Mary Margaret’s Trifle

Mary Margaret’s Trifle is a simple, rustic, uncomplicated dessert comprised of three layers. Starting with a pound cake layer where the cake is soaked in raspberry jello, followed by a thick layer of custard and topped with freshly prepared whipped cream.

For many years, John.e has spoken so fondly of his mom’s trifle. So, after more than ten years, I decided to find out exactly what his mom’s trifle consisted of and tried to make him one just like hers. You see, Dear Reader, Mary Margaret was a real person; she was John.e’s mommy. So, appropriately so, I’ve named this one Mary Margaret’s Trifle in honour of her and just for John.e.

When all is said and done, this trifle is not that much different from my mom’s. Both trifles have jello and custard, which I think is very common in what I refer to as vintage or retro trifles. My mom didn’t make trifles often – no more than two or three times a year, and it seems that Mary Margaret did the same. John.e tells me that he knows for sure she prepared the trifle at Christmastime, and he thinks maybe Thanksgiving too, but that he’s not absolutely sure of.

When it came time to dig in, I waited with bated breath for his approval. I wanted so badly for him to like it and to remember fondly his mom’s trifle. And, even though I followed his instructions (based on his memory of the dessert) exactly, he said the flavour was perfect, but the texture was not quite right. He swears that his mom used pound cake in her recipe, and so did I, but he felt that her pound cake was more dense.

At the end of the day, the entire trifle was eaten. I had a small serving and over the course of a few days, he managed to finish the entire thing! I may have forced him to eat larger portions by threatening to throw it out because I have this weird thing about keeping things in the fridge too long! Three days is the maximum for most things for me, even though, he is one of those if it smells good, it’s fine people. Anyway, I digress! I’m happy to report, however, that despite the pound cake texture, Mary Margaret’s Trifle was a success!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season. But first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. Over the past seven Christmases, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more! Welcome, Dear Reader, to my first Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifles.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifles Series! Even though this is the first series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

LAYERED DESSERTS ARE THE EASIEST AND THE BEST!

Layered desserts have been popular for many, many years. For those of us who were not blessed with the ability to decorate elaborate cakes or whip up a choux pastry or even master the art of a good meringue, there are layered desserts. Think about it! The popularity of desserts like no-bake cheesecakes, trifles, tiramisus, etc., is proof.

I like to think that a layered dessert can certainly be just as elegant if prepared the right way. Make it simple. Overcomplicated desserts are no fun to prepare or eat. Choose two or three flavour combinations, because too many will just become muddled and the flavours will compete with each other. That’s what I think of trifles. I do love them, but I don’t care for them if they too many ingredients and too many layers. I’ll do my best to keep the trifles in this series uncomplicated.

If you are looking for more layered desserts, look no further! I’ve got you covered right here. Try these Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes, for example. Or a breakfast version using waffles! Speaking of strawberry shortcakes, you have got to try these puff pastry flakies – they are probably my favourite dessert of all time.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pound Cake – You can make a pound cake from scratch, or you can buy one in the bakery section of most larger grocery stores.
• Whipping Cream – Please see the next section on whipping cream.
• Sugar – This is only used to sweeten the whipped cream. You can omit the sugar if you prefer a less sweet dessert.
• Vanilla Extract
• Custard – If you have a custard recipe you like, use it. I tend to use the recipe on the back of Bird’s Custard Powder.
• Jello – John.e says his mom only ever used raspberry-flavoured jello in her trifle.
• Raspberries – For garnish.

HOW TO MAKE MARY MARGARET’S TRIFLE

Begin by preparing the raspberry jello according to the instructions on the package. Do not refrigerate! Set aside to cool for 5 minutes while you cut the pound cake into one-inch cubes. Next, place the pieces of pound cake into a trifle bowl, positioning them so that they are in an even layer. Pour the cooled raspberry jello into the bowl, covering the pound cake. Refrigerate until the jello is completely firm.

Prepare the custard according to package instructions. You will need 3 cups of prepared custard. Pour the custard into the trifle bowl, smoothing it out evenly over the cake and jello layer.

Next, prepare the whipped cream by transferring the whipping cream to a chilled mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Beat to incorporate. Beat in the vanilla extract. Top the custard layer with the whipped cream. Refrigerate the trifle for 2 hours before serving. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM

Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference in the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to this Red Berry Profiterole Trifle.

Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PREPARING TRIFLES

First of all, there are no steadfast rules about how many layers you should or shouldn’t have. My rule of thumb is this – make the trifle big enough to feed your family and/or guests, and use a bowl that is big enough to accommodate the layers. If you have a larger trifle bowl, you can simply add another layer or add more berries or cake to fill it up. Likewise, if your bowl is too small, you can make mini trifles with the leftover ingredients in stemmed dessert bowls.

Trifles cannot be prepared days in advance, nor can they be frozen. Since most trifle recipes are assembly-type recipes, the best thing to do is to prepare them on the day you plan to eat them. However, with that said, every trifle in this series can be prepared a day in advance. If you prepare the trifle a day in advance, it’s a good idea to set the garnish aside and place it onto the trifle just before serving. That way, your trifle will look like it was just freshly prepared.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!