The British summertime: Wimbledon, strawberries and rain. All three an absolute guarantee. This trifle sees one of those things perfectly blended with another’s favourite tipple- Pimms. A drink that is rarely seen post August and certainly isn’t brought out until some inexplicably hot day in May… by which point every pub in the vicinity starts charging £25 for a watery bit of mint and flat lemonade. This on the other hand has spiked cream and the best Pimms syrup ever! I’d make double and keep it stored in the fridge, it’s delicious drizzled over ice cream. If you want to add jelly too then be my guest! Just pour it over the sponge finger layer and leave for at least 4 hours in the fridge to set.

Serves 10

Ingredients:

200ml Pimms, plus a dash

juice and zest of 2 lemon and 2 oranges

75g icing sugar

bunch of mint

¼ cucumber, sliced

200g trifle sponge fingers

1 large punnet of strawberries (about 700g)

100g strawberry jam

1 large pot double cream (600ml)

600ml vanilla custard

Recipe:

1. Mix together the Pimms, 75g icing sugar, citrus juices, half of the mint and cucumber in a bowl. Blast in microwave for 30 secs at a time until the sugar’s melted. Leave to infuse for as long as you can and then strain.

2. Stick two trifle sponges together with strawberry jam. Dip into the juices and arrange round the sides and bottom of a trifle dish. Pour over the rest of the syrup and leave it to soak.

3. Slice some of the strawberries in half lengthways and place cut side out around the dish in a circle above the lady’s fingers. Chop the others up however you like and pop on top of them. Pour the custard over the berry layer.

4. Whip up the double cream and dash of Pimms until soft peaks form. Pick off small mint leaves and pop them on top for garnish. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours before serving.