Individual Trifles with Ginger Pears

Serves 6-8

This recipe needs to be started a day in advance of eating.

Ingredients:

• 3 gold leaf ( or 1.5 titanium leaf) gelatine
• 500ml single cream 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 4 cardamom pods, bruised
• 1 20 x 30cm sponge cake, cooled in the tin on a wire rack (recipe below)
• Ginger pears
• 1 cup golden syrup 
• 5cm pieced sliced, peeled ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
• 4 small William pears, peeled and halved
• 1 cup store-bought thickened custard
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon 
• ½ tsp ground ginger 
• 4 ginger nut biscuits, crushed
• ¼ cup crystallised ginger, chopped 

Individual Trifles with Ginger Pears

1. Place the gelatine in iced water and set aside to soak for 5 minutes. Place the cream, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and take off the heat.
2. Squeeze out the gelatine leaves and add to the cream, stirring until dissolved. Set aside to infuse and cool for 20 minutes. 
3. Using a skewer, poke the cake all over. Strain cream mixture, discarding the cinnamon and cardamom. Pour the cream mixture over the sponge and refrigerate overnight. 
4. Place the golden syrup, ginger,
   ½ cup water and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the pears and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, or until tender and syrupy.
5. Place the custard, ground cinnamon and ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until warmed. 
6. To serve, cut the trifle into 6. Place on a plate. Top with warm custard, pears and sprinkle with crushed ginger nuts and crystallised ginger.

Victoria Sponge Cakes Recipe:

• 4 eggs at room temperature 
• ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
• ⅔  cup (100g) plain flour 
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 60g melted unsalted butter, cooled

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Place eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed for 12 minutes, or until the eggs have tripled in volume and are pale and thick. 
2. Meanwhile, sift the flour and baking powder together three times into a large bowl. Set aside. Sift a third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture; using a large metal spoon carefully fold until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour. 
3. Drizzle the butter around the edge of the bowl with cake mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour into lightly greased tins lined with baking paper. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly tapped and is golden (see cooking times, right). 
4. To cool the cake, carefully invert while warm onto wire racks covered with clean tea towels and a sheet of baking paper dusted with icing sugar (the icing sugar will prevent cake sticking to the paper).

Cooking times:

• Two 20cm round cake tins baked for 12-15 minutes. 
• One 20x30cm slice tin baked for 15 minutes. 
• One 20cm square tin baked for 15-18 minutes.