Italian trifle recipe

By Angela Boggiano

These trifles are naughty yet nice and can be made up to 2 hours in advance.

1. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water – don’t let the bowl touch the water. Gently melt the chocolate until smooth, then remove from the heat and cool a little. Pour a couple of tbsp of the melted chocolate onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper, allow to set, then cut out heart shapes with a sharp knife or shaped cutter and set aside. Pour half of the custard into a bowl and mix with the remaining chocolate until smooth. (If the chocolate forms small lumps blast quickly in the microwave to melt into the custard.)
2. Mix together the espresso with the liqueur and brandy. Cut the sponge cake into pieces and place in a shallow dish. Spoon over the espresso mixture and leave to soak for a few minutes.
3. Start layering up 2 glasses by spooning a little of the vanilla custard into the base then topping with some of the soaked sponge. Follow with a layer of chocolate custard and more soaked sponge. Continue until you have 2 layers of each custard, finishing with the chocolate custard. Chill for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
4. Decorate each trifle with a chocolate heart shape and serve.