Gingerbread Trifle

Sponge: Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Using electric mixer, whisk eggs, sugar and salt until thick and fluffy. Put dry ingredients into a sieve and gradually sift in the flour etc in about 4 lots, folding gently. Add cooled butter and fold in. Pour sponge mixture into a 20-22cm greased, paper lined cake tin (cake tin size depends on size of trifle bowl, ours is 20cm). Bake for 20 mins until it springs back when lightly touched. Leave to cool. Slice into 3 layers when ready to assemble trifle.

Gingerbread biscuits: Preheat oven to 150 deg C. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and golden syrup. Add the egg and beat again. Add dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 20 mins. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out desired shapes. Place onto baking paper and cook 15-20 mins until golden and crisp. Leave to cool.

Custard: pour milk and cream into a heavy based saucepan and heat gently over a low heat until hot but not boiling. Beat together the eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla paste until well combined, stir in custard powder. Pour a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture just to loosen it, then pour all the egg mixture back into the milk, stirring continuously until its thick. Remove from the heat, cover and press plastic wrap into the top to prevent skin forming. Cool then refrigerate. When ready to assemble the trifle, tip chilled custard into the electric mixer and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Berry compote: heat sugar, lemon juice and water in a saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Add berries and cook for a few minutes until hot, but not falling apart. Set aside to cool.

Vanilla cream: using electric mixer, beat together all the ingredients until thick and creamy. Refrigerate until needed.

To assemble trifle: start with a layer of sponge in the bottom, spoon over 1/3 berry compote and sprinkle over ginger wine to your taste. Top with 1/3 of the custard, arrange fresh berries and gingerbread shapes around the sides of your bowl and repeat these steps until you have used all the sponge, berries and custard. Top with vanilla cream and sprinkle on fresh berries and gingerbread shapes and serve.

Note: all components except vanilla cream can be made the day before.