A Symphony of Summer: Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Ingredients

• 12 sponge cake rounds, about 3/4-inch thick
• 3 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• pinch salt

Instructions

1. 1

   In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, vanilla bean seeds, and half of the sugar (1/4 cup) until dissolved. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar (1/4 cup), cornstarch, and salt. Slowly pour the heated milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and begins to bubble, about 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Remove custard from heat and immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

4. 4

   In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chilled custard until no streaks remain. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully incorporated.

5. 5

   To assemble, layer the sponge cake rounds in the bottom of a trifle dish or individual dessert glasses. Top with a generous amount of halved strawberries and a dollop of custard-whipped cream mixture. Repeat this process, finishing with a final layer of custard-whipped cream on top.

6. 6

   Refrigerate the assembled trifle for at least 2 hours or up to overnight before serving.