These Mini Fruit Custard Trifle Cups are always a huge hit at any party, and they’re so easy to put together. Layers of pound cake, fresh berries, creamy custard, and whipped cream make them a colorful, crowd-pleasing dessert. Make the custard ahead, assemble on the day, and watch them vanish at your next party!
Are you struggling to decide what sweet treat to serve for your special celebration? You’re in luck because I have a fantastic answer for you! These Mini Fruit Custard Trifle Cups are a delicious, mouthwatering dessert.
This recipe is easy and fancy, great for any event, and full of wonderful fruity flavors. I love combining simple Indian desserts such as custard, gulab jamun, shrikhand, ladoo, etc., to make fusion desserts.
Check out these Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Bowls, Motichoor Ladoo Cheesecake Cups, and Gulab Jamun Custard Jars.
I recently made these Fruit Custard Trifle Cups for a party, and they were an instant hit. Everyone loved them and asked for the recipe, so here it is! So if you’re looking for an easy Indian fusion dessert, give this one a try!
Table of Contents
Trifle is a traditional British treat with many tasty layers inside. Traditionally, it is made with sponge cake or ladyfingers soaked in fruit juice or sherry and then topped with custard, whipped cream, and different kinds of fruit. It’s more than just a treat; it’s a stunningly beautiful, colorful, and irresistibly tasty dish with different flavors and textures.
Typically, trifle is made in a large round glass bowl so you can see all the wonderful layers. Now, there are variations to make trifles in mini cups, which is what we will be making here.
These Mini Trifle Cups are:
- Easy to make
- Easy to customize
- Crowd-pleaser
- Perfect for entertaining
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Fruit Custard Trifle
- Fruits: I used strawberries and blueberries, but feel free to use fruits of your choice.
- Pound Cake: I used pound cake. You can also use Angel Food Cake or any Vanilla Cake. The cake forms the sturdy base of your trifle cups. It soaks up the delicious flavors from the custard and fruits, giving each bite a soft, spongy texture and a mild sweetness.
- For whipped cream: Use Cool Whip or make it from scratch; you’ll need heavy cream and powdered sugar.
- Garnish: To garnish, you’ll need pistachios and dried rose petals.
For the Custard:
- Custard powder: I use store-bought custard powder. It’s a blend of starch and flavorings that creates a velvety texture.
- Milk: I used whole milk.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the custard.
- Cardamom powder: This is optional. But adds a subtle aroma and Indian touch to the custard.
- Saffron: This is optional. I personally love to add it for the Indian flavor. You’ll need crushed saffron strands. It adds a lovely golden color and a soft aroma.
How to Make Custard?
- Put the custard powder and 1/4 cup of milk in a small bowl and mix them. Set this mixture aside.
- Add the remaining milk and sugar to a pot and heat over medium heat. Bring it almost to a boil. Then lower the heat.
- Pour the custard and milk mixture into the pot while whisking continuously. Stir it constantly until it thickens and boils.
- Add cardamom powder and crushed saffron. Let it cool down.
- As it cools, the custard will get thicker. Store it in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
- You can also prepare the custard a day in advance to make assembling the dessert easier.
Additionally, I am sharing the detailed recipe for custard here.
How to Make Whipped Cream?
Add the heavy cream and sugar to the steel bowl of your stand mixer. Use the wire whisk attachment (or your hand mixer) and beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Make sure not to overbeat, or else the cream will separate.
If you are short on time, you can use store-bought Cool Whip as a substitute for homemade whipped cream.
How to Assemble Custard Trifle Cups?
You can assemble this dessert in mini jars or in mini glasses. I used glass jars, but similar mini plastic clear cups would work great if you are making them for a large crowd at a dinner party. Here is another good option for mini clear cups.
You can also use shot glasses with about 4oz capacity to assemble this. Or use mini mason jars.
This trifle dessert is super easy to assemble:
- Slice the pound cake into 3/4-1 cm layers, then cut it into small cubes.
- Cut the strawberries into small pieces.
- Start by filling the bottom of your cups with a spoonful of custard.
- Then top with pieces of pound cake. Ensure that the pound cake forms a nice layer at the bottom of the cup. Fit in more cubes if needed.
- Now, evenly distribute a tablespoon of custard over the cake.
- Arrange a layer of strawberries over the custard.
- Top the strawberries with another layer of custard. This layer needs about two spoonfuls of custard.
- Next, we add the blueberries. To make the layer visible, arrange the blueberries along the rim of the cup.
- The whipped cream is the last layer. To make it look prettier, you can use a piping bag.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios and, if you like, some dried rose petals.
- Repeat this process for each cup, then chill them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Pro-tips
Cups: You can use various types of cups or jars to assemble this dessert. Square plastic mini cups, cylinder mini cups, glass jars, or mini mason jars all work well.
Cream: Alternatively, you can use store-bought Cool Whip instead of making homemade whipped cream.
Cake: You can make a pound cake or a vanilla cake at home, or purchase a store-bought one to simplify the dessert’s assembly.
Custard: I used homemade custard for this recipe. If you like, you can use store-bought custard or vanilla pudding.
Fruits: Use fruits of your choice. I prefer to use a variety of fresh berries.
How to Store?
It is best to prepare the ingredients and store them separately if you want to prepare ahead of time for a party.
Once they are assembled, you can store these mini trifles in the refrigerator for up to a day. Just cover each assembled jar with plastic cling wrap.
Making Custard Trifle Cups for a Party
As I mentioned, I recently made these Trifle Cups for a party. I made over 30 cups, and it took me just over an hour to assemble them on the day.
I made the custard a day before. I sliced the cake, chopped the strawberries, and made the whipped cream in the KitchenAid stand mixer.
The last layer is always the fun one. I garnished it with dried rose petals and crushed pistachios. If you like, you can top with fruits.
A blurry picture, but here I am ready to take the mini trifle cups to the Diwali party.
These cute little jars will be a hit at your Diwali or Holi party, or an Indian Thanksgiving dinner. I hope you give them a try!
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Mini Fruit Custard Trifle Cups
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Strawberries, cleaned and dried
- 1 pint Blueberries, cleaned and dried
- 6 ounce Pound Cake, or angel food cake, or any vanilla cake
- 1 tablespoon Pistachios, slivered, to garnish, or other nuts of choice
- Dried rose petals, for garnish, optional
For the custard
- 2 1/2 tablespoon Custard powder
- 2 cup Milk, divided
- 4 tablespoon Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder
- 10-12 strands Saffron (Kesar), crushed
For Whipped Cream or use CoolWhip
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon Powdered sugar, icing or confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Make the custard
- To make the custard, in a small bowl, combine custard powder and 1/4 cup milk. Give this a good mix and set it aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the rest of the milk and sugar. Bring to a slight boil, then pour in the custard and milk mixture. Lower the heat. Keep whisking till the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add cardamom powder and saffron.
- Let it cool down. The custard thickens as it cools. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You can also make the custard a day before and refrigerate it.
Make Whipped Cream
- Add the heavy cream and sugar to the steel bowl of your stand mixer. Use the wire whisk attachment (or use a hand blender), and beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar until it forms peaks. Make sure not to overbeat, or else the cream will separate.
Prepare the Cake and Fruits
- Slice the pound cake into 3/4-1 cm layers. Then, cut it into small pieces.
- Cut the strawberries into small pieces.
Assemble the jars
- Add a spoonful of custard to the base of the cup. Place a layer of pound cake. Then, add a spoonful of custard on top. Make sure it spreads over the cake.
- Add a layer of strawberries. Then, top with a layer of custard. This layer is about two spoonfuls of custard. (Adjust based on the size of the cups you use)
- Now, arrange the blueberries on top along the rim of the cup, so the layer is visible.
- The final layer is whipped cream. You can just spread it on the top of the blueberries. If you have a piping bag, use it to make the top layer look prettier.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.
- Repeat with the remaining jars. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
