Mango & Old Monk Trifle with Vanilla Custard
There’s no such thing as too many mango recipes. This one is currently our favourite, because what could possibly be better than mango and vanilla custard, spiked with the deep notes of Old Monk run? A recipe by Pamela Timms from her new cookbook Uparwali Chai: The Indian Art of High Tea.
A trifle is more a loose set of guidelines than a set recipe; as long as you have alcohol-soaked sponge, custard, thick cream and fruit, you have a trifle. It is basically a fruity British version of tiramisu, although in most people’s minds the latter seems to have a much higher glamour rating. In Britain most people have their own family favourite formula; ours was deeply inauthentic, cribbed from a 1970s Milk Marketing Board pamphlet, and consisted of a sliced chocolate Swiss roll, doused in the juice from a tin of mandarin oranges, topped with the orange segments, Angel Delight, fresh cream and decorated with chocolate sprinkles. Naff, but there’s something special about the trifle you grew up with and I think it might still be my all-time favourite.
However, for my grown-up showstopping Indian version I decided mangoes and Old Monk were called for. Although a respectable trifle can be made with shop-bought trifle sponges and Bird’s instant custard, I thought it would be nice to make an orangey cake and fresh vanilla custard. I chose an old-fashioned English pound cake, so-called because they used to be made from a pound each of eggs, butter, sugar and flour. This involves a bit more work, but the cake and custard can both be made a day ahead and the extra effort results in layer upon layer of cakey, boozy, fruity, custardy, creamy delight. Definitely one to give tiramisu a run for its money.
Pamela Timms’ Recipe for Mango & Old Monk Trifle
Serves 6–8
INGREDIENTS
For the pound cake
(Feel free to use a good-quality store-bought Madeira cake or a pack of trifle sponges instead of making the cake from scratch)
Separate three eggs and weigh them. Whatever the combined weight of yolks and whites (mine were 150 g), use the same amount of caster sugar, unsalted butter and refined flour
A pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp orange juice
For the custard
250 ml cream
250 ml milk
1/2 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out
5 egg yolks
2 tsp cornflour
50 g caster sugar
For the trifle
2 mangoes, chopped
75–100 ml Old Monk rum (if you find yourself in the midst of an Old Monk crisis, try sweet dessert wine)
300 ml whipping cream, whisked till thick
Seeds from half a pomegranate
A large glass bowl in which to assemble the trifle.
METHOD
To make the pound cake
Melt the butter and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Grease a small loaf tin, approximately 9 x 21 cm.
Crack open the eggs and put the yolks and whites in separate bowls.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form firm peaks.
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the cooled butter. Fold in the flour and salt, then stir in the grated zest and juice. Very gently fold in the egg whites.
Pour the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for about 45–60 minutes, or until the cake is well risen and browned on top and a skewer comes out clean. Turn the cake out on to a rack and leave to cool.
To make the custard
Heat the cream and milk in a small pan with the vanilla seeds.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together.
When the cream is hot take it off the heat and whisk it into the egg mixture.
Pour the mixture back into the pan and on very low heat, cook the custard until thick. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
Both the cake and custard can be made a day before you want to make your trifle.
To assemble the trifle
Cut thick slices of cake to line a glass bowl (you’ll be left with a few slices—cook’s treat!), then spoon over a few tablespoons of the rum.
Pile on the chopped mango, then cover with the cooled custard.
Top with the whipped cream, then leave in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours. (Although it’s difficult to hold back from sneaking a spoonful ‘to see if it’s ready’.)
Add the pomegranate seeds just before serving.
Note: The Old Monk really packs a punch in this recipe. If you prefer your rum hit a little more subtle, I would heat 100 ml of Old Monk and let it bubble for a minute or two. Then stir in the juice of half an orange, left after making the cake. Drizzle this mixture over the sponge before proceeding with the layers of fruit, custard, etc.
BUY Uparwali Chai: The Indian Art of High Tea by Pamela Timms.
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