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a lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle in a glass trifle bowl
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Lemon Swiss Roll and Amaretti Trifle (Jubilee Pudding)

The winner of the Platinum Jubilee Pudding competition - this lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle is a flavour-packed spin on a classic British dessert. A sponge Swiss roll cake is filled with homemade lemon curd and layered up with St. Clement's (orange & lemon) jelly, lemon custard, homemade amaretti biscuits and whipped cream. The recipe has been slightly adapted from Jemma Melvin, via BBC Food.
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Chilling time: 3 hours
Total Time 6 hours
Servings 20 people

Ingredients

St. Clement's jelly:

  • 6 leaves gelatine (see notes for vegetarian version)
  • 400 ml water
  • 150 g golden caster sugar, caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • 6 strips lemon zest (from unwaxed lemons)
  • 6 strips orange zest
  • 150 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed (around 4 lemons)
  • 150 ml orange juice freshly squeezed (around 3 oranges)

Lemon curd:

  • 135 g granulated sugar, caster sugar or golden caster sugar
  • 85 g salted butter softened
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 lemon, zest finely grated
  • 80 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed

Swiss roll cakes:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 100 g caster sugar, golden caster sugar or granulated sugar plus some for rolling
  • 100 g white self-raising flour (see notes for substitutes)

Custard:

  • 25 g golden caster sugar, caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 425 ml double cream (heavy cream)

Amaretti biscuits:

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 170 g caster sugar or golden caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 170 g ground almonds (almond flour)
  • 1 tbsp amaretto OR ¼ tsp almond extract

Chunky mandarin coulis:

  • 4 tins (298g each) mandarin segments in juice drained
  • 45 g caster sugar, golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • 10 g arrowroot (see notes for substitute)
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed

To assemble:

  • 200 g white chocolate
  • 50 g chopped mixed peel (candied orange & lemon zest)
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar or golden caster sugar
  • 300 ml double cream (heavy cream) or whipping cream

Instructions

For the St. Clement's jelly:

  • Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for around 5 minutes, until softened.
    6 leaves gelatine
  • Place the 400ml water, sugar, lemon zest strips and orange zest strips into a medium pot. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat on the stove, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat. Fish out the citrus peel and discard.
    400 ml water, 150 g golden caster sugar, caster sugar or granulated sugar, 6 strips orange zest, 6 strips lemon zest
  • Remove the softened gelatine from the bowl of cold water, squeezing to drain excess water. Stir the gelatine into the pot of warm sugar mixture until fully melted and mixed. Finally, stir in the lemon juice and orange juice. Set aside at room temperature to cool.
    150 ml lemon juice, 150 ml orange juice

For the lemon curd (can be made 5 days ahead):

  • Combine the sugar, butter, egg yolks, grated lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium heatproof bowl. Set this over a pot of gently simmering water on the stove. Use a whisk or spatula to stir over a low heat until thickened - around 15 minutes.
    135 g granulated sugar, caster sugar or golden caster sugar, 85 g salted butter, 4 large egg yolks, 1 lemon, zest finely grated, 80 ml lemon juice
  • To test if the curd is fully thickened, coat the back of a spoon with some curd then run your finger through it - if the line remains, the curd is thick enough! If the curd runs and fills the line, you need to keep cooking it.
  • Set aside at room temperature to cool (if you need it to cool quickly, spread the curd into a wide, shallow dish like a roasting tin).
  • If you're making this ahead of time: transfer the curd to a sterile jar, allow to cool, then chill in the fridge for up to 5 days.

For the Swiss roll cakes (can be made 1 day ahead):

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C non-fan). Grease 2 rimmed baking trays/Swiss roll tins (around 23cm by 32cm) with a bit of butter and line each with a sling of baking paper. Set aside.
  • Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and whisk using electric beaters until very thick, pale and at least tripled in volume - around 5 minutes.
    4 large eggs, 100 g caster sugar, golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • Add the self-raising flour to the bowl then gently fold together with a spatula or metal spoon until no floury streaks remain. Divide the batter between the two prepared baking trays and spread out to cover the entire tray.
    100 g white self-raising flour
  • Bake the cakes for 10-12 minutes, until golden-brown on top and cooked through.
  • As the cakes bake, cut two large pieces of baking paper and sprinkle them with a bit of sugar (caster sugar, preferably).
  • Once the cakes have baked, remove from the trays and flip onto the pieces of sugar-sprinkled baking paper. Use a pair of scissors to trim the very edges of the cakes.
  • Starting at the short edge of a cake, roll up WITH the baking paper (this stops the cake sticking to itself) into a tight log. Repeat with the second cake then set them aside, seam side down, to cool.
  • If you're making this ahead of time: wrap the rolled up cakes with their baking paper in clingfilm, tightly. Leave at room temperature for up to 1 day.

For the custard (can be made 3 days ahead):

  • In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, cornflour, egg yolks and lemon extract, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
    25 g golden caster sugar, caster sugar or granulated sugar, 10 g (1 tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch), 3 large egg yolks, 1 tsp lemon extract
  • Heat the double cream in a medium pot over a medium-low heat until gently steaming. Remove from the heat and slowly pour the warm cream into the egg yolk mixture whilst stirring (a whisk is best for this). Once fully combined, pour this mixture back into the pot.
    425 ml double cream (heavy cream)
  • Set the pot over a low heat on the stove and stir constantly with a whisk or spatula, making sure you're scraping the sides and base of the pot, until the custard has thickened. You can test if it's ready using the same technique as discussed above for the lemon curd.
  • Scrape the custard into a jug or bowl. Press a piece of baking paper (or cling film) onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool at room temperature then chill in the fridge until needed.
  • If you're making this ahead of time: chill in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.

Fill the Swiss rolls:

  • By now the Swiss roll cakes and lemon curd should have fully cooled. Gently unroll the cakes and remove the baking paper. Divide the cooled lemon curd between each cake and spread over the entire surface. Roll the cakes back up into tight logs.
  • Thinly slice one of the cakes into 2.5cm slices - a serrated knife is recommended for this! With the second cake, cut into thicker slices (around 4cm thick).
  • Take the thinner slices of Swiss roll and press them so their cut side is against the side of your trifle dish. Use the remaining thick slices of Swiss roll to layer into the base of the trifle dish (I did two layers here).
  • Pour the cooled St. Clement's jelly into the trifle dish over the cake. Chill in the fridge until set - around 2-3 hours or up to 24 hours.

For the amaretti biscuits (can be made up to 2 weeks in advance):

  • If your oven isn't preheated yet, preheat it to 160°C fan (180°C non-fan). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Lightly brush the baking paper with oil (optional - I don't think this is necessary).
  • Whisk the egg whites in a large, clean bowl using electric beaters until you get stiff peaks. Add the sugar, ground almonds and amaretto (or almond extract) and mix together to get a sticky dough.
    2 large egg whites, 170 g caster sugar or golden caster sugar (superfine sugar), 170 g ground almonds (almond flour), 1 tbsp amaretto OR ¼ tsp almond extract
  • Take heaped teaspoons of the dough and shape into rough balls. Place onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them ~3cm apart as they spread when baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden all over. Set aside to cool.
  • If making in advance: transfer the cooled amaretti to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

For the chunky mandarin coulis:

  • Place half of the drained mandarins into a medium pot with the sugar. Warm over a medium-low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally, until the mandarins have broken down and released lots of juice. Remove from the heat.
    4 tins (298g each) mandarin segments in juice, 45 g caster sugar, golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot and cold water, stirring until smooth. Pour this into the pot of broken down mandarins, along with the lemon juice, and return to the heat. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick (around 2 minutes). Remove from the heat and tip into a large bowl.
    10 g arrowroot, 2 tbsp cold water, 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Add the remaining drained mandarins to the bowl and stir together then set aside to cool.
    4 tins (298g each) mandarin segments in juice

For the decoration:

  • Break the white chocolate into small pieces and place into a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water on the stove. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is fully melted.
    200 g white chocolate
  • While the chocolate is melting, toss the chopped mixed peel with the caster sugar (only do this if your mixed peel is sticky/wet) and set aside.
    50 g chopped mixed peel (candied orange & lemon zest), 1 tbsp caster sugar or golden caster sugar
  • Spread the melted chocolate out onto small baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with the mixed peel then chill in the fridge or freezer until fully set. Cut into shards using a sharp knife.

To assemble:

  • Once the jelly has set remove the trifle from the fridge. Whip the cream in a large bowl until you get soft peaks.
    300 ml double cream (heavy cream) or whipping cream
  • CUSTARD: Uncover the custard and give it a good stir then pour this into the trifle dish, spreading it out into an even layer.
  • AMARETTI: top the custard with a single layer of amaretti biscuits, saving a few for the top.
  • MANDARIN COULIS: spread the mandarin coulis over the amaretti biscuits.
  • WHIPPED CREAM, WHITE CHOCOLATE, AMARETTI: spread the whipped cream over the mandarin coulis then top with the shards of white chocolate and the remaining amaretti biscuits.
  • Serve the trifle right away or chill in the fridge for up to 12 hours before serving.

Video

Notes

Vegetarian St. Clements jelly: replace the gelatine with 8g agar powder. Add the agar directly to the pot of water/citrus zest/sugar (no need to soak) and boil for 5 minutes and stir in the lemon juice & orange juice. Agar sets a lot more quickly than gelatine so prep this only once you've lined your trifle bowl with the sliced Swiss roll.
DIY self-raising flour: sift together 100g plain white flour and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder.
Arrowroot Substitute: you can replace the arrowroot starch with 15g cornflour (cornstarch), using it in exactly the same way as you would the arrowroot. The coulis may be a bit cloudier but will otherwise be fine.