Vegan Strawberry Trifles
With fresh strawberries and whipped cream, these easy individual trifles are perfect for bringing to a coronation street party as a vegan-friendly treat.
From the book
The Little Book of Vegan Bakes
Discover 80 plant-based recipes for the beginner to the experienced baker
From cakes to cookies, there is no compromising on taste or texture
Learn to expand your skill-set with step-by-step guides to creating crunchy honeycomb, or luscious chocolate ganache
Introduction
These chilled trifles are the perfect combination of strawberries, custard and cream, and are unbeatable on a hot summer’s day. Make this recipe even simpler by using shop-bought dairy-free custard and jam. If using home-made custard and jam, prepare these before you start. For an extra delicious adults-only version, you could soak the sponge in sherry and top with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
| For the sponge layer: | |
|---|---|
| 240ml (1 cup) | dairy-free milk |
| 1 tsp | apple cider vinegar |
| 210g (1⅔ cups) | self-raising flour |
| 100 (½ cup) | caster sugar |
| ½ tsp | baking powder |
| ½ tsp | bicarbonate of soda |
| 60g (¼ cup) | sunflower oil |
| For the trifle layers and topping: | |
| Splash of (½ to 1 tsp depending on taste) | vegan-friendly sherry |
| 10 large | strawberries, 7 sliced and 3 chopped |
| 115g (½ cup) | berry jam |
| 330g (1¼ cups) | dairy free vanilla custard |
| 100g (1 cup) | dairy-free whipped cream |
| Extra soft fruit, to top (optional) |
Essential kit
You will need: a 38 x 25 x 2.5cm (15 x 10 x 1in) baking tray.
Method
SPONGE LAYER
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and line a 38 x 25 x 2.5cm (15 x 10 x 1in) baking tray with greaseproof paper (see page 17 for how to line a baking tin). In a small bowl, whisk the milk with the apple cider vinegar until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle – this creates a vegan buttermilk.
In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix to combine.
Pour the oil into the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the lined tray and level off with a palette knife or spoon. Tap the tray a few times on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
Pop it into the centre of the oven and bake for 18–20 minutes. You will know when it’s done when the sponge is springy to the touch and a knife or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Place the tin on a cooling rack and allow the sponge to cool.
TRIFLE LAYERS AND TOPPING
You will need 4 medium-sized serving glasses. Using a cookie cutter a tiny bit smaller than the base of your serving glasses, cut out circles of sponge.
Place one sponge into each glass and add a splash of sherry, if using.
Add the sliced strawberries to the outer edge of each glass and then spread 1 teaspoon of jam over each sponge circle.
Add a generous layer of custard (about 2 tablespoons) to each glass and spread it out to the sides slightly, then sprinkle over some chopped strawberries. Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the glass, finishing with a sponge layer.
Top with whipped dairy-free cream, which can be spooned on or decoratively piped. Sprinkle with chopped strawberries and add extra fruit, if you like. These are best enjoyed on the day of making.
