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13 Comments This delicious limoncello trifle is perfect for any kind of party and simple to make. The alcohol can be replaced to make a kid friendly version too.
Parties can be a real pain in the behind. You need to organize so many things. Kids to keep in check. Grown ups with all sorts of different wishes… It can be tough, but it is also fun to entertain friends and family and surprise them with this easy and delicious dessert.
Delicious limoncello trifle
This delicious and easy limoncello trifle is a Jamie Oliver classic. I love making it for any party as it is usually an instant hit. Obviously, due to the alcohol content, it is not so kid-friendly but can be easily made so by swapping out the limoncello and replacing that for orange juice mixed with lemon until it has just the right tartness.
The first time I made this limoncello trifle was years ago when my friend Charlotte and I were trying out a couple of new recipes and picked a few from Jamie. The one I was in love with was the trapani rigatoni but this limoncello trifle needed some work.
Soggy bottom
If there is one thing I dislike about tiramisu it is a soggy bottom. You’ve probably tried purchasing tiramisu in the shops before? They always have that soggy bottom. And that was the same the first time I made this limoncello trifle. I call it a trifle, or rather Jamie calls it a trifle but I always think it has more resemblance with a tiramisu.
But what’s in a name right? Anyway, I loved the flavors but not the bottom. Jamie mentions in his original recipe for this limoncello trifle to pour the juice and the limoncello straight into the bottom of the dish. That way you do get that soggy bottom.
Dipping
Instead of just pouring in all the moisture I chose to dip it in this time. I used the same technique I have for the tiramisu, I make a mix of the orange juice and the limoncello and I dip the lady fingers in one by one before adding it to the dish.
Now there is a fine balance between leaving it in too long or leaving it in too short. You do want the ladyfingers to soak up some of the liquid, otherwise you won’t have any flavor and the cookies will be too dry.
Perfect
This time the bottom was perfect and that made this little dishes the hero of the day. They are perfect for any kind of party. Maybe not if it involves children. If that is the case, you can swap the limoncello for a mix of orange juice and lemon juice. Maybe mix in a bit lemon zest as well. I love lemon, but if you’re not too fond of that, mix it to your liking and add some honey if you need to do that.
The mascarpone for the limoncello trifle is mixed with the icing sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and a bit of limoncello as well. As an alternative I also absolutely love using lemon curd instead of all of the above. If you want to use that you can simply use a couple of table spoons of lemon curd and mix it till you like it. I easily add in half a jar.
Never not enough lemon for me! The dish is then assembled by layering the lady fingers, adding the mascarpone mix and ending with a big layer of raspberries. I like to finish it with grated dark chocolate. It’s best to do that right before serving though.
The chocolate otherwise gets wet and melts a bit. So to keep it looking nice, grate the chocolate right before serving and enjoy.
Other fruits
Obviously if raspberries are not in season you can make this limoncello trifle with any other seasonal fruit. It would go brilliantly with strawberries, black berries or blue berries. Try and use the softer fruits as that will work best.
Frequenty asked questions about the limoncello trifle
There sure is. Replace the limoncello for a mix of orange juice and lemon juice and add a bit of honey to sweeten it up.
Yes you can. In fact it will be even better if you do. Make it at most one day ahead and keep in the fridge until serving.
Yes you can. I would remove the fresh fruit if you do and make sure to cover it well to prevent ice crystals from forming. It is however best to eat fresh but if you do have leftovers you can freeze.
Yes. It will be delicious with fresh strawberries, black berries, mango or another soft fruit.
You can. You could for instance replace a part of the mascarpone for thick yogurt. However, that does contain more moisture so I would advise to drain the yogurt before hand (you can do that using a cheese cloth for instance)
Variation
If you don’t like lady fingers you can also use – for instance – this delicious lemon loaf recipe by my friend (and the best baker!) Laura of Laura’s Bakery. Just swap the lady fingers for slices of the cake.
Limoncello trifle with raspberries
Ingredients
- 2 oranges juiced
- 3 tbsp limoncello
- 1 package package of lady fingers
- 300 gr mascarpone
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- juice of half a lemon
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 vanillapod
- 150 gr raspberries
- dark chocolate for grating
How to make the limoncello trifle
- Put the juice of the two oranges together with the limoncello into a flat bowl and taste. If it has too strong an alcohol taste you can adjust it with adding more juice. Dip each of the ladyfingers into the mixture and lay them into a serving dish with a flat bottom. Continue until you have a layer of ladyfingers.
- In a separate bowl mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar, lemon juice, vanillaseeds, zest and about 1-2 tbsp of the dipping mixture you used. Stir until everything is combined well.
- Spread the mixture over the lady fingers, smoothing it as much as possible. Put all the raspberries on top of the mixture and finish with a generous grating of the chocolate. Keep chilled until ready to use!
Notes
- Kid-friendly? Swap limoncello for orange + lemon juice + honey.
- Make ahead? Yes, 1 day in advance for best flavor.
- Freeze? Yes, but remove fresh fruit. Best fresh.
- Fruit swaps? Use strawberries, blackberries, mango, etc.
- Lighter version? Replace mascarpone with drained thick yogurt.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Hi there! I am sure u saw him prepare this in one of his Shows. Do you remember which of his books/TV Programme this is from?
O that’s a very good question. I made it so long ago I can’t recall! Sorry!
I fund this recipe by accident and made it as part of a summer barbecue and everyone really enjoyed it! The only thing I would mention is you don’t specify a size of casserole dish and as I was assembling it I thought I’d have more topping than cookie in my 1.4 L (1.5 Qt) dish so I placed the cookies on their side for extra height and that worked quite well. I also didn’t dunk them very long because I was afraid they’d fall apart so after assembling I slowly poured some of the remaining juice over them making sure the bottom of the dish never became wet and that seemed to work well. By the way, everyone raved about the dessert and thought it was restaurant quality!
Thanks so much Michael. Glad it worked out so well!
Hi Simone! How much time does this take to set? I dont want the fingers to get soggy at the same time I dont want to prepare this last minute.
I know he added milk with the mascarpone. Not mentioned in the ingredients and in the method. Please explain.
I don’t know what you mean. This is my version and I chose to use lemon juice and not milk.
Any substitute for the limoncello wine for non-alcohol receipe?
Sure. You can replace it with lemon juice ..;)
Could you translate the limoncello tiramisu in German please! Thanke You Sandra
Google translate might help you.
Thank you! I made this many, many time. It’s so delicious!
And perfect for summer I would say.. 😉