Half
pint/10 fluid ounces (300ml or
a scant one and quarter cups)
sherry or madeira
8 trifle sponges, split into halves
2½ ounces (115g or one
good cup) caster (superfine) sugar
4 tablespoons (60ml) greengage
jam (conserve)
4 tablespoons (60ml) apricot jam
(conserve) sieved (strained)
4 tablespoons (60ml) raspberry
jam (conserve)
3 egg whites
2 ounces (50g or ½ cup)
split blanched almonds
1 thinly sliced lemon ½
pint (300ml or 1¼ cups)
single (light) cream
Squeeze of lemon juice
method:
Slightly warm the sherry or
Madeira and stir in 15ml/one
tablespoon sugar and lemon juice.
Place four of the trifle sponges
halves in an ovenproof dish
and pour some of the sherry/Madeira
mixture over them so that they
are soaked. Spread the greengage
jam/conserve on top.
Place four more sponge halves
on top and soak with some more
of the sherry/Madeira mixture.
Spread the strained apricot
jam/conserve mixture on top.
Repeat with four more sponge
halves, sherry and spread the
raspberry jam/conserve.
Add another layer of four more
halves and soak with the remaining
sherry/Madeira mixture.
Whisk the egg whites until they
are stiff and then beat in the
reamaining sugar until it is
trhick and shiny. Spread the
cream over the cake and ruffle
into small peaks. Sprinkle with
the blanched almonds.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at
180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for about
20 minutes until the meringue
top has set.
Decorate the meringue with the
lemon slices and serve with
single/light cream.
observations:
There
are many variations on the theme of
"Tipsy Cake" but the main
ingredients are usually sherry (from
which this dessert gets its name) and
trifle sponges. You can use different
jams (conserves) from the ones below.
