serves
10-12
prep
1 hour
cook
30 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
10-12
people
preparation
1
hour
cooking
30
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Layers of vanilla buttercake soaked with a basil and lemon syrup, creamy basil-infused custard and roasted strawberries make for a wonderful combination in this impressive dessert… I promise one serve won’t be enough!
Ingredients
- 125 ml (½ cup) pure (pouring / thin) cream
- small fresh basil leaves, to decorate
Buttercake
- 110 g (¾ cup) self-raising flour
- 75 g (½ cup) plain flour
- 165 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
- 125 g butter, softened
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) milk
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract or essence
Basil-infused custard
- 500 ml (2 cups) milk
- 125 ml (½ cup) pure (pouring / thin) cream
- 20 medium fresh basil leaves
- 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
- 2 tbsp cornflour, sifted
- 3 egg yolks, lightly whisked
- 1 tsp natural vanilla essence or extract
Roasted strawberries
- 1 kg strawberries, hulled and halved if large
- 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
Basil and lemon syrup
- 165 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
- 125 ml (½ cup) water
- 10 medium fresh basil leaves
- 60 ml (¼ cup) strained fresh lemon juice
Cooling time: 2 hours
Instructions
1. To make the basil-infused custard, put the milk, cream and basil leaves into a medium saucepan. Bring just to a simmer over a medium heat. Remove from heat and stand for 30 minutes to infuse. Remove the basil leaves. Use a balloon whisk to whisk the sugar and cornflour together in a heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the milk mixture until smooth and well combined. Whisk in the egg yolks. Return to the heat and stir constantly with the whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens and just comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pass the custard through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled.
2. To make the buttercake, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 20 cm x 30 cm (base measurement) shallow cake tin and line the base and two longs sides with one piece of baking paper.
3. Place both the flours, sugar, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, creamy and very pale in colour. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and spread evenly using the back of a spoon. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
4. To make the roasted strawberries, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Toss the strawberries with the sugar in a bowl. Spread over an oven tray in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven for 10 minutes, stirring gently after 5 minutes, or until the strawberries are soft but still holding their shape. Set aside to cool.
5. To make the basil and lemon syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and site over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the basil, bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced slightly. Stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool
6. To assemble the trifle, use a balloon whisk or a hand held electric whisk on medium speed to whisk the cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Cut the buttercake into 3 cm cubes and place half of the cake over the base of a 2-3 liter (8-12 cup) serving dish. Drizzle the cake with half the Basil and lemon syrup. Spread half the Basil-infused custard over the top. Spoon half the Roasted strawberries over the custard and then top with all of the whipped cream. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients finishing with the roasted strawberries. Decorate with the basil leaves and serve in large scoops.
Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O'Brien. Food preparation by Kerrie Ray. Creative concept by Belinda So.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Layers of vanilla buttercake soaked with a basil and lemon syrup, creamy basil-infused custard and roasted strawberries make for a wonderful combination in this impressive dessert… I promise one serve won’t be enough!
