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Serves 6 - This is a special, luxurious cold dessert and worthy of serving at a celebration meal like Christmas.

Ingredients
12oz/350g plain chocolate cake
1oz/30g toasted slivered almonds
2 cans/14oz of fruit (or equivalent fresh fruit, peeled, stoned and chopped into bite sized pieces)
1 cup/8 fl ozof fruit juice from the canned fruit or other appropriate juice if using fresh fruit
1/4 cup/2fl oz brandy, Cointreau, Kirsh or other suitable spirit, depending on the fruit you use
2 egg yolks
1 tbs cornflour
2 tbs sugar
1 cup/8 fl oz milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups/12 fl oz whipped cream

Method
1. Slice the cake into pieces about 1 inch thick. Put about 1/3 of the slices in the base of your dish.

2. Make a custard by whisking the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until pale and thick. Bring the milk almost to the boil and then gradually beat it into the egg mixture. Put the mixture into a pan over a moderate heat and stir constantly until the custard boils and thickens. Do not leave the custard even for a second, nor should you stop stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Cover the surface with clingfilm (Saranwrap) to stop a skin forming and leave to cool.

3. If using, drain the canned fruit, saving the juice.

4. Mix the fruit juice with the alchoholic spirit, e.g. brandy then sprinkle a little over the cake in the dish.

5. When the custard is cold, remove the clingfilm (Saranwrap) and stir in half (3/4 cup) of the whipped cream.

6. Now continue to assemble the trifle by putting about 1/3 of the fruit and then 1/3 of the custard over the cake in the bowl.

7. Continue the layers starting with the chocolate cake sprinkled with the juice and brandy mixture, then fruit, then custard.

8. Your final layer should be custard. Again cover it with clingfilm (Saranwrap) and refrigerate for about 4 hours or even overnight if more convenient.

9. Decorate with the remaining whipped cream and toasted almonds and with a little fruit.

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