Makes: 10 to 12 glasses

Prep time: 45 minutes to assemble plus 12 minutes cooling time for the pastry cream

Ingredients:

• 1 8-inch sponge cake, cut into cubes of 2-by-2-inch squares (see recipe below; substitute option: ladyfingers)
• ½ cup sugar syrup (see recipe below)
• 2 cups pastry cream (see recipe below)
• 2 cups strawberries cut in half
• 6 pieces kiwi, sliced into half moons
• Whipped cream (see recipe below)

Method:

1. Brush the sponge cake with sugar syrup. Set aside.
2. Assemble the trifles: Place a dollop of pastry cream on the bottom of the glass. Put 1 to 2 pieces of the cubed sponge cake on top of the custard. Place pieces of strawberry and kiwi over the sponges. Place a dollop of whipped cream over the fruits. Repeat the process until the glass is filled. End with a whipped cream topping and garnish with a strawberry. Use fruits in season, such as mango, or canned mandarin oranges and canned peaches.

Sponge cake

Preheat oven at 350oF. Combine 1 cup of sifted flour with 3 tablespoons sugar. Silt together twice. Set aside. In a bowl, combine 4 large eggs with 2/3 cup sugar. Place bowl over pot with simmering water for a couple of minutes while whisking. Remove from heat and beat at high speed until tripled in bulk. Sift about 1/3 of the combined flour and sugar over whipped eggs. Fold gently with large spatula. Fold in the rest in two more batches. Combine 3 tablespoons hot clarified butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Scoop about 1 cup of butter into another bowl and combine with the butter-vanilla mixture. Fold vanilla mixture gently into the rest of the batter. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes. When cake has cooled down, unmold. Makes 1-8-inch round cake.

Sugar syrup

Place 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat then add 2 tablespoons Cointreau (orange flavored liqueur). No Cointreau? Use Anaretto or rum.

Whipped cream

In a bowl, combine 2 cups heavy cream and ½ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar. Whisk until slightly thickened and smooth.

Pastry cream

In a bowl, stir together ½ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and 2 large eggs. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla; add ¼ teaspoon salt to boil over medium heat. Once the milk boils, slowly pour some hot milk on the egg mixture and stir to combine. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and allow thickening. Add 4 tablespoons butter and stir until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface with a plastic wrap and allow cooling completely before using. This can be made a day in advance – just store it in the refrigerator.