Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle

Recipe courtesy of This recipe has been created by London bakery owner, Lily Vanilli, to celebrate Del Monte’s 125th Anniversary.

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle. Hello friends. So how are you today? All good, I hope.

We love making trifles at Christmas time so today I have this delicious Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle to share with you. How beautiful is it? But almost to good to eat!! I hear you shout!!

Impress your friends and family this holiday season with a show-stopping dessert! Learn how to make Lily Vanilli’s festive trifle with her step-by-step recipe guide. This indulgent treat is filled with layers of delicious sponge cake, fruit, custard, and cream, all topped off with festive decorations. Follow her easy-to-follow instructions to create a dessert that is sure to wow your guests and become a holiday tradition for years to come!

Table Of Contents:

  • Firstly, Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle: How To Make A Festive Trifle Ingredients.
  • Secondly, Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle: How To Make A Festive Trifle Method.
  • Thirdly, Madeira Cake Recipe And Method.
  • Fourthly, Custard Ingredients And Method.
  • Fifth, More Post Ideas.
Christmas Recipes

How To Make Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle:

Serves 10-15 in a 30cm x 30cm trifle bowl

Preparation time: 45minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 x 415g can Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail in Juice (well-drained)
  • 1 x 415g can Del Monte® Peach Slices in Juice (well-drained)
  • Elderflower liqueur
  • A handful of fresh cherries (stalks on)
  • 100g dark chocolate, chopped
  • Edible gold dust / desiccated coconut/ hundreds and thousands
  • Pink food colouring or 2tsp crushed, freeze-dried raspberries (optional)
  • Madeira Cake (shop bought 2-3 loaves or homemade)
  • Custard (shop-bought 1 x 400g can or homemade)
  • 50g unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 35ml double cream
  • Berries & edible flowers for decoration

NB: Ingredients and method for making your own Madeira cake and custard are below.

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle Method:

  1. Firstly, soak the Madeira cake (see below for recipe) by pricking the surface with a fork and gently drizzling with liqueur.
  2. Prepare cherries for decoration by melting the chocolate in a bain-marie (gently melt 2/3 of the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl, set over an inch of simmering water in a saucepan.
  3. When almost completely melted, remove from the heat and add the remaining chocolate, stirring until completely melted).

Remove From Heat:

  1. Remove from heat and gently dip your cherries in the chocolate to coat completely.
  2. Once set, brush the cherries with your edible gold dust until they shine. If using coconut or hundreds & thousands instead of gold dust, dip into your chosen decoration whilst the chocolate is still wet.
  3. Add colouring or freeze-dried raspberries to shop-bought or homemade custard (see below for recipe).
  4. Make your buttercream by beating together butter, sugar, vanilla, food colouring/freeze-dried raspberries and cream.
  5. Now it’s time to assemble your trifle! Gently place the first layer of soaked Madeira cake into the base of a 30cm x 30cm trifle bowl.
  6. Top the cake with a layer of Del Monte® Peach Slices making sure they are placed up to the edge of the sponge.
  7. Then add a layer of pink custard and another layer of cake.
  8. Top this with a layer of Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail making sure the fruits are placed up to the edge of the sponge.
  9. Then add a layer of pink custard and another layer of cake.
  10. Repeat this pattern as many times as your bowl allows, ensuring you finish with a final layer of Madeira cake.
  11. Using a piping bag, pipe the top layer with the buttercream with extra dabs piped in a circle around the edge of the trifle.
  12. Place your decorated cherries where you have piped your dabs.
  13. Last but not least, now decorate with fresh berries and edible flowers, arranged in a suitably celebratory design!
Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle: How To Make A Festive Trifle

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle: Perfect For Christmas:

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle. Also great for any parties you might be planning.

So For The Madeira Cake:

Preparation time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Cooling time: 40 minutes (approx.)

4 x 6” round cake tins (or you can bake 2 batches if you only have 2), greased and lined.

Ingredients:

  • 270g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 270g caster sugar
  • 5 small eggs
  • 375g self-raising flour sifted
  • 4 ½ tbsp milk

Method:

  1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 180˚C /gas mark 6.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, and beat until just incorporated.
  4. Fold in the flour, then add the milk slowly – you need just enough to ensure that the mixture falls slowly from the spoon.
  5. Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins and level out to the edges.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

For The Custard:

Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 45g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 5 small egg yolks
  • 390ml double cream
  • ¼ vanilla pod or ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • To colour: a pinch of pink food colouring, or crushed, freeze-dried raspberry (optional)

Method:

  1. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornflour and egg yolks by hand until white and fluffy. NOTE: This works best if you whisk for 3 minutes, leave it to stand for a few minutes, then whisk again for 3 minutes.
  2. Heat the cream with the vanilla in a heavy-bottomed pan, until it reaches a simmer. Pour the heated cream over the egg yolks, and whisk thoroughly until combined.
  3. Add pink colouring or freeze-dried raspberries.
  4. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water to make a double boiler and whilst on a medium heat, stir continuously with a spatula, until thick and creamy – approximately 7–8 minutes.
  5. Leave to cool completely.
Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle: Perfect For Christmas

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle:

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle Recipe courtesy of This recipe has been created by London bakery owner, Lily Vanilli, to celebrate Del Monte’s 125th Anniversary. For more recipe inspiration, please visit Delmonte Europe. So what do you think of this recipe? Do you fancy trying it? Because I do!!

I think this would make a great Christmas party piece. Imagine seeing your guests faces!! So surprised to see such a beautiful treat also at the same time, happy to be able to try some.

You Might Also Like:

How To Make A British Berry Trifle For Any Occasion: Firstly, do you love trifle? We do here. Also today I have this yummy British Berry Trifle to share with you: How To Make A British Berry Trifle.

Pear And Ginger Trifle: Secondly, do you love individual trifles here? If so, how about trying this pear and ginger trifle recipe out? Pear & Ginger Trifle. On the other hand, if you are looking for lots of ideas, why not check this post out?

6 Trifle Recipes To Try Out: Perfect For Christmas:

6 Trifle Recipes To Try Out: Perfect For Christmas. Thirdly, we love trifles here. One of my husband favourite treats. I love to make trifles recipes up and trying different ones out. Especially at Christmas. Something kinda special about making fun trifles recipes up. At the same time being very traditional. They always remind me of my grandma. Especially at Christmas. Because she made the most amazing trifles. She always made them at Christmas. Of course, they also remind me of being little, too. So every birthday party I went to had some kind of trifles or jelly and cream at them. 6 Trifle Recipes To Try Out: Perfect For Christmas. Of course, great for any party.

Boozy Brownie, Cherry And Walnut Trifle: Last but not least, 3 words, cherries, brandy, brownies!! So yummy!! Boozy Brownie Cherry Walnut Trifle.

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle. So what do you think of these recipe ideas? Because I fancy making one right now. Do you also fancy making any?

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle: Perfect For Christmas: Finally, lovelies; I hope you like this post? If so, why not follow along so you never miss a post? So remember you can also share your thoughts here too in the comments below.

Lily Vanilli’s Festive Trifle: How To Make A Festive Trifle
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Claire Justine
Claire Justine

Hi, I am Claire and I created Claire Justine in 2011. I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I love writing them. Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts with us.

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20 Comments

  1. 12 December 2021 / 01:47

    Looks amazing! So colorful and yummy. I am happy to feature your beautiful dessert at Love Your Creativity. Merry Christmas.

    • 23 December 2021 / 15:16

      Thanks for stopping by and the feature 🙂

  2. 20 November 2020 / 14:23

    Congratulations! Your awesome post is featured on Full Plate 511 this week and we have pinned your post to our special Features Board! Thanks so much for sharing with us and you have a great week!
    Miz Helen

    • 21 November 2020 / 18:04

      Thanks so much for the feature. Hopping over now 🙂

  3. 12 November 2020 / 20:29

    Wow! That does look too pretty to eat! I’ve actually never made a trifle. I’ll have to try it. Thank you for sharing! I’m visiting today from the Your Whims Wednesday linkup. Have a great day!

    • 19 November 2020 / 16:25

      Thanks for stopping by. We love trifle here 🙂

  4. Dee | Grammy's Grid
    12 November 2020 / 16:26

    Looks yummy! Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 18, open until November 26. Shared.

    • 19 November 2020 / 16:25

      Thanks for hosting and stopping by Dee 🙂

  5. Ruth
    19 December 2018 / 19:01

    What a beautiful trifle. Looks to good to eat,

  6. indah nuria Savitri
    4 December 2017 / 13:56

    This is super yum and sooo pretty! I would love to try it at home 🙂

  7. The Lazy Gastronome & Pleasures of the NW
    2 December 2017 / 16:47

    Beautifully festive!! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party!

  8. Karren Haller
    29 November 2017 / 22:45

    What an amazing dessert presentation!! Thank you for sharing on Oh My Heartsie Girls WW this week!Have a lovely week!

  9. CreativeKhadija
    16 November 2017 / 08:14

    This looks yummy & too delicious. Thanks for sharing with us.Have a great day.

  10. The Charm of Home
    9 November 2017 / 17:29

    Well I had to go find out who this Lily Vanillis was and you have made something as beautiful as her creations! THank you for sharing this at Home Sweet Home! I will feature it today at HSH!

  11. 6 November 2017 / 08:15

    This looks amazing! This would be a right showstopper on the Christmas table!

  12. 4 November 2017 / 15:15

    Hi Claire,that has to be the poshest trifle I have ever seen! Not a jelly in sight. I can see that this would look good as a Christmas dessert. I'm pinning this for future reference as I'm sure it will go down well at Christmas.xx

  13. 4 November 2017 / 13:40

    Oh wow! That looks amazing. So pretty! I do love trifle. x #PoCoLo

    • 30 November 2017 / 15:31

      Thanks Kim. We love trifle here too 🙂

  14. Elizabeth Rebecca
    3 November 2017 / 18:42

    I love trifle and this one sounds so delicious!#pocolo

    • 30 November 2017 / 13:05

      Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth 🙂