Madeleine Cake Base

A classic French sponge cake. This should be prepared several hours in advance so it is completely cool, or the day before even.

• butter – 100g
• juice of ½ lemon
• caster sugar – 125g
• 3 eggs with an extra egg yolk
• self-raising flour – sifted – 125g
• pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, gas 4).

Melt 100g butter without allowing it to bubble too much, burn and thus be ruined.

Butter a tray of madeleine/fairy cake moulds.

Put the juice of half a lemon in a bowl with a pinch of salt, the sugar and the eggs.

Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Sprinkle in the sifted flour and mix until smooth.

Finally add the melted butter and stir.

Stick your finger in the mixture to try it but try not to leave traces on your face.

Spoon the mixture into moulds but do not fill more than 2/3 full.

Bake for 20–25 minutues, or until a knife inserted into a cake comes out clean.

Turn out onto a wire wrack to cool and relax as you are not making the custard until tomorrow.

Confectioner’s Custard

• milk – 500ml
• 3 egg yolks
• caster sugar – 75g
• cornflour – 40g
• vanilla pod or small packet vanilla powder

Split the vanilla pod and boil it with in the milk, then remove it. Or if failed to find a vanillla pod because you are in a German supermarket, sprinkle in a packet of vanilla powder.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and when the mixture has turned white and you have turned red, add the cornflour and beat to a smooth consisency – harder than you imagine.

Gradually add the vanilla-flavoured milk, whisking all the time.

Put the mixture in a saucepan over a gentle heat and boil for 1 minute whisking vigorously.

Pour the custard into a bowl to cool and go and have a glass of Champagne.

Constructing the Trifle

• fresh, tinned red fruit such as raspberries or stawberries – 300g
• Sherry, several large slugs, and one for the chef, in fact two
• whipping or double cream – 250ml
• decorations of your choice, such as walnuts and almonds

Start by placing the cakes in the bottom of a glass bowl and soak generously in sherry.

Leave for 10 minutes or so and add some more sherry, lots more.

Sprinkle the fruit evenly over the boozy sponge.

Pour the now cool custard over the fruit layer, and spread evenly, especially if it has turned out a bit thick like.

Pop in the fridge while you whip the cream.

Wallap the cream on the top, spread evenly and decorate.

Eat with an irresponsibly large quantity of Hungarian dessert wine.

Verdict: As would be expected from the constituant parts, this is a superior (and very boozy) trifle.

Drink: A wide and extensive variety of alcohol-based drinks.

Entertainment: Listening to the abstract ramblings of afore mentioned trifle-maker. And crackers.