Key lime trifle
Serves: 8
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Key lime trifle
Recipe by Anna Glover
Madeira sponge makes the base of this zesty festive trifle
Serves: 8
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
704Kcal
Fat
53gr
Saturates
32gr
Carbs
43gr
Sugars
33gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
5.5gr
Salt
0.4gr
Anna Glover
Anna is our former Creative Food Editor, and a cookery writer and food stylist. She loves a challenge and is known for whipping up interesting flavour combinations. She’s still in search of the best pizza in the world
See more of Anna Glover’s recipes
Anna Glover
Anna is our former Creative Food Editor, and a cookery writer and food stylist. She loves a challenge and is known for whipping up interesting flavour combinations. She’s still in search of the best pizza in the world
See more of Anna Glover’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 x 275g Madeira sponge, cut into 2cm cubes
- juice of 4 limes, reserve some zest to serve
- 5 tbsp Malibu (or 3 tbsp white rum)
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 1-2 Hobnob biscuits, bashed to coarse crumbs
For the lime custard
- zest of 4 and juice of 8 limes
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 1½ tbsp cornflour
- 450ml whipping cream
For the cream
- 450ml whipping cream
- 1½ tbsp icing sugar
- 2 tbsp Malibu (or 11⁄2 tbsp white rum)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Step by step
Get ahead
Make a day in advance, and chill. Scatter with biscuit crumbs and lime zest just before serving.
- For the lime custard, whisk the lime zest and juice, egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a medium pan until smooth. Continually whisking, pour in the cream. Warm gently over a low flame, stirring frequently, for 10-12 minutes until the mixture is thick and glossy. It will thicken more as it cools, so don’t make it too thick at this point. Taste to make sure the cornflour has cooked out; it shouldn’t be floury. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl (discarding the zest) and cover with clingfilm, pressing it to the surface of the custard to stop a skin forming. Cool to room temperature, then chill until ready to assemble.
- Put the sponge cubes into the base of a 1.3-1.5 litre trifle dish. Mix the lime juice, Malibu or rum and sugar, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the sponge.
- Whisk the chilled lime custard to loosen (add a tiny splash of cream or milk to slacken if you need to), then pour over the sponge. Chill for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
- Put the cream ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk with a balloon whisk until thickened to soft peaks. Alcohol makes it thicken more quickly, so be careful not to overwhisk. Spoon over the custard in the bowl. Scatter over the biscuit crumbs and extra lime zest to serve.
