Want a classic British trifle that’s easy to slice and serve and has a fun twist?! Introducing the show-stopping no bake Sherry Trifle Cheesecake! It’s got all the flavours of a traditional trifle with sherry soaked strawberries, Bird’s custard and real cream topping! Brilliant!
Hull 250g Strawberries by slicing off the top and any greenery then lay them whole in a shallow dish. You want to use a dish that they just fit in.
Pour over 90ml Sherry and set the strawberries aside to soak.
Make the Base:
Crush 200g Shortbread Biscuits into crumbs. You can do this by putting them in a bag and bashing with a rolling pin or using a processor.
Put 75g Butter into a small bowl and microwave until just melted. Alternatively, you can melt it in a small pan on the hob.
Mix the melted butter and 1 tsp Lemon Zest with the crushed shortbread biscuits. It should look a little like wet sand.
Line a 20cm deep springform cake pan with clingfilm. Take your time as it isn’t the easiest of jobs. Tip the shortbread crumb mixture into the pan.
Gently press the crumbs into a flat and even layer over the bottom of the pan. Again it is worth taking your time with this job. You can use an offset spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to help you. The layer wants to be fairly compact once you’re finished.
Put the base into the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.
Make the Custard:
Add 50g Custard Powder and 25g Cornflour to a medium mixing bowl. Also add 1 tsp Lemon Zest.
Start to add 300ml Milk a little at a time (about 1 tbsp at a time). Keep mixing until you have a smooth lump free paste.
You can then add in the rest of the milk much more quickly.
Microwave for 3 minutes and whisk. If the custard isn’t yet very thick, keep microwaving for 30 seconds at a time. If you can’t microwave, heat in a saucepan over a medium heat until it is very thick.
Set the custard aside to cool down. Cover it with clingfilm to stop a skin forming. The clingfilm must touch the custard not just cover over the bowl.
Make the Jelly:
Pop the kettle on to boil.
Break up 135g Strawberry Jelly Cubes into a medium bowl. Use a pair of scissors and chop the natural sized cubes into at least 4 smaller cubes. This is so they dissolve properly as we will not be using the full amount of hot water and we need all the help we can get.
Measure and pour over 180ml Boiling Water. Stir stir stir until the jelly has fully dissolved.
Measure in 90ml Cold Water and strain in the sherry from the soaking strawberries. Stir thoroughly and set aside for a moment.
Lay the now strained strawberries onto the chilled shortbread base. Try to be fairly even with this and don’t place any too near the edge.
Carefully and slowly pour in the liquid jelly mixture. You might have to coax one or two strawberries back into their places. Chill the jelly layer for at least 2 hours.
Make the Cheesecake:
Take the cooled custard and sieve in 100g Icing Sugar. Add 300g Cream Cheese and whisk together.
It is best if you can use an electric whisk or stand mixer here. You can beat it by hand but you will have to work hard to get the mixture very smooth.
Carefully spoon the cheesecake mix on top of the set jelly layer. If they jelly isn’t set yet then wait until it has.
Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to press the cheesecake into all of the corners and create a smooth layer. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Finish the Cheesecake:
Whisk 250ml Double Cream until soft peak stage. Again I recommend using an electric whisk but be careful as it is very easy to overwhip cream.
Spread about a quarter of the cream onto the top of the set cheesecake layer. Then very carefully unmould the cheesecake from the pan. Remove all of the clingfilm too. Put the cheesecake onto your serving plate.
Use a piping bag and large star nozzle to pipe the remaining cream around the edge of the cheesecake. I went with 16 mounds to keep things simple. You can just mound it and swirl it if you don’t want to pipe.
Garnish with 8 Glace Cherries and sprinkle on 1 tsp Sprinkles if using.