Directions

At least 3 hours before assembling trifles

Make the Strawberry Jelly

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in a small bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the sugar and 400ml water in a pan and stir on a medium heat until dissolved.
3. Add the quartered strawberries and simmer for about 10 minutes until mushy.
4. Strain the mixture into a clean pan using a fine sieve and squeeze all the syrup out. You can use the leftover fruit to mix into yoghurt another time.
5. Return the strawberry syrup to the heat until steaming. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves and stir them into the syrup, off the heat, until completely dissolved.
6. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. Chill the jelly in the fridge for at least 3 hours until softly set.

Make the Madeira Cake (whilst the jelly is chilling)

1. Lightly grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin with baking parchment
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan oven/Gas Mark 3
3. Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until light and creamy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat to combine.
5. Add the Vanilla extract.
6. Mix in the almonds and flour until you have a thick batter.
7. Turn into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
8. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
9. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and peel off the paper and allow to cool completely.

Make the Custard

1. Whisk the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar, and vanilla together in a small mixing bowl.
2. Heat the cream and milk up to boiling point in a small saucepan.
3. Pour the hot cream in a thin stream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the time until smooth. Wipe out the pan so that it is clean then return the eggy mixture to the pan.
4. Cook very gently over a low heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Pour into a bowl to cool completely, putting clingfilm on the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming, and chill for an hour in the fridge until ready to use.

Just before assembling trifles

Make the Strawberry Chantilly Cream

1. Whip the double cream in an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
2. Mix in the sieved jam and whisk until thick but do not over-beat.

Assemble the Trifles

1. Set aside 6-8 dessert glasses.
2. Cut slices of the Madeira cake. Spread thickly with Tiptree East Anglian Strawberry Conserve and place another cake slice on top to make cake sandwiches.
3. Slice the sandwiches into small strips or cubes and fit them into the base of the glasses in a single layer.
4. Drizzle the cake in each glass with some Tiptree English Strawberry Gin Liqueur.
5. Next add spoonfuls of the soft strawberry jelly on top to form another layer and top this with chopped strawberries.
6. Spoon some cold custard on top for the next layer.
7. For the final layer pipe or swirl Strawberry Chantilly cream on top.
8. Decorate with sliced strawberries and sprigs of mint.