Chanukah trifle – the perfect festive dessert!

A luscious confection of cake, fruit, booze, cream and custard, topped off with Chanukah gelt and chocolate shavings, Chanukah trifle is a gloriously indulgent British-Jewish festive dessert.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love trifle. It’s the perfect combination of all the things you want in a dessert – cake, fruit, booze, cream… What could be better?

In fact, every time I make a trifle, the usual response from everyone is along the lines of, “I love trifle! I haven’t had it in aaaages though….”

So, if you want to treat yourself and your friends, this is the dessert that will have everyone asking for seconds!

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Trifle – a timeless British classic

Trifle is an absolutely classic British dessert, first mentioned in print in 1585, although that version is not quite what we enjoy today, but more of a flavoured cream. The first published recipe for a ‘recognisable’ trifle as we know it, was in Hannah Glasse’s 1747 book The Art of Cookery.

It’s no surprise then, that when British Jews started publishing their own cookbooks – the first being Judith Cohen Montefiore’s The Jewish Manual in 1846 – trifle was one of the recipes included.

A dairy dessert – or is it?

I’ve always thought of trifle as a properly dairy dessert. Those layers of custard and whipped cream put this pudding firmly in the milchig (milky) category.

However several of the vintage recipes for this delightful confection offer instructions for making a parve version to serve after a meat meal. Estella Atrutel, in An Easy and Economical Book of Jewish Cookery (1874), suggests that, “This is a handsome sweet for the centre of a supper table, either meat or butter. If for butter, use milk and cream: if for meat, almond milk and snow from the whites of eggs.”

You can use dairy custard and real whipped cream for your trifle, or simply substitute non-dairy, plant-based alternatives.

Trifle – the Chanukah connection

So, British Jews have been enjoying trifle for at least 175 years. But what, you may ask, does it have to do with Chanukah?!

For that, we must look to none other than the esteemed Evelyn Rose.

In The New Complete International Jewish Cookbook (1992) she includes a recipe for “Chanukkah Trifle”. It combines kiddush-wine-soaked swiss roll slices with custard, all topped with whipped cream infused with fruit and syrup. In her introduction to the chapter covering Chanukah recipes, she writes:

“…foods cooked in oil have become traditional at this festival, as well as rich and sweet foods such as trifles and fruit cakes…“

Adopting British customs

Evelyn’s Chanukah trifle comes straight after two recipes for steamed plum puddings. She calls them Chanukah puddings, but we all know what they really are. Delicious, dense, rich and fruity, they are what are known more widely as (whisper it) Christmas pudding.

And thus is solved the mystery of the Chanukah trifle.

Many, many British families enjoy a luscious trifle on Boxing Day, December 26. It’s my belief that the traditional British Boxing Day trifle sidled into our Jewish festivities and was rebranded as a Chanukah trifle!

The importance of booze in a Chanukah trifle

A really great trifle is probably not suitable for children!

As a general rule, the cake layer should be thoroughly soaked in some kind of sweet alcoholic liquid. In the past I’ve used all sorts of things, from the traditional sweet sherry to some cherry vodka that I think someone once left at a party.

If you really want to leave out the alcohol, you can substitute sweet fruit juice, the syrup from a tin of fruit, or some not-very-diluted fruity cordial instead.

Some suitable alcoholic options include:

• Sweet kiddish wine such as Palwin no. 10, Kedem, Manishevitz or similar
• Creme de cassis, kirsch, raspberry liqueur, sloe gin, or other berry flavoured liqueur
• Cherry brandy – so retro!
• Sauternes, muscat, or other sweet dessert wine
• Sweet sherry – the classic choice

Alternatively you can follow the recipe from An Easy and Economical Book of Jewish Cookery (1874) which states:

“You must have a pint of sherry, into which put 2 wineglasses of brandy; upon each layer of the cakes pour some to soak them.”

My goodness.

In all seriousness though, there’s actually only a few tablespoons of booze in the whole bowlful of trifle, so unless you have a medical condition that forces you to avoid alcohol, you (and your children) are probably fine having a small portion.

Chanukah trifle – ingredients and layers…

A good trifle is all about the layers. When serving, it’s essential to get your spoon right down to the bottom of the dish, to make sure each portion contains a bit of everything.

I’ve taken inspiration from Evelyn’s recipe, plus a number of other classic trifle variations, and come up with the following layers:

• Sponge fingers spread with a raspberry jam (or use a sliced raspberry jam filled swiss roll).
• Sweet kiddush wine, sweet sherry, or another sweet fruity alcoholic liquid – see above.
• Raspberries – I used frozen since it’s the middle of winter, but you could also use fresh ones if they’re available.
• Fruit jelly – totally optional and I actually left it out of the trifle in the photos. Some people hate jelly, some people say it’s not a real trifle without it. I don’t have strong feelings, but I just wasn’t in the mood for it when I made this. Maybe next time I will be.
• Custard – freshly made or from a carton are both fine. Use ‘real’ milk or a plant based alternative – I used oat milk for mine.
• Whipped cream – or use a dairy-free (parve) alternative if that’s your thing.
• Chocolate Chanukah gelt and grated/shaved chocolate for decoration. You could also use sprinkles, glace cherries, nuts, more raspberries, or whatever else takes your fancy.

Special equipment – choosing a trifle bowl

A truly authentic trifle is made and served in a large, straight-sided glass bowl, ideally with a foot/pedestal. I have just such a bowl, but it holds enough trifle for about 16 people, so I don’t use it very often!

It is necessary to have a bowl with reasonably upright sides though, so that the area of each layer is about the same. A glass bowl is good because it enables you to see the layers, which generally look quite pretty.

As you can see, my bowl does not have perfectly straight sides. But it’s good enough, and I do like it’s retro style! Unfortunately, it’s no longer available, but there are plenty of similar ones available on Amazon. It’s also great for serving fruit salad, chocolate mousse, or other desserts.

Decorating your Chanukah trifle

I used chocolate Chanukah gelt, and chocolate shavings to decorate my trifle. I cut a Chanukiah shape out of card, and used this as a stencil to make the shape on top of the dessert.

Unfortnately, although I did intend to use flaked almonds to make ‘flames’, I only realised after we’d eaten half of the trifle that I’d forgotten. Oops!

You could also make a dreidel shape, a magen david, or just shake those chocolate shavings willy-nilly over the cream.

You can also skip the chocolate and use raspberries, sprinkles, chopped nuts, or whatever decorations you prefer.

Time to chill

It’s important to chill the trifle after you’ve assembled it, to allow the flavours to mingle. An hour in the fridge is OK but really a minimum. We all agreed that the trifle was best after spending a night in the fridge.

Making a vegan Chanukah trifle

Despite this being a creamy dessert, it’s surprisingly easy to make a vegan version.

The trifle that you see in the photos is dairy-free – I used oat milk to make the custard, and a non-dairy (parve) whipped topping instead of the cream.

The only other ingredient that is a problem for vegans is the sponge fingers, which contain egg. You can easily substitute vegan cake, or slices of a vegan Swiss roll, and then you’re all set! Simply continue with the jam, wine, fruit, etc etc and you’ll have a deliciously festive vegan Chanukah trifle!

When to serve Chanukah trifle

Chanukah of course!

This gorgeous, festive dessert is a magnificent way to round off any special meal. Since it requires advance preparation, it’s a perfect choice for pudding on Shabbat Chanukah. As outlined above, it’s easy to make a parve version if necessary – simply substitute dairy-free custard and parve whip for the custard and cream.

I guarantee that this beautiful trifle will be well-received whenever you serve it. Perhaps you could whip one up for Boxing Day, too?!

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📖 Recipe

Chanukah trifle

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A luscious confection of cake, fruit, booze, cream and custard, topped off with chocolate gelt and chocolate shavings. Chanukah trifle is a gloriously indulgent British-Jewish festive dessert.

5 from 17 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Chilling 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British, Jewish

Servings 8

Calories 369 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 5-6 sponge fingers/boudoir biscuits (approx. 50-60g/1¾-2 oz)
• 2-3 tablespoon raspberry jam
• 2-3 tablespoon sweet wine or fruity liqueur (optional – see notes)
• 350 g frozen or fresh raspberries divided – see recipe
• 500 ml cold vanilla custard
• 250 ml whipping cream or plant-based alternative
• 6 chocolate coins (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoon shaved or grated chocolate (optional)

Instructions

 

• Break up the sponge fingers and arrange in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Spoon over the raspberry jam and spread it to cover the sponge fingers. Sprinkle over the wine or liqueur, if using, then set the bowl aside to stand for a few minutes while the liquid is absorbed.
• Divide the raspberries in half. Arrange one half over the prepared sponge fingers. Gently spoon over a layer of custard. Arrange the remaining raspberries on top of the custard. (If you are using frozen raspberries there is no need to thaw them before using.)
• Whip the cream or non-dairy alternative until thick and peaking. Gently spoon the whipped cream over the over layers of the trifle, taking care not to disturb them. Level the top with the back of a spoon.
• Use the chocolate coins and shaved chocolate to decorate the top of the trifle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (and ideally overnight) before serving.

Notes

• If you would rather make a non-alcoholic trifle, simply use sweet fruit juice, the syrup from a can of fruit, or some fruit cordial instead of the sweet wine or liqueur.
• You can substitute slices of sponge cake or jam-filled Swiss roll for the sponge fingers. If the latter, you might want to add less jam to the next layer.
• To make a vegan trifle, use vegan cake or Swiss roll, and plant-based custard and cream alternatives.
• If you’d like to include a jelly layer in your trifle, make up 500ml (2 cups) of fruit jelly as per the instructions on the packet. Prepare the trifle up to the first layer of raspberries, then carefully pour over the liquid jelly – the neat layers of sponge, fruit etc may be disturbed but will still taste good! Place in the fridge until completely set, then continue with the custard, second layer of berries, etc.
• Alternative decorations for your trifle include sprinkles, glace cherries, fresh raspberries, slivered almonds, or whatever you fancy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Chanukah trifle

Amount per Serving

Calories

369

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

23

g

35

%

Saturated Fat

 

13

g

81

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

7

g

Cholesterol

 

90

mg

30

%

Sodium

 

80

mg

3

%

Potassium

 

305

mg

9

%

Carbohydrates

 

39

g

13

%

Fiber

 

4

g

17

%

Sugar

 

19

g

21

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

627

IU

13

%

Vitamin C

 

12

mg

15

%

Calcium

 

129

mg

13

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword cake, cream, fruit

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More fabulous Chanukah desserts

If you’re after more fun and festive desserts and treats, how about:

• Chocolate Chanukah gelt cupcakes
• Spiced apple blintzes
• Chanukah mince pies
• Gingerbread Chanukah gelt cookies

Or check out all my Chanukah recipes here.

I have linked this recipe to #CookBlogShare run by Sisley & Chloe which was hosted by Sisley at Sew White.