Grandma’s sherry trifle recipe

Few festive dishes sit as pretty as a layered trifle on a Christmas desserts table, and this one takes the cake (so to speak). Originally submitted by Australia’s Best Recipes member ‘tarlee,’ this beautiful family recipe was handed down two generations by tarlee’s grandmother. 

Is Christmas ever really complete without devouring a large scoop of trifle? I don't believe it is – and this one, with its classic ingredients of sponge jelly, custard and cream, brings back so much nostalgia and childhood memories. 

Why this is the trifle you’ll want to make year after year

Its stunning visual appeal will have your family impressed before they even devour it. In Australia, trifle is the perfect hot-weather dessert because there’s no baking required. 

What I love most about trifle is that it’s almost always a make-ahead dessert, so you can have it fully assembled and simply pull it out when it’s dessert time. Better yet, this trifle serves 8, so it is easy to feed a crowd.

What goes into Grandma’s sherry trifle?

I’ve recently retested this recipe to make sure its quantities are spot on for our ABR community. We start with sponge cake and a 1/4 cup of sherry – but, if kids or non-drinkers will be consuming the trifle, just replace the sherry with fresh orange juice instead. We use strawberry jelly and canned peaches, but you can swap canned peaches for canned plums, apricots or pears. Then there’s the vanilla custard (store-bought does the trick perfectly!), whipped cream, and strawberries on top (though you can use any fresh fruit you prefer, really). Then, Grandma’s recipe includes a sprinkle of 100s and 1000s, which is a very Aussie addition and makes it extra fun.

This recipe was originally submitted by ‘tarlee’, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community.

Check out more of our favourite Christmas recipes for festive cooking (and no-cook) inspiration.

Introduction and additional recipe notes by Digital Food Director, Amira Georgy.