Spring berry trifle

Make the cake the day before so it has time to cool and firm up. Cake recipe nb - it you don't have buttermilk then add a generous squirt of lemon juice to ordinary milk and leave it to stand for 10 minutes. 1) Preheat the oven to 175C/Gas mark 3 1/2. Grease and flour 2 small loaf pans or one large. Line the bottoms with greaseproof paper. 2) Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. 3) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. 4) When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Take them out of the pans, place them on a baking rack and allow them to cool completely. Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator. ******************** Hull the strawberries. Sprinkle with a little sugar if they are tart. Rinse any other fruit you are using. Cut the cake into even slices, make sandwiches using the strawberry jam and place in the trifle dish interspersing with fruit. Use about 3/4 of the fruit. Keep back the most attractive berries for the top. Sprinkle the framboise over the jam sandwiches and fruit mixture. Combine the mascarpone and the custard; I use my hand blender as this can be quite stiff. You can add a tablespoon of vanilla or 2 tablespoons of liqueur of your choice for a stronger tasting custard. Or if you're a glutton for work, make your own custard. Pour the mascarpone and custard mixture over the sandwich and fruit in the trifle dish. Put in the fridge to chill. Just before serving, beat the cream, pipe onto the top of the trifle, grouping the berries in the centre. Feeds 12 hungry guests.