Queen Elizabeth Trifle – 1947 Version

This original recipe is by my great-gran, Dorothy Gesina Stegmann Tempel, and my gran, Dora Hilary Lemon. This trifle recipe is the recipe that my gran and great-gran made for the British royal family's visit to South Africa in 1947. It won them many awards actually, and was probably the reason why they were chosen to bake for the royal family. It's probably close on 100 years old, and marked in their recipe books as "Prize Trifle".

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Step 1

Make a double boiler from 2 pots (one bigger than the other), and place hot tap water into the bottom pot until the top pot begins to float on it.

Step 2

Place the pots on a medium heat, on a stovetop. Add the sugar and eggs into the top pot, and beat it for 20 minutes using an electric mixer. The eggs become really fluffy after a couple of minutes, but continue beating for the full time!

Step 3

After 20 minutes, add the melted butter, brandy and lemon essence, beat to combine, and remove from the stove.

Step 4

Sift in the flour (a little at a time), and gently fold it into the egg mixture until it's incorporated.

Step 5

Transfer the batter to a 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin that's been greased and lined with baking paper.

Step 6

Place on the middle shelf of an oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes (until golden on top and he edges have pulled away from the cake tin).

Step 7

While the sponge cake is baking, make the custard.

Step 8

Place the milk in a medium pot on the stovetop, on a medium heat, and bring the milk to a simmer.

Step 9

While the milk is heating, beat the eggs, sugar and cornflour (Mazina) together by hand using a fork, and add it into the milk once it begins to boil. Stir continuously until it thickens. Once thickened, add a splash of vanilla essence. Remove from

Step 10

While the custard is cooling, finely chop the glace cherries, glace pineapples and sliced almonds.

Step 11

*If you can't find glace pineapples in the supermarket, yo can make them by placing 4 canned pineapple rings into a flat bottomed glass dish (microwave safe), and add a mixture of 20ml's of reserved pineapple juice (from the can), ¼ cup sugar, and 2 tsp syrup (golden or corn) over the top of them. Place in the microwave on high for 12 minutes, turning them over every 4 minutes, until the edges are translucent and the sugar has dissolved.

Step 12

Once the custard has cooled to a lukewarm temperature, the extra ingredients can be added into it.

Step 13

To start, beat the butter and sugar (in a separate mixing bowl) until it's creamed. Slowly add the creamed butter and sugar (spoonful by spoonful) into the custard, while beating it with an electric mixer.

Step 14

Then add the finely chopped cherries, pineapple and almonds into it by mixing them in by hand.

Step 15

Once the sponge cake has baked and cooled, slice the cake into 3 layers, and cut the layers into smaller pieces. Line the bottom of trifle dish with sponge (just one layer), and then top it with half of the custard.

Step 16

Place another layer of sponge cake on top of the custard layer, and top it with the rest of the custard.

Step 17

Place in the fridge to set for 24 hours.

Step 18

Once set, top with whipped cream and enjoy!

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