchment.

4 Cut off the brioche loaf crusts and discard. One at a time, dip the brioche slices in the cassis juice to soak, then arrange in an even layer, one slice thick, in the tin (tearing slices to fit).

5 Spoon over half the fruit in an even layer. Repeat layers of brioche and fruit once more, and finish with a brioche layer. Cover and chill leftover juice. Cover the tin with foil and chill overnight.

6 Whip the cream, icing sugar and cordial in a bowl until the mixture just holds its shape. Fold in the crème fraîche. Cover and chill.

7 To serve, invert the pudding, still in its tin, on to a serving plate. Unclip/lift off the outer tin; remove the base carefully. Peel off the parchment. Pile on cream and decorate with the extra berries. Drizzle with reserved juice, if you like.