I like to think that we all love trifle but whether we do or don’t, it still sings of Christmas traditions. Trifle isn’t a dish to make in a hurry. It does require a bit of patience, as each layer needs time in the fridge to set, but it’s always worth the effort. I have fond memories of my grandmother’s trifle – my dad’s mum, Granny Callaghan. She always made an enormous trifle for Christmas. I remember that she liked to decorate it with those little edible silver balls that were so popular in the 1970s. They looked wonderful, but you could break a tooth if you weren’t careful. But it does create a fond Christmas memory.

In my mind, this is also the time of year for a red velvet cake. There’s something very operatic and dramatic about this cake. Perhaps it’s the colour, the lusciousness of the icing or it’s just in the name. This is definitely a recipe to roll out as it gets closer to Christmas and you are hosting your glamorous dinner parties – even if it’s just a dinner party for one. My recipe is, as always, gluten and wheat free.

Happy Christmas!

Delicious Denise

Gluten-free Christmas trifle

with crème pâtissière

Sponge base

100g (4oz) Denise’s Delicious flour blend (see below)

1 teaspoon GF baking powder

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

50g (2oz) butter/margarine, at room temperature

2 large eggs

100g (4oz) caster sugar, plus a little extra

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To assemble

2–3 tablespoons raspberry jam

180ml (5floz) rich Madeira/rum

2 packets raspberry jelly

2 bananas

Juice of ½ lemon

Crème pâtissière

6 medium egg yolks

115g (4½oz) caster sugar

40g (1½oz) gluten-free corn flour

510ml (17floz) milk

1 vanilla pod, split

Icing sugar, to dust

To finish

270ml (9floz) double cream

50g (2oz) flaked almonds, lightly toasted

Sponge base

1. You can prepare the sponge the day before serving, if it is convenient. Preheat the oven to gas mark five/190°C/375°F. Grease a 25cm x 30cm/10in x12in Swiss-roll tin and line it with baking parchment.

2. Sieve the flour, gum and baking powder together.

3. In a separate bowl, place the butter/margarine, eggs, caster sugar and vanilla extract and, using an electric mixture, mix for about a minute to a smooth, creamy consistency. Then add the flour and combine fully, using the mixer on a low setting.

4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared tin. Don’t worry if it looks a bit sparse, because it will increase in size.

5. Bake in the centre of the oven for 14 to 20 minutes, or until it is golden brown and a skewer comes out dry.

To assemble

1. When the sponge is cool, cover with raspberry jam and cut into fingers. Next, arrange the pieces in the base of a large trifle/dessert bowl or four large wine glasses (as pictured) and drizzle the Madeira all over them as evenly as possible.

2. Make a packet of raspberry jelly and, when cooled but not set, pour over the sponge. Put in the fridge overnight to set.

3. The following day, make another packet of raspberry jelly and set aside to cool. Slice the bananas quite thinly and mix with the lemon juice (this will prevent them from discolouring).

4. Sprinkle them over the set jelly in the trifle bowl and then pour on the cooled jelly. The bananas will float to the top. Return to the fridge to set.

Crème pâtissière

1. Place the egg yolks and about one-third of the sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale and forming a light ribbon when the whisk is lifted out of mixture.

2. Sieve the corn flour and mix well into the egg mixture.

3. Combine the milk, the remaining sugar and the split vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture bubbles, pour about one-third on to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously all the time.

4. Remove the vanilla pod, then scrape out the vanilla seeds and add the seeds to the egg mixture.

5. Pour the mixture back into the pan with the rest of the milk and cook over a gentle heat, whisking continuously. Boil for two minutes, then pour the custard into a bowl. Sprinkle with icing sugar and cover with a circle of greaseproof paper, to stop a skin forming, and leave to cool.

6. When the jelly has set, pour the crème pâtissière over it and place in the fridge again.

To finish

1. Whip the double cream with an electric hand-held whisk, until it is firm but still soft. Spread the cream over the top and scatter with flaked almonds that have been lightly toasted under the grill.

2. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Red Velvet Cake

For the cake

165g (6½oz) butter/margarine at room temperature, chopped

340g (13½oz) caster sugar

3 large eggs

275g (11oz) Denise’s Delicious flour blend (see below)

1 teaspoon guar gum

½ teaspoon GF baking powder

½ teaspoon bread soda

75g (3oz) cocoa powder

120ml (4floz) warm water

120ml (4floz) milk

3 teaspoons instant coffee powder

½ teaspoon natural red food colouring

To decorate

50g (2oz) dark eating chocolate, chopped

50g (2oz) butter/margarine, chopped

25g (1oz) icing sugar

300ml (10floz) cream, whipped, for the filling

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark fivr/190°C/375°F. Grease two deep 20cm/8in round cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.

2. Beat the butter/margarine and sugar in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy, and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sieve the flour, gum, baking powder and bread soda. Make sure there are no lumps in the bread soda.

4. Next add the cocoa to the flour mix and sieve all ingredients three times to ensure there are no lumps.

5. Mix the water and milk with the coffee powder and stir to dissolve.

6. Fold the flour and cocoa powder into the butter/margarine mixture in three or four stages, mixing well between each addition. Add the coffee mixture and mix again. Finally, add the red food colouring and ensure it is blended in completely.

7. Pour into the baking tins and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Check that the centre of the cake is firm and that an inserted skewer comes out dry. Turn the cakes onto a wire rack to cool, taking them out of the baking tins and removing the parchment.

To decorate

1. For the rich chocolate icing, combine the chocolate and butter/margarine in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on a moderate heat.

2. Sieve the icing sugar and add in, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat once fully melted and combined.

3. Cool at room temperature until spreadable, stirring occasionally while cooling.

4. If the frosting is not thickening enough, sieve in some additional icing sugar and stir in.

5. Sandwich the cold cakes with whipped cream and top with the rich chocolate icing.

Denise’s Delicious flour blend

Makes approximately 850g (2lb) flour blend

250g (10oz) rice flour

25g (1oz) tapioca flour

275g (11oz) potato flour

275g (11oz) corn flour

13g (½oz) teff flour

1 teaspoon gluten-free (GF) baking powder

1 teaspoon guar gum

1. Sieve all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

Recipes by Denise O’Callaghan from her book Recipes from my Gluten-Free Kitchen (Mercier Press). Denise is the founder of Denise’s Delicious Gluten-Free Bakery whose product range is available across Ireland from the major supermarkets, artisan food stores and the online store at www.delicious.ie. CL