A dessert that's always a winner, from Father's Day to summer birthdays: Gordon Ramsay's trifle isn't cooked, but left to rest overnight to reach the perfect consistency.
Ingredients
For the macerated berries
- 3 cups blueberries
- 3 cups blackberries
- 3 cups strawberries
- 3 cups raspberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large orange
For the cream cheese whipped cream
- 225 g cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Icing sugar, if desired
Assembly
- 300 g pound cake, cut into pieces
- Decorative sprinkles, if desired
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- Potato masher
- Hand blender and whisk
- Baking paper
- Tracing paper
- Springform pan
METHOD
Start by placing ½ cup of strawberries and raspberries in a large bowl, and place ½ cup of blueberries and blackberries in another large bowl. Sprinkle about 2 and a half tablespoons of sugar on the red berries, and the remaining 1 and a half tablespoons of sugar on the blue berries.
Grate the orange zest and divide it between the two bowls, followed by the orange juice. Use a potato masher to lightly crush the 2 cups of red berries, breaking them up to release their juice. Use a spatula to incorporate the remaining 4 cups of red berries and set aside. Rinse the potato masher and repeat with the blueberries, mashing them lightly, incorporating about 1 1/2 cups each of blue and black berries, then set aside to macerate. You should still have 1 cup each of blue and black berries: save these for decoration.
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whip it: start with just the cream cheese and slowly pour in the cream and vanilla to mix them evenly, then increase the speed and mix until the mixture is frothy. Taste and sift in the powdered sugar, if desired, then whip again to incorporate. Set aside until needed, refrigerating if it will be more than about 20 minutes or if your kitchen is particularly warm.
Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper (or use a cake pan). Line the sides with acetate (or parchment paper) so that it extends over the sides of the pan.
Using about u2153 of the pound cake pieces, line the bottom of the pan or plate with a layer of pound cake, not too compact but full enough to create a stable base layer. Spread half of the macerated red berries in a layer, then pour about ¼ of the whipped cream mixture over the berries.
Repeat this process of pound cake, berries, then cream cheese with the macerated blue and black berries in the next layer, then repeat again with the remaining red berries. Repeat one more time with the pound cake and cream cheese, then garnish the last layer of cream cheese invitingly with the remaining whole blue and black berries.
Let cool overnight and stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before decorating with sprinkles, if using, and serving.
RECIPE NOTES
For an even more striking presentation, garnish the trifle with sparklers and light them as you serve the dessert.
