What is a trifle?
A trifle is a layered English dessert usually made with sponge cake soaked in sherry or fruit juice, fruit or jelly, custard and whipped cream. It is traditionally served in a large glass bowl so the layers can be seen.
Trifle recipes date back to the 1500s, when the word referred to a dish of thick cream flavored with sugar and spices. Over time, other layers were added.
By the 1700s, recipes included sponge soaked in alcohol, custard and cream, similar to modern trifles.
Christmas and family gatherings
Trifle is a popular dessert at Christmas, birthdays and family celebrations. Families often have their own recipes and opinions about whether jelly should be included.
Toppings can include toasted almonds, grated chocolate or sprinkles.
Variations include chocolate trifle and fruit trifles. In Scotland, a similar dessert called tipsy laird uses whisky.
The trifle became famous in popular culture through an episode of the American sitcom Friends, in which a character mistakenly adds beef to a trifle.
Many families prepare it the day before serving so the layers can set.