Rhubarb and orange trifle

Serves 6 Desserts and puddings

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Method

To make the rhubarb jam, put the rhubarb into a pan with the butter, sugar and ginger beer. Cover and cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is completely soft, then remove the lid. Cook until the liquor is reduced and syrupy. Allow to cool slightly, then blitz in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a container and leave to cool.

To make the sponge, preheat your oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a 30cm x 20cm Swiss roll tin and line with baking parchment. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk the 3 egg whites in a very clean bowl to stiff peaks. Whisk in the caster sugar, 1tsp at a time, until it is all incorporated and the meringue is glossy.

Cover the bowl with cling film and put to one side. Using a stand mixer, whisk the icing sugar, ground almonds and whole eggs together for 4 minutes, until doubled in volume. Remove the bowl from the stand. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the flour. Now gently and gradually fold in the meringue, a quarter at a time. Pour in the melted butter and fold through the mixture until incorporated.

Tip the mixture into the Swiss roll tin and gently level with a palette knife. Bake for 6 minutes, or until the sponge is pale golden brown and springy to the touch. Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a wire rack and turn the sponge out onto it. Peel off the lining paper from the sponge and leave to cool.

Once cool, spread the sponge with the rhubarb jam. With a long side facing you, roll up the sponge to enclose the jam and make a Swiss roll. Slice into rounds, around 4cm thick. Place a sponge round in each trifle serving glass.

To make the rhubarb and orange jelly, soak the leaf gelatine in a shallow dish of ice-cold water to soften. Put the orange juice, 100ml of water and sugar in a pan (big enough to take the rhubarb) and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Add the rhubarb, bring slowly to a simmer and cook gently for 4 minutes, until it is tender but still holding its shape. Lift the rhubarb out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate; cover and leave to cool. Pour the juice from the pan into a measuring jug. You need 500ml to make the jelly, so pour this amount back into the pan. Bring to just below simmering and remove from the heat. Immediately squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine, then add it to the hot juice and whisk until fully dissolved. Leave to cool.

Once cooled, pour the fruit juice over the sponge in the glasses and chill to set for at least 1 hour.

For the custard, pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based pan and slowly bring to the boil. In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl and then whisk in the cornflour.

As the creamy milk comes to the boil, pour it onto the egg mixture, whisking as you do so. Pour the custard back into the cleaned pan and cook, stirring continuously, over a medium heat until it thickens; do not allow to boil.

Remove from the heat and pass the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Leave the custard to cool.

When the custard is cold, transfer the trifle glasses to a work surface and pour the custard on top of the jelly. Chill once again to set the custard. When the custard is set, pour the cream into a medium-large bowl and add the vanilla seeds and icing sugar. Whisk until soft peaks form.

Take the trifles and spoon or pipe the cream on top of the custard. Drain the rhubarb pieces, pat dry and arrange on top of the cream. Scatter over the toasted flaked almonds to serve.