Apple Cornflake Crunch Trifle
A trifle version of a classic apple cornflake crunch! This twist on a retro school dinner dessert has layers of vanilla custard, stewed apples, golden syrup cake, whipped cream and a towering pile of syrupy cornflakes.
Servings: 12 People
Equipment
- 3½ Litre Trifle Bowl
- Large Saucepan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Digital Food Probe
- Stick Blender
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
Vanilla Custard
- 800 g Whole Milk
- 600 g Double Cream
- 120 g Caster Sugar
- 1 Vanilla Pod (Or 2 tsp Vanilla Paste)
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
- 90 g Egg Yolks
- 50 g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- 90 g Unsalted Butter
Stewed Apples
- 1½ kg Granny Smith Apples (Around 12 Apples)
- 50 g Unsalted Butter
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Water
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
Cornflake Topping
- 150 g Cornflakes
- 180 g Golden Syrup
- 90 g Unsalted Butter
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
Assembly
- 1 Golden Syrup Loaf Cake (See Notes)
- 2 tbsp Rum (Optional)
- 400 g Double Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
- Sea Salt
Instructions
Vanilla Custard
- Add the milk, cream, vanilla, half of the sugar & the salt into a large pan then set over a low heat and heat until steaming hot (but not boiling). This will take 3-4 minutes.If you're using a vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds then add both the pod and seeds into the pan.
- Whilst the milk is heating up, add the yolks, remaining sugar and cornflour into a mixing bowl then whisk to combine.
- Once the milk is steaming hot, pour a third of it into the yolks, whisking as you do so. Pour the now tempered yolks into the pan of milk.
- Now cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly until the custard is thick & starting to bubble. If you take the temperature of the custard with a food probe, it should be around 85°c/185°f once cooked. This step will take around 4-5 minutes.To check if the custard is ready, stop whisking every 20-30 seconds once it has thickened. If a few bubbles appear & pop, the custard is ready. Be careful not to overcook it though!
- Once cooked, take the custard off the heat then add in the chopped butter and whisk to combine.
- Give the custard a quick blitz with a stick blender then pass through a sieve, into a container. Place a piece of baking parchment (or clingfilm) onto the surface of the custard, leave to cool then chill in the fridge until completely cold. This will take at least 3 hours but overnight is best.If you've used a vanilla pod, take it out of the custard before blending.
Stewed Apples
- Peel, quarter and core the apples then chop into 2 cm pieces.
- Next, add the butter into a large saucepan, set over a medium-low heat & leave to melt.
- Once melted, add in the apples, sugar, lemon juice, water and salt then cook, stirring frequently until the apples are tender but are still mostly holding their shape. A few broken down pieces of apple are fine!The apples will take around 10 minutes to cook. Give the apples a taste once they've started to soften then add in more sugar if needed.
- As soon as the apples are cooked, transfer them to a shallow dish, leave to cool then store in the fridge until needed. Make sure that the apples are completely cold before using, I like to make them the same time as the custard.
Assembly - Part 1
- Cut your golden syrup cake into 2 cm thick slices. You should get 10-12 slices in total.
- Transfer the custard into a large mixing bowl then whisk briefly by hand, until smooth.
- Next, place half of the cake into the bottom of your trifle bowl then drizzle a tbsp of the rum over the sponge. I like to break each slice of cake in half, so that they fit in the dish more neatly.
- Spoon half of the custard on top of the cake then spoon half of the apples on top of the custard, making sure that they're spaced out evenly on top.
- Repeat the layering process with the remaining cake, rum, custard and apples then chill the trifle in the fridge whilst you make the topping.
Cornflake Topping
- Add the cornflakes into a large mixing bowl then set to one side.
- Next, add the golden syrup, butter and salt into a saucepan then set over a low heat and warm, stirring regularly until melted. This will only take a few minutes.
- Pour the melted syrup over the cornflakes, gently stir to combine then leave to cool for 10-15 minutes until no longer warm.
Assembly - Part 2
- Add the double cream & vanilla into a mixing bowl then whisk to soft peaks. You can do this by hand or with an electric hand mixer, just be careful not to over whip the cream!
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag then pipe on top of the trifle, before spreading out into an even layer with a palette knife. The trifle should just be reaching the top of the dish at this point.
- Next, pile the cornflakes on top of the trifle nice and high then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- To finish, sprinkle the cornflakes lightly with sea salt then use a large serving spoon to scoop out portions, to serve.
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Notes
1. Golden Syrup Cake - I used my brown butter golden syrup cake for my trifle but a shop bought cake or another type will work too. If not using golden syrup cake, I'd go with something like a Madeira cake, pound cake or sponge fingers.
2. Vanilla - You'll need vanilla for the custard and the whipped cream. I use vanilla paste for the cream then either a vanilla pod or paste for the custard. Using good quality vanilla makes all the difference.
3. Apples - For extra texture, I like to use a variety of apple that holds its shape once cooked, which is why I used Granny Smiths. Braeburns, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious will all work too.
4. Making Ahead Of Time & Storage - The cornflake topping will start to soften over time, so it's best to top the trifle just before you plan to serve. Any leftover trifle needs to be stored in the fridge and is best eaten within 2 days.
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