The official Platinum Jubilee Pudding but quicker, smaller, easier and cheaper! This easy version of the winning Lemon Swiss Roll & Amaretti Trifle by Jemma Melvin recipe has simple fool proof instructions and full step by step photographs to help you make a stress and faff-free Jubilee centrepiece!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my Disclosures Page for more details.
As much as I loved watching the selection of the Official Platinum Jubilee Pudding which aired on BBC1 recently, I couldn’t help but think that most of the final entries selected were really rather on the complicated side.
As a food writer, recipe creator and avid baker I am often more up for a lengthy baking challenge than the average Joe. For example, I often make my own butter and pastry. But even I balked at the number of ingredients, processes and time involved in making the winning trifle recipe. And if I was put off, I know that most of the population would feel the same.
I read a few reviews like this one in the Guardian where an amateur baker struggled to follow the recipe and broke the bank in the process. And that was also the first time that I realised that the official recipe serves 20! I don’t even know that many people. And my street certainly isn’t having a party!
So I was inspired to try and create a smaller more affordable version with more “cheat” elements. I hit up Aldi for ingredients and got started.
Looking for a Coronation Trifle?
I did it again! If you’re looking for a cheat’s version of the official Coronation Trifle to celebrate the crowning of King Charles III, I’ve got you covered.
Cheat’s Coronation Trifle – Strawberry & Ginger
That recipe is the same size as this one – it serves 8. For a guide how to cater for a smaller crowd, I’ve also published a recipe for Individual Cheat’s Coronation Trifles.
More Coronation Recipes!
In a last minute turn of event, the royal family have released an official coronation quiche recipe. So of course I had to make a cheat’s version of that too! I’ve also put together a collection of my recipes which are perfect for celebrating the coronation and a little round up of all the official recipes.
Easy Spinach, Edamame Bean & Parsley Quiche Recipe
- Notes for the Cheat’s Platinum Jubilee Trifle
- What Trifle Dish Do I Need to make the Platinum Jubilee Pudding?
- The Platinum Jubilee Pudding Layers, Ingredients & Even More Shortcuts
- Platinum Jubilee Trifle FAQs
- More Recipes to Serve Over the Jubilee Weekend
- Pin Cheat’s Platinum Jubilee Pudding – Lemon Swiss Roll & Amaretti Trifle For Later
- More Trifle Recipes
- Full Step-By-Step Recipe
Notes for the Cheat’s Platinum Jubilee Trifle
This is a cheats version where I’ve bought many of the ingredients rather than making them from scratch. But it is a trifle recipe. And I’ve tried to make it as similar to the original recipe as possible.
The layers do each need to be made up. There is also some chilling time involved to allow the layers to set.
So it isn’t a 5 minute recipe by any means but it’s an awful lot quicker than the original. I’ve also written it so the timeline makes sense to maximise cooking and prepping while certain layers are chilling.
Keep scrolling and you’ll find that I’ve written a little more information about each layer. Where there is an even cheatier version than my recipe, I’ve given you some ideas how to do it!
Please don’t be put off by the written length of the recipe either – my style is to break everything down so that it is very simple to follow. You can toggle the images off at the top of the instruction section if you prefer.
What Trifle Dish Do I Need to make the Platinum Jubilee Pudding?
Any 3 pint / 1.7litre trifle dish will be perfect for this recipe. If you need to use a bigger dish, aim for something that is taller rather than wider. It doesn’t matter if the trifle doesn’t rise over the rim of the bowl.
You could alternatively just use a regular glass mixing bowl – you don’t need to have something fancy for a trifle. And you may well have something like this in your kitchen anyway.
Just be aware that many of the fancy dedicated trifle bowls are massive and designed to hold quantities of trifle more akin to the original recipe serving 20. And if you can’t get hold of, or don’t have a glass bowl, any high sided dish will do. You might not be able to see the pretty layers but it’ll still taste delicious!
The Platinum Jubilee Pudding Layers, Ingredients & Even More Shortcuts
Lemon Curd Filled Swiss Roll
The original recipe directs you to make a swiss roll from scratch and a lemon curd also from scratch. It does say that to make things quicker you can buy the lemon curd. I’ve taken this one big step further and bought a lemon swiss roll ready made!
I used Aldi’s Citrussy Sicilian Lemon Swiss Roll. Most supermarkets and small shops will likely stock a variation. You don’t need to be a slave to the size of the swiss roll, if you find one that is a little bigger or smaller, just go with it – the quantity does not need to be exact.
Alternative – If you can’t find a lemon swiss roll, use a raspberry filled or similar. The flavour will still be delicious – it will just be slightly further away from the original recipe.
St Clement’s Jelly
“Oranges and lemons, Say the bells of St. Clement’s….” goes the start of the rhyme. And so St Clement’s refers to an orange and lemon flavoured jelly.
The original recipe infuses the peel of fresh lemons and oranges with hot water and sugar before being set with gelatine leaves. My shortcut version uses orange jelly cubes with added lemon juice and zest.
You still need to allow the jelly to cool but not set before pouring it over the sponge but overall this layer is still much quicker to make.
Note – Most 135g-150g packs of jelly cubes I’ve found have packet directions to use 600ml of liquid. My recipe uses 500ml of liquid to set a little firmer. If you are using another type of jelly like the sugar free crystals, you will need to work out how much you need to make 500ml of overset jelly.
Easy Option – If you don’t want to use the fresh lemon, you can use half lemon jelly cubes and half orange jelly cubes.
Even Easier Option – If you don’t mind your jelly layer being less than smooth, you can buy ready made jelly pots, give them a mix and pour over the sponge. You will need around 500ml in total.
Easy Option – If you want to use ready made custard, by all means do!
If you do this, change the order of the layers to be sponge > jelly > coulis > biscuits > custard > cream and you should be fine!
Amaretti Biscuits
The original recipe asks you to make biscuits from scratch which uses expensive ground almonds and even more expensive Amaretto liqueur. Not a problem if you have a bottle in the cupboard but otherwise excessive.
But I have taken the cheat’s suggestion of simply buying the biscuits. I found two options in the supermarket (Sainsbury’s as I couldn’t find any in Aldi) – hard and soft versions. I opted for the soft biscuits and this is what I’d recommend. They soften further in the trifle but provide a nice crunch still as a crumbly topping. If you can only find a variety that doesn’t specify soft, it’ll be fine – grab them and go.
Chunky Mandarin Coulis
I haven’t really cheated this element of the recipe because there isn’t an obvious option for doing so. I have however made two slight changes.
First of all instead of draining and wasting the fruit juice from the cans of mandarin segments, I’ve used that when making the jelly.
Secondly, I’ve used cornflour to thicken the sauce as I think far more people are likely to already have that ingredient in their kitchens. Even as an avid baker, I don’t have arrowroot in my pantry which is what the original recipe uses.
But otherwise this layer is really very easy to make – no more than a few minutes with a saucepan is needed.
Easy Option – If you really don’t want to make the coulis, you could use a layer of marmalade instead. You could still stir in some drained mandarin segments if you wish.
Even Easier Option – Simply use the drained fruit. If you are going to take this option, I would recommend adding the fruit on top of the sponge and then adding the jelly. You won’t have quite the same looking layers but the fruit segments won’t float off anywhere.
Whipped Cream
A trifle isn’t a trifle without lashings of whipped cream. There isn’t really any cheat’s option here but whipping some double cream isn’t too onerous. I suggest using an electric hand whisk if you have one but you can use a hand whisk if you need to.
I like to keep the cream nice and softly whipped – it is so easy to overwhip cream so do be careful. I’ve added a little icing sugar to the cream – this helps to stabilise the cream and prevent it from splitting or weeping.
White Chocolate Shards
Now this decoration looks stunning so it is worth making. It is simply melted white chocolate (I use the microwave) spread thinly with pieces of citrus peel pressed in for extra flavour and visual appeal. I made this while other layers were chilling.
Easy Option – Simply grate over some white chocolate or buy ready made white chocolate curls – pile them into the centre of the cream for maximum effect. You can sprinkle mixed peel if you wish or leave it out entirely.
Even Easier Option – Crumble over some amaretti biscuits and be done with it!
Make an Allergy Friendly Platinum Jubilee Pudding
This recipe contains egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Gluten Free Platinum Jubilee Trifle
There are two main gluten containing elements of this trifle. The first is the swiss roll and the second is the amaretti biscuits. You may be able to source gluten free options of both to buy. But if needed, you can make both elements from scratch.
- Gluten Free Amaretti Cookies – The Gluten Free Alchemist
- Gluten Free Lemon Swiss Roll – Glutarama
Nut Free Platinum Jubilee Pudding
This recipe may actually be nut free – it depends on which amaretti biscuits you buy.
The ones I bought from Sainsbury’s (Doria Amaretti) are made with apricot kernels and not almonds. So actually my trifle was nut free. So shop carefully and you shouldn’t have a problem here.
Dairy Free Platinum Jubilee Trifle
To make a dairy free version of this trifle is more complicated. There is dairy in the following elements:
- Swiss Roll – look for a ready made dairy free or vegan option.
- Custard – switch the milk in the recipe for a plant based milk. Bird’s Custard powder has a ‘may contain’ warning so you may need to shop around to ensure the custard powder you buy is suitable.
- Amaretti biscuits – you can buy a dairy free version (they should be naturally dairy free but some contain milk powder) or make a vegan version with no dairy like these from Tin & Thyme.
- Cream Layer – There are many dairy free/plant based cream options to choose from now.
- White Chocolate– Dairy free white chocolate is available to buy – look for a vegan option. You ay find it easier to find chips or buttons rather than a bar. These will still work.
Egg Free Easy Jubilee Trifle:
There are no actual eggs used in this recipe but some of the bought elements will more than likely contain egg.
Both the swiss roll and amaretti biscuits rely on eggs for rise. Looking for free from options to buy is the easiest bet. The dairy free amaretti bicuits linked above are also egg free so that is another option.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
Platinum Jubilee Trifle FAQs
How Far In Advance Can You Make this Cheat’s Jubilee Trifle?
You can make everything except the whipped cream layer up to 2 days in advance. You will need to keep it well covered in the fridge. It is worth noting that you can actually make the white chocolate shards up to a week in advance.
If at all possible, I would recommend whipping and adding the cream not more than a few hours before serving and adding the chocolate shards at the last minute.
If you really need to, the whipped cream can be added the day before serving and stored in the fridge but be warned that the cream will firm up in the fridge.
How to Serve the Platinum Jubilee Pudding
Whilst trifle does need to be stored in the fridge, it is best served at room temperature. Make sure to take it out of the fridge and hour or two before serving. If you are adding the cream layer just before serving this is the time to do it.
You will need a big spoon to serve the trifle. You may find that it is easiest to cut the trifle like a cake using a big sharp knife before digging in. I usually use the biggest serving spoon I own for this task.
How to Make Individual Servings
Simply add the layers to large wine glasses or tumblers in exactly the same way as you would layer up a large trifle.
Make sure to slice the swiss roll into the number of portions you need. You can lay the slices flat in the bottom of the glass rather than try to arrange them up the side of the glass.
More Recipes to Serve Over the Jubilee Weekend
Having a buffet or picnic? Try these…
What about tasty sides for a BBQ?
Or more sweet treats?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
Pin Cheat’s Platinum Jubilee Pudding – Lemon Swiss Roll & Amaretti Trifle For Later
Hit one of the share buttons to save this page to your Pinterest boards so you can come back and find it at anytime!
Keep Up to Date
Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter and avoid missing out on any of my newest and bonus content. Don’t worry, I promise not to spam you or bombard you too often. Plus you’ll receive a copy of my FREE 7 Day International Meal Plan!
Also please don’t forget to follow me over on my social media channels over at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. I love to interact with my followers and I’d love you to share my content with your friends too.
More Trifle Recipes
The Recipe
Cheat’s Platinum Jubilee Pudding – Lemon Swiss Roll & Amaretti Trifle
Equipment
- Glass Trifle Dish 3 Pint/1.7litre
Ingredients
For the Jelly & Sponge Layer
- 135 g Orange Flavoured Jelly Cubes
- 200 ml Boiling Water
- 2 x 300g Can Mandarin Segments
- 1 Lemon - unwaxed
- 275 g Lemon Swiss Roll - I used Aldi Citrussy Sicilian Lemon Swiss Roll
For the Custard & Biscuit Layers
- 40 g Custard Powder - not instant
- 1 tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- 40 g Sugar
- 500 ml Milk
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice - fresh or bottled
- 70 g Soft Amaretti Biscuits
For the Mandarin Coulis Layer
- The reserved mandarin segments from the jelly layer
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice - fresh or bottled
- 2 tsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- 1 tbsp Water
For the Toppings
- 100 g White Chocolate
- 30 g Mixed Peel
- 300 ml Double Cream (Heavy Cream)
- 1 tbsp Icing Sugar (Confectioner’s Sugar)
- 30 g Soft Amaretti Biscuits
Instructions
Make & Chill the Jelly
- Put the kettle on to boil.
- Drain the juice from 2 x 300g Cans Mandarin Segments. Set aside the fruit to make the coulis later.
- Zest and juice 1 Unwaxed Lemon.
- Break up 135g Orange Flavoured Jelly Cubes into small cubes – I cut each marked cube into at least 4 smaller pieces. The smaller they are the easier they will dissolve.
- Measure 200ml Boiling Water from the kettle into a measuring jug and add the orange jelly cubes. Keep stirring until all the jelly is dissolved.
- Add the juice from the mandarin cans to make up 500ml of total liquid. You won’t need all of the juice. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and stir well.Note – Please note the wording of 500ml total liquid – this is why you are making the jelly in a measuring jug. Please do not add 500ml of juice by mistake as the jelly will not set.
- Put the jelly in the fridge to start chilling asap. This should take around 30 to 40 minutes.
- Note – If you are going to take a break between making the jelly and the custard and/or coulis, you need to keep an eye on the jelly. If it cools too much, it will start to set. If needed, skip ahead to the “Assemble the Jelly and Sponge Layer” and then come back to make the custard and coulis while that chills.
Make the Custard
- While the jelly is cooling, prepare the custard.
- Measure 40g Custard Powder, 1 tbsp Cornflour and 40g Sugar into a microwaveable mixing bowl.
- Add a small amount of the 500ml Milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth with no lumps.
- Add the rest of the milk and whisk together.
- Microwave the custard. The exact time will depend on the bowl you have used and your microwave. I made mine by starting with 3 minutes on high then giving it a whisk. I then give it 4 more 30 second bursts whisking more each time. It is ready when the mixture is lovely and thick.
- Stir in 1 tbsp Lemon Juice and cover with clingfilm. Make sure the clingfilm is touching the custard layer – this will stop a skin from forming. Put the custard into the to chill.
Make the Mandarin Coulis Layer
- Put half of the reserved mandarin segments into a small saucepan along with 2 tbsp Sugar and 1 tbsp Lemon Juice.
- Cook over a medium heat until hot and the juices have been released. Use your spatula to mash down the segments as it is cooking. This shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes in total.
- Meanwhile make a slurry by mixing 2 tsp Cornflour with 1 tbsp Water in a small bowl.
- Tip the cornflour mix into the saucepan and mix over the heat until the sauce is thickened.
- Mix in the rest of the whole mandarin segments and set aside in the fridge to cool.
Assemble the Jelly and Sponge Layer
- Unwrap and slice 275g Lemon Swiss Roll into 10 slices.
- Arrange the slices around the bottom on your trifle dish. You are looking for the swirly sides to be pressed against the edge of the bowl without any gaps. It will depend on the shape of you dish exactly how you do this. Press any remaining slices into the bottom of the dish. It doesn’t matter if there are some gaps on the bottom.
- Give the chilled jelly a quick whisk and carefully pour over the bottom of the dish. It may or may not fully cover the sponge depending on the shape of your dish. Some of the jelly will soak into the sponge – this is ok.
- Cover the dish and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours to cool and set.
- Note – If you haven’t yet, make sure to go back and make the custard and coulis layers.
Make the White Chocolate Shards
- Break up 100g White Chocolate into small pieces in a microwaveable bowl.
- Heat in short bursts in the microwave until fully melted – make sure to stir it each time.
- Pour the melted chocolate onto a sheet of greaseproof paper or silicone mat. Spread the chocolate out into a thin layer (around 2mm). Try to keep the chocolate a fairly even thickness all the way over.
- Sprinkle on 20g Mixed Peel and gently press into the chocolate.
- Place in the fridge to cool and set.
Assemble the Custard, Biscuit & Coulis Layers
- Note – Make sure that the jelly layer is set. If not, it will need to go back into the fridge until it is. If you try to add the custard layer too quickly, the layers will collapse.
- Carefully spoon the custard onto the jelly and sponge. As my jelly did not totally cover the sponge, I first filled in the centre gap and smoothed the custard then added the rest on top and smoothed it to the edge of the bowl. Use you common sense to take your time and add the layer in the least disruptive way possible.
- Arrange 70g Soft Amaretti Biscuits on top of the custard layer. The custard should be thick enough that they don’t sink. You may want to add a few more or less biscuits depending on the shape of your dish.
- Carefully spoon over the chilled mandarin coulis. I started at the edge and moved into the centre. Again this is so I don’t disturb the custard and biscuit layers.
- You can then chill the trifle at this point until you are ready to add the toppings and serve.
Finish the Trifle
- Whisk 300ml Double (Heavy) Cream with 1 tbsp Icing Sugar until if is soft and light. Be careful not to overwhip. You are looking for loose cloud like cream.
- Pile the cream onto the chilled trifle using a large serving spoon. Do it in sections for maximum texture. Please don’t dump all the cream on and then try to spread it.
- Break up the set white chocolate into long shards.
- Poke the shards into the trifle in a vaguely random manner. Longer shards at the back and smaller at the front works best with a few smaller pieces worked around and about
- Scatter over roughly 30g Soft Amaretti Biscuits. You can leave some whole and crumble some or crumble them all up, it is up to you.
- And that’s it! The platinum trifle is ready to serve!
Hilary Brian says
I made up the original recipe for a big party on the actual Jubilee Day – it took me 4 hours!
Everyone enjoyed it but this Dish in this format will not last – far too much of a faff!
Your recipe took 1.5 hours, as you said, so is achievable in our busy lives. Still a faff but this is worthwhile – actually easier to hold together and I will be doing this version again.
Thanks for saving my life!
Hilary, Canterbury, UK
Fritzie says
Sounds great , but I shouldn’t be reviewing. I just have a question for you. I am not from England but would like to try this recipe. I am uncertain to what you are referring to when you talk about the orange and lemon jelly. Is this a flavored gelatin layer? Would I be able to use Jello gelatin as a substitute?
Chloe says
Hey, You haven’t said where you’re from but as you’ve mentioned Jello, I’m going to assume you are US/North American. If so then jelly (UK) and jello (US) is the same thing. So using a jello mix is exactly what I’d recommend 🙂
Megan says
I just wanted to write and let you know I made this here in Perth, Western Australia, for a catch up with my schoolgirl friends (we’ve known each other for 50 years). I thought it would be a real novelty and wow!! The response I received blew me away. They were also blow away, as in, they could hardly believe their eyes, let alone believe I could make such a majestic dessert.
I was unable to source the lemon Swiss roll at any of the standard supermarkets here (searched for two weeks!), but a baker who lives next door to my mum, kindly made one for me!! I cannot tell you how much this little venture has blessed me – sharing the story of the platinum pudding , sourcing all the ingredients, this ‘cheats’ recipe which made the whole thing possible and stunning people with how glorious it turned out.
Prior to this I had never made a trifle, but your recipe was so well thought out and easy to follow! I used an orange jelly – we only seem to have jelly crystals available here. That worked a treat with the additions. But like you mentioned, I didn’t have enough jelly to cover the sponge, so quickly whipped up a batch of lemon jelly I had also bought. I poured that on top – probably should have waited for it to thicken because it caused the sponge to float up from the bottom. I put a bowl in the jelly to hold it down for 20 minutes or so and it was fine.
Initially I was worried that the custard was too thick/set, but once it was all put together it proved to be the perfect consistency for the purpose.
I’m still in awe of how amazing the end result was and all the compliments I received. I wish I could post a photo – it turned out exactly like yours!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!!!
Sally says
I have made this and it’s fantastic! Managed to get the jelly to set enough to support the custard on top, though the custard seems a bit thick. Max be a smidgeon less cornflour next time. Thank you for adapting this recipe. Just got to sort out the cream and chocolate tomorrow 👍
Mrs H says
I made this at the weekend and it was a huge hit!
For the crème patisserie layer, if you want to make it easy you can whip double cream into ready made custard and it firms up lovely. I replaced the amaretti biscuits with ginger nuts due to a guest’s nut allergy. I also couldn’t get hold of any lemon jelly so just used orange with some lemon juice added, along with the juice from the mandarins which give it a good flavour. It looked fab with really distinctive layers and tasted amazing. Will definitely make again and maybe experiment with other flavours and combinations.
Chloe says
I think you might be a bit confused – many of the adaptations you’ve made are the same ones that I have made in this recipe!
Sisley White says
This is truly fit for a queen! Gorgeous
Louise says
What a fabulous, easy step by step recipe! Thank u so much. I have happy memories of watching my mum make a trifle every Christmas, but had never had the courage to make my own 🙄 your instructions were really clear and I thoroughly enjoyed making it. And thankfully it received many compliments from friends and family. I made it in a large Pyrex bowl, but then found a beautiful glass trifle bowl in a local charity shop for £4, so my next trifle will look even more beautiful. Thank you for all your hard work in sharing this with us 🤗
Chloe says
Aw thats so wonderful when you have menories attached to a dish. I hope you make many more in the years to come in your beautiful trifle bowl! I have also just picked one up from a car boot sale so I’ll be joining you!
Anna says
Thank you for the very thorough recipe, I’ve made the trifle for the Platinum Jubilee afternoon tea I hosted on Sunday and everybody loved it! I’ve read the recipe a few times beforehand, but in the end I was still surprised by how quick and easy it was to prepare and how well the flavours and textures blend in this trifle, it balances well sweet and sour, and the citrus taste isn’t overpowering. I’ve had a few issues in the process: I couldn’t find real Amaretti biscuits in local shops, only a cheated version made with wheat flour instead of almonds, so I used it, but I imagine otherwise it could taste even better! Furthermore, I only found mandarin segments in peach or grape juice (from Tesco and from Aldi), it could also affect the taste. I wasn’t sure what size of dish to use (in the recipe you wrote 1,7 litres, but the souffle dish you recommend is 2,5 litres and the glass bowl is 3 litres), decided to err on the side of choosing a dish too big rather than too small – I only found a 3,5 litre glass bowl in the shop, so the top layers had to be bigger than in the recipe (I used more biscuits, made more mandarin coulis and spread the whipped cream thiner than I’d like it to be) and it didn’t fill the bowl to the rim, so maybe it looked worse, but at least I could cover the bowl with leftovers with cling film afterwards 😉 Another setback was with the custard, I made it according to the recipe, but then I had to leave the house for longer than planned and when I came back to assemble the trifle, the custard was more solid than creamy, I had to break it into small lumps to spread it and it didn’t look or taste as smooth as it should. Nevertheless, I’m grateful for the recipe, not my usual kind of dish, but it was a pleasant surprise! 🙂 I’ll post a photo on your Facebook page.
Margaret says
I have just watched the finale of the jubilee dessert and looked up the winning entry, found your recipe. Want to make it so bad and because of the Italian population we have no shortage of amaretto biscuits and the Chinese contingency makes wonderfully light Swiss rolls so should pose no problem. Thank you so much for making this possible. Appreciate it in Vancouver, Canada and bless Queen Elizabeth.
Rachael B says
Utterly delicious! Followed the recipe to a T and it worked perfectly!!! HUGE thanks!!!
Susan Mcglennan says
Really lovely recipe – made for our street party and everyone loved it. I used Agar Agar as a substitute for gelatine to make a vegetarian jelly base – 2 teaspoons with about 500 ml of fruity liquid.
Harry Cason says
I made the main part the day before and put the cream and shards on just before presenting it, the only change I made was replacing the Amaretti biscuits with Macaron’s (Every one of the seven shops was devoid of them) Everyone was full of praise of the trifle and I have to say the instructions were really good and so easy to follow.
Laura says
Thank you for this amazingly simple recipe! The clear instructions were perfect for me and the trifle went down a storm at our jubilee party yesterday. I couldn’t find lemon Swiss roll anywhere locally so I used a lemon slab cake instead – it didn’t seem to affect the final trifle. Top marks for coming up with this, I’ll definitely use again for other celebrations.
Heather Logan says
Fabulous recipe, made this for our Jubilee party yesterday, and it went down a treat with our guests. Took about 2.5 hours to make , managed to make dairy free and gluten free by using a pre bought GF lemon cake (rather than Swiss roll) and soft amaretti from Sainsbury’s, dairy free (almond) milk and Alpro soya cream for the custard, Oatly whipping cream and dairy free white chocolate for the topping. I split the cake and sandwiched with lemon curd, cut into fingers and then arranged in “soldiers” around the trifle bowl and looked just as good, so an option if you can’t find or don’t want to make GF Swiss roll. Thanks for the recipe.
Penny says
I just wanted to say Thank you for this recipe. I made it last night – it was really easy and tasted great. Having made it once I can see some of the additions and changes- I like the idea of adding limoncello!
I finally found the biscuits at Waitrose- but we went round 4 supermarkets before this.
Chloe says
I think quite a few people has issues buying the ingredients which is such a shame but I’m glad you got there in the end! And I agree – there are some easy changes to make this recipe better – I’d have added lemoncello and changed some of the other layers too if I hadn’t been trying to replicate the original as closely as possible.
Howard Nairne says
Hi,
Went somewhere between yours & the original. M&S Swiss Roll (not inspiring), made jelly from scratch (easy & very satisfying), similarly custard ( got our own chooks so plenty of eggs & put in a grating of lemon peel), M&S Amaretti (soft & a disappointment really) & made a couli from fresh mandarins which was vibrant). Found some glace cherries from Christmas & used them with the mixed peel. Really looked like jewels in the final shards. Also put bits of mandarin around the shards which tied it ti the couli layer to good effect. Limoncello on sponge & Amaretto on biscuits. All in a pyrex mixing bowl (Sainsburys). Went down very easily last night
Annie says
Thanks so much for some very handy shortcuts! Ours was delicious despite being the even easier easy version!!
Jo Hughes says
Thank you so much! Your version of the pudding was an amazing guide as to how I could actually create this pudding successfully. It was a huge hit with everyone and made for a delicious centrepiece at our celebrations.
Barbara says
Hi Chloe, Thank you for the recipe, not much time this weekend, but I was able to make a layer at a time as set out in your excellent recipe and it went down very well at lunch today.
Caroline says
Wow thank you we just made the Jubilee Trifle with you method, sorry did use carton custard 😂🤣😂 and put ‘shards’ of strawberries on the top with white and milk choc drops on the top.
Wow amazing flavours thank you ❤️❤️🇬🇧🇬🇧🥂🥂
Chloe says
Never apologise for adapting a recipe to your timeframe and tastes! Us recipe writers only get upset about that when you make changes, it goes wrong and then you blame us!!! Your version sounds wonderful!
bill Savage says
hi Chloe, I have just made the trifle,made my own swiss roll,but got the amarretti biscuits off amazon.fabulous recipe,never made a trifle or a swiss roll before so I am really chuffed to bits.the chocolate shards were very easy.Ipeeled an orange and used the rind minus the pith and cut it up into slivers.not bad for an 80 year old,Thank you very much,Bill Savage.
Chloe says
Bill, you officially made me have a little cry and I’m chuffed to bits for you too. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. x
BP says
Absolutely delicious, and so much easier than the original recipe! Will definitely be making again. Some things I found:
-Worth making the day before (add cream and toppings just before serving)
– Jelly took longer to set than anticipated. Also, the total volume of liquid includes the dissolved jelly cubes(!)
– If custard sets too much in the fridge while waiting for jelly to set, you can rescue it with a stick blender
Chloe says
Great tip about the custard! The answer to most problems in the kitchen is a stick blender I find!
Lucy says
I have clearly left it too late to find amaretti biscuits or trifle sponge fingers 🙈 Will anything else work? I have shortbread fingers (crumble them?) Or a lemon sponge cake (might be too lemony overall) HELP!
Chloe says
I know you went with the sponge cake and shortbread because we chatted on social media – I hope you enjoyed it!
Michelle says
Lovely alternative to the official recipe. I added Amaretto to the sponge layer and it was perfect! The family loved it. Thank you for this ☺️
L Robson says
Absolutely brilliant recipe – really clear instructions with the amounts in each section as well so I didn’t have to keep scrolling up and down. I couldn’t find Amaretti biscuits but good old trifle sponge fingers worked really well instead. Thank you so much for producing this recipe – it was very tasty!
Chloe says
Aw fabulous, I’m so pleased you found my recipe style helpful, I find flicking between ingredient lists and instructions a recipe for getting confused and messing up so it was important for me to correct that in my recipes – it’s always super heartening to know that that extra effort is appreciated by people using my site. Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know x
Michelle says
Thanks so much for this superhelpful version of the pud for us amateur cooks! Really looking forward to trying it later.
Chloe says
I’m so pleased you found it helpful 🙏
Rachael says
Thanks Chloe for your recipe, your instructions will clear to follow and my trifle tasted delicious. I did buy M and S Madagascan custard as I love it in trifles and added a smidge of Limoncello to the coulis. Thanks again
Rachael
Mark says
Thank you very much for this easier version of the Jubilee Pudding. I am looking forward to making it.
Chloe says
I hope you enjoy x
Sian says
Hi there,
Will the bought custard firm up a little in the fridge? A bit worried that the cream will just sink into the custard. Have made all the other layers but panicking that it might not work.
Thanks!
Chloe says
Should be fine, just dollop uour cream in carefully in small sections and you shouldn’t have an issue. Not all bought custard is going to be the same but I’ll sure it’ll turn up some! Hope you enjoy x
Alison Cox says
Couldn’t source amaretti biscuits anywhere so I have made some (surprisingly easy)….. Now just wondering if I should pour a bit of the amaretto over the sponge (can’t imagine we will drink it) as I had to buy a big bottle!!
Chloe says
Absolutely! I was surprised that that wasn’t in the original recipe to be honest!
Julie says
Thank you Chloe, very helpful guide to making this simplified version😀 can’t wait to try it tomorrow in my garden party🇬🇧🥳
Julie says
Try making an Ameretto sour! 1 shot Ameretto, lime juice and lemonade over lots of ice, delicious!😋. I also spooned some over my sponge though
Carole Gates says
Have finished the trifle except for cream and shards of chocolate . I had bought a large trifle dish so I doubled the jelly ,custard and could layers to reach the top of it . I also put gold balls on the top so it sparkled . Much less expensive to make that the original version ,hope it tastes good ,I normally make English Trifle with no jelly .Thanks for the excellent instructions
N
Helen says
Sometimes if I want to use ready made custard in a trifle, I melt 100-200g of white chocolate and whisk it into the custard to help thicken it.
Mena Kerslake says
Great common sense recipe. I usually make (packet) jelly in the microwave, much easier, no pulling apart of the jelly concentrate segments needed.
I note there’s no alcohol in the recipe, I will try limoncello over the sponge.
Chloe says
Ah yes, microwave would def be an option! You should absolutely add alcohol, that sponge is crying out for some but I was trying to keep as close to the original recipe as possible so didn’t include it!
Louise says
Shopping to make this for the weekend, lovely guide and suggestions. Noted the chilling instruction for the custard is to put it in the microwave but assume it’s the fridge!
Chloe says
Oh my gosh you’re absolutely right! I’ve corrected this – I was clearly having a moment! I hope you enjoy the recipe 😁
Miranda Palmer says
I’m making 24 individual trifles for this Friday – an after-Zumba class event (to put the calories back on, ha ha) – and so I tried them out on family today. Everyone was impressed! I missed out the couli but just added a few mandarins before the jelly layer. The Aldi swiss roll and the amaretti biscuits tip offs were inspired. The shards look amazing and so easy. Thanks for all the detail in your recipe – it’s really helpful.
Chloe says
Oh that’s amazing! I’d actually totally do what you’ve done with the mandarins if I was making for a crowd. I tried to keep this version as similar as possible to the original but if I was just creating a recipe from scratch, I’d totally go with the straight fruit option! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment too, thank you!
Lyn says
Hi there I couldn’t find amaretti buscuits anywhere. Are normal trifle sponge biscuits OK maybe drizzled with amaretto?
Lyn
Chloe says
Oh that’s annoying, you’d think the shops would have stocked up wouldn’t you 🙄 You could definitely go for the trifle sponge option with something to soak them. Perhaps you could mix amaretto with a little orange juice so it stretches a bit further without becoming overpowering.
Rachael says
Hi I struggled to find the biscuits, went to every single supermarket going including M and S, in the end I visited a local Italian restaurant and they were kind enough to let me buy some from them. However, it did cost me £5 for 200g 🤦♀️
Steph says
My local sainsburys had sold out, I’ve bought almond thins and crushed them up. Hoping it works!
Elaine simmons says
Thank you for the more simplified version – makes it far more doable 😊 How many portions does your recipe serve?
Chloe says
Around 8 depending how greedy you are! If you look at the top of the recipe card you’ll see where it says servings b and then 8 underneath it. If you hover over the 8, you can use the little slider to adjust the number of portions.
Rose says
I can’t wait to make this trifle in my large rose pink Victorian trifle bowl! I have just handwritten the recipe into my book, and it will be there for future generations to see!! Thankyou for a much easier version of the winning pudding!
Rose from Manchester
Chloe says
Aw thats so lovely, what a great excuse to use your trifle bowl! Do double check that my recipe will make enough to fill it though – especially if it is large. You can always adjust the quantities of the recipe on the servings slider in the recipe card if you do need to increase it a little without doing the maths!
Claire says
Thank you! I couldn’t believe the original recipe- what were they thinking?? That we’re all in lockdown with nothing to do except make (and eat) 20 portions of trifle??
One of the reasons that Coronation chicken and Victoria sponge have remained popular is the they’re EASY!
Chloe says
Oh I know, I do agree – I’d love to have seen the long list of entries, none of the finalists were remotely achievable really. I do really feel sorry for Jemma tho, it does feel harsh to pee on her parade. But from the amount of people thanking me for a simpler and smaller version, it was def the right call to make and publish it!
Jayne Beach says
Made this yesterday ingredients were easy to source instructions easy to follow, and I was very pleased with the result this was a trial run for the Jubilee and I will be making it again, when I saw the original recipe I thought no way do I have the time or patience to make that not to mention the cost of all the ingredients and the massive trifle you would end up with,
So I was very pleased to find this wonderful recipe for us busy wives and Mums to be able to make
Thankyou
Chloe says
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to let me know – I’ve seen the picture of your trifle on Facebook and I think it looks better than mine! I hope you have a wonderful jubilee weekend 🙂
Hazel says
Love the step by step guide. Also love idea of lemon and amaretti together
Helen says
This is genius! I can’t believe that anyone in the entire country is going to make the complicated and time-consuming original version, when there’s this brilliant almost-identical-but-with-a-fraction-of-the-faff recipe available instead.
Oh, and YUM!
Chloe says
Lol no maybe a few masochists but thats it!
Simon betson says
Hi
I’ve just made this as a practice run and it was very easy to make and looks fantastic( if I do say so myself) so next week will be the real thing thank you for the easy recipe
Chloe says
Fabulous, I’m so pleased it worked out for you – I have no doubt that it looks absolutely fabulous too 🙂
Carrie says
Oh wow this is definitely a showstopper! Love how you’ve made it so much more approachable but still so impressive – the perfect centre piece for any Jubilee Party.
Chloe says
Thanks! I love to make things that are equally delicious but much simpler!
nancy says
wow what a beautiful dessert. the flavours were spot on and the instructions were super easy to follow!
Chloe says
Fabulous, I’m so pleased!
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
Like I said before… Looks way better than the original. And a lot less time consuming too. I mean really… WHAT were they thinking?
This is definitely way more ‘doable’ than the original! ♥️
Lesley says
Oh wow this looks glorious and I love your simplified version. I’m coming to your Jubilee party if you’re serving this up!
Choclette says
Just brilliant Chloe. We all need a simplified version of the winning pudding. Even I reckoned it wasn’t something I could cope with until such time as I retire.
Fran says
I cannot eat custard or milky puddings —— any ideas what to replace the custard with ——?? Love the rest of the trifle ——- always have this problem with trifle —-
Chloe says
Ooh thats a tricky one, I would suggest looking for a lemon mousse recipe but I’m not sure if that would still be an issue for you?
Diane says
What about a lemon layer such as is in lemon meringue pie?
Chloe says
You could absolutely sub the custard layer for something like that, or even add an extra layer, sounds delicious!
Miss T says
Thanks so much for this, a real time saver!! Can you please confirm you meant soft ameretti biscuits and not the hard crunchy ones??
Chloe says
I’m not really an amaretti biscuit expert to be honest but in Sainsburys they had 2 options right next to each other – soft and crunchy so I opted for soft. They can be crumbled just with your fingers rather than really hard and crunchy. If the option you are finding doesn’t specify soft, just grab them, they’ll be absolutely fine to use!
Vicky says
Keeping it real! Thanks
Janice says
Thank you so much for creating a Jubilee Trifle that is achievable for everyone. I’m sure the original is fantastic but this is definitely the one I’ll be making.
Cat says
I watched the show where this dessert was picked as the jubilee dessert and thought countless times who on earth would make it because the recipe was so long winded and complicated! You’ve version is fantastic, so much more simple and the step by step photos are so helpful with all of the tips. Definitely recommend your version!
Richard says
How long in advance can you make this?
Is the day before and kept in fridge ok?
Chloe says
You can make everything up to, but not including, the cream layer up to two days before. The cream is best added the day its going to be served although you could get away with adding it the day before if you really needed. I would add the chocolate shards last minute although they could actually be made up to say a week in advance.
Sisley White says
This pudding looks incredible and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Brilliant cheats recipe and I can’t wait to make it again for the jubilee. It also smells incredible.
Chloe says
Aw thanks, I’m so pleased you enjoyed it! I’m about to dive in for more!