Try this clementine trifle recipe, then check out our chocolate trifle, sherry trifle, Christmas trifle and more Christmas dessert ideas.
Ingredients
- golden caster sugar 150g
- cardamom pod 1
- vanilla pod 1, split lenthways
- cinnamon stick ½
- star anise 2
- fennel seeds ½ tsp
- clementines 10, peeled and pulled into segments
- double cream 300g
- Cointreau 2 tbsp
- madeira cake 1, cubed
- icing sugar 1 tbsp
- flaked almonds a handful
- whole milk 500ml
- vanilla pod 1, split lengthways and seeds scraped
- egg yolks 8
- golden caster sugar 75g
- plain flour 30g
- cornflour 15g
Method
-
Step 1
Put the sugar and spices into a pan with 500ml water, bring to a simmer, then take off the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Remove all the white pith from the clementine segments, put in a bowl and pour over the sugar syrup through
a sieve to catch the spices. Cool completely, cover and chill overnight. -
Step 2
For the crème pâtissière, bring the milk to a simmer with the split vanilla pod and seeds, and infuse for 5 minutes on a low heat. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together with electric beaters until light and fluffy, then add the flours and mix until smooth.
-
Step 3
Pour about ¼ of the hot milk into the creamed eggs and flour and mix in, then whisking continually, slowly add the remaining milk. Pour into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer while whisking, and cook for a few minutes until thickened and custard-like. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with clingfilm, letting the clingfilm touch the surface of the crème pâtissière (this will stop a skin forming). Cool, then chill.
-
Step 4
Whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Weigh out 300g of the crème pâtissière and gently fold the cream into it to form a vanilla mousseline. You will have a bit of crème pât leftover but it will keep in the fridge for a few days. (Mix it with an equal quantity of whipped cream and serve with poached fruit)
-
Step 5
Pour the clementine and sugar syrup through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Chop the segments into thirds. Add the Cointreau to the reserved syrup, then drop in the sponge cubes for a few seconds, before scooping out with a slotted spoon.
-
Step 6
Put the soaked sponge into the bottom of a trifle bowl and add the chopped clementines. Transfer the vanilla mousseline to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe the cream in blobs over the trifle (or spread the cream on top using a spatula). Chill until ready to serve.
-
Step 7
Sift the icing sugar over the flaked almonds and toast in a frying pan over a medium heat until they are a deep golden colour. Cool completely. When ready to serve, sprinkle the cooled almonds over the top of the trifle.
Also try our other trifle recipes

Nutritional Information
- Kcals 611
- Fat 34.9g
- Saturates 18.9g
- Carbs 62.7g
- Fibre 1g
- Protein 9.1g
- Salt 0.5g