Trifle is much tastier if you stop using jelly and use Rich Stein's better ingredient

There's nothing more refreshing than a fruity dessert on a hot summer's day. A British classic is a delicious trifle, which is often enjoyed with summer berries and jelly. However, popular British chef Rick Stein has brought new life to this traditional dessert with a lighter and more citrusy variation that does without jelly.

Rick Stein described his trifle as follows: "Sweet clementines, marmalade, and orange liqueur bring a fresh take on the classic trifle. With homemade sponge and custard, but no jelly, it's a slightly more grown-up affair and the perfect centrepiece for parties and family gatherings."

Rick Stein's trifle can serve up to eight people. Here's how to make it, courtesy of BBC Food:

Ingredients

For the whisked sponge:

• Three free-range eggs
• 85g or three ounces of caster sugar
• 85g or three ounces of self-raising flour

For the custard:

• 400ml or 14 fluid ounces of milk
• 300ml or ½ pint of double cream
• Four egg yolks
• Two and a half tablespoons of cornflour
• Two and a half tablespoons of caster sugar
• Two to three tablespoons of orange or clementine liqueur

For the slices of clementines:

• Four oranges or eight clementines
• Two tablespoons of orange or clementine liqueur

To assemble the trifle:

• Two to three tablespoons of orange or clementine liqueur
• Three to four tablespoons of marmalade
• 400ml or 14 fluid ounces of double cream
• Two tablespoons of toasted flaked almonds

Method

Begin by heating the oven to 190C (170C Fan/Gas 5) and greasing and lining a 23cm round cake tin. Next, prepare the sponge by whisking eggs and caster sugar together until pale and creamy, then sift flour in and gently fold to preserve airiness.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake until golden and risen. Once baked, it is left to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, the custard is made by heating milk and cream together until just boiling, while separately combining egg yolks, cornflour, and sugar into a smooth paste.

The hot liquid should be gradually whisked into the egg mixture, then returned to the pan and gently cooked until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, taking care to avoid boiling.

Orange liqueur should then be stirred into the custard. Leave the custard to cool completely with a covering to prevent a skin.

For the fruit, clementines need to be peeled and sliced horizontally to make three rounds. "Transfer to a bowl with any juice from the chopping board and drizzle with orange liqueur," said the food expert.

Next, whip the double cream until creamy; the chef states that soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. To assemble the trifle, the cooled sponge is sliced and arranged in a glass bowl, moistened with liqueur, and spread with marmalade.

Clementine slices are placed around the sides and over the sponge, followed by the cooled custard. The dessert is finished with whipped cream and a scattering of flaked almonds.