Dessert

Gingerbread and orange trifle

Name: Gingerbread and orange trifle recipe
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 300ml Thickened Cream, whipped; Finely grated orange zest, to serve; 125g brown sugar; 1 orange, thinly sliced; 250g unsalted butter, chopped; 200g brown sugar; 350g golden syrup; 300g plain flour; 18g ground ginger; 2 tsp each baking powder and bicarb soda; 1 tsp each ground cinnamon and mixed spice; 250ml milk; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 370g jar orange marmalade; 4 oranges, segmented (see notes); 900g tub double thick vanilla custard; 30.00 ml brandy

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by Lucy Nunes

Delicious Team

Nov 30, 2023

“This stunning yet effortless trifle is the perfect show-stopper dessert for Christmas, and you don’t need to tell anybody how easy it was to put together!” – Lucy Nunes

300ml Woolworths Thickened Cream, whipped
Finely grated orange zest, to serve

Caramelised orange

1/2 cup (125g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 orange, thinly sliced

Gingerbread cake (see notes)

250g unsalted butter, chopped
200g brown sugar
1 cup (350g) golden syrup
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1/4 cup (18g) ground ginger
2 tsp each baking powder and bicarb soda
1 tsp each ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1 cup (250ml) milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Orange marmalade

370g jar orange marmalade
4 oranges, segmented (see notes)

Brandy custard

900g tub double thick vanilla custard
1 1/2 tbs brandy

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease base and side of a 22cm round cake pan and line with baking paper. For the cake, place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until smooth and combined. Sift all dry ingredients and a pinch of fine salt into a large, heatproof bowl. Whisk the milk and egg in a jug until well combined. Whisk the hot butter mixture into the dry ingredients until well combined and smooth. Add the milk mixture and whisk until well combined and smooth.
2.

Pour batter into prepared pan (it will be runny) and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean and top is deep golden (it will be slightly sunken in the middle). Stand in pan for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
3.

For the caramelised orange, preheat oven to 260°C/240°C fan-forced. Sprinkle half the sugar over a large baking tray. Arrange orange slices over the sugar in a single layer, leaving 1.5cm space between each slice. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and bake for 8 minutes or until sugar melts and caramelises. Using tongs, transfer slices to a tray lined with baking paper. Set aside to cool completely.
4.

For the marmalade, combine both ingredients and any juice from segmenting oranges in a large bowl. Stir to combine. For the custard, stir brandy through custard in a bowl until combined.
5.

To assemble trifle, cut the cake into 3-4cm cubes. Place half the cubes of cake in the base of a 4L trifle bowl. Spoon over half the marmalade mixture, then half the custard. Repeat layering with remaining cake, marmalade and custard. Cover and chill for 4 hours, or overnight, for the avours to mingle.
6.

When ready to serve, dollop trifle with cream and decorate with caramelised orange slices. Sprinkle with zest, to serve.

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Recipe Notes

You can make the cake several days ahead. Segment the oranges over a large bowl to catch the juice as you go, and add this to the marmalade. You’ll need a 4L trifle bowl and a 22cm round cake pan. Begin this recipe a day ahead.