Rhubarb crumble trifle

• rhubarb↗800g g

  cut into 5cm pieces

• caster sugar↗100g g

  plus 2 tbsp for the whipped cream

• pared zest and juice ½ orange
• grenadine

  (optional) - this is to endure that the rhubarb has a lovely pink colour

• Disaronno↗75ml ml
• juice 2 oranges

  (about 150ml)

• trifle sponges8
• mascarpone↗140g g
• pot vanilla custard500g g
• pot double cream↗600ml ml
• butter↗25g g

  softened

• plain flour↗50g g
• demerara sugar↗25g g
• whole almond↗25g g

  roughly chopped

• jumbo oats↗50g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Arrange the rhubarb pieces in a large roasting tin. Sprinkle over the sugar, orange zest and juice, grenadine and 150ml water. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 mins until tender but not mushy. Scoop the rhubarb out of the tin into a sieve and reserve any juices, then leave to cool completely. Tip the rest of the liquid into a saucepan, along with the collected juices, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 mins or until reduced and syrupy. Leave to cool completely.

2. 2

   To make the crumble topping, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then stir through the demerara sugar, almonds and oats. Tip onto a baking tray lined with parchment and bake for 15 mins, shaking the tray every so often, until golden brown, then cool.

3. 3

   Mix the Disaronno and orange juice together in a shallow dish. Dip each sponge into the liquid, leaving it for about 15 secs on each side, then arrange them in the base of a large trifle dish. Tip the mascarpone into a bowl and whisk until soft and smooth, then add the custard, a little at a time, and mix until combined. Arrange half the rhubarb pieces on top of the sponges, discarding the orange zest. Drizzle over 2 tbsp of the rhubarb syrup and top with half the custard mix. Follow with another layer of rhubarb, 1 tbsp of the syrup, and the remaining custard.

4. 4

   Whip the cream and 2 tbsp sugar to soft peaks and dollop over the custard. Drizzle over the remaining rhubarb syrup, along with a scattering of the crumble topping. Tip any extra crumble into a bowl and pass around the table.