Tis' the season for trifle!

Berry season is upon us! And some berries have already finished their season (did anyone get to Strawberries in time to can/freeze?). This is the perfect time for summer trifles, we ate one yesterday and so I thought I'd do a little how-to. Trifle's are highly enjoyable and once you've got all your ingredients ready, very easy! They are also great when feeding a crowd, our family punch bowl has been filled many times with trifle, probably more with trifle than actual punch!
Here is what you need:

• Sponge cake or angel food cake, for this particular trifle I used two angel food cakes
• Creme de Cassis (black currant liqueur), this is my family's go-to trifle booze, but I've heard of people using sherry, I'm sure you could use anything you fancy. 
• Berries and fruit 
• Whipped cream, I used 2 cups whipping cream
• Pastry Cream, recipe at the end of the post

Ready?
Okay, cut the cake into chunks.

Drizzle the pieces with Creme de Cassis, be generous. 

 I was really generous because it's apparently hard for me to pour and take pictures...oh well! If you ever eat trifle with my Gramps he will find the bottle of Creme de Cassis and as he scoops out portions of trifle he will add a few extra glugs to each bowl. It becomes more like Creme de Cassis with a bit of cake and berries floating in it.

 Start the layering. First smear a bit of pastry cream in the bottom of your bowl. Top with pieces of soaked cake.

Next some berries and fruit, I used saskatoons, raspberries and nectarines for this trifle.

Then a layer of whipped cream.

 And start again. Pastry cream, cake, fruit, whipped cream. Repeat until the bowl is filled up!

The top is where you get to be creative! Decorate how ever you would like, and honestly whatever you do will look amazing, fresh fruit has that ability!

Chill in the fridge for a few hours so everything gets really mushy and happy and then EAT!

Pastry Cream
Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 cups milk (if you usually drink 1% I would recommend either buying some 2% or whole milk for this recipe, or doing half 1% and half half/half cream)
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

In a medium pot, combine the milk, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, remaining sugar and cornstarch. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the eggs. Continue slowly adding the hot milk to the eggs and whisking constantly (or else the eggs will scramble. But don't be scared!).  Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl.
Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of it to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for 2 hours.