Can You Freeze Trifle?

Trifle is a delicious British dessert. First, there is a layer of sponge, then Jell-O, sometimes with fruit, then custard, and finally whipped cream. Quite often, the sponge is soaked in sherry. It is a great ending to a dinner party menu.

However, it does take some time to assemble so can you prepare it in advance and freeze it so that you have a dessert ready to go for a dinner party? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Trifle does not freeze well because custard and cream don’t freeze particularly well and have a tendency to split. Jell-O also doesn’t freeze well.

This is because the chemical bonds that make Jell-O the way it is, break down with freezing. This means that the Jell-O will end up a watery mess, and this, combined with the split custard and cream, doesn’t make for a delicious dessert. However, you can freeze the trifle sponge and, in this article, we will tell you how to do this. You will have to assemble the rest of the trifle fresh on the day you want to eat it. 

How To Freeze Trifle Base

1. Prepare the base.

Perhaps you have decided to bake the sponge yourself. If so, you will need to cool it down before you freeze it. If you put it in the freezer while it is still warm, it will raise the temperature and other food may start to defrost and even spoil. You can soak it in alcohol but remember that alcohol doesn’t freeze well (See also When Does Alcohol Stop Freezing?) so you may want to do this when you have defrosted it. 

2. Put the sponge in a container.

You will need to find a flat container as you will want your sponge base to be flat when it is defrosted. You can use a freezer bag but you will have to be careful where you put it in the freezer so that it doesn’t get squashed. If you use a freezer bag, ensure that you squeeze out all the air so that freezer burn doesn’t occur. Freezer burn will ruin the taste and the texture of your sponge. Put a label on the container or bag with the date and the contents.

3. Freeze.

Tips For Freezing Trifle

1. Only freeze the base as the custard and cream will split if you freeze them. 
2. Squeeze out the air if you use a freezer bag to freeze the sponge, otherwise, freezer burn will occur.  

For How Long Can You Freeze a Trifle Sponge?

You can freeze trifle sponge bases for up to two months. However, the sooner you defrost the sponge, the fresher it will taste. After two months, you may find that the sponge is dry when defrosted. 

How Do You Defrost the Trifle Sponge Base?

The best way to do this is slowly and steadily. Take the sponge base out of the freezer a few hours before you want to make the trifle and put it in the fridge to defrost. Once it has defrosted, you can assemble the trifle. It will take four to five hours to defrost. 

Can You Refreeze the Trifle Sponge Base?

We don’t recommend that you refreeze the sponge base. Refreezing will make the cake dry out making it inedible. Anyway, there should be no need to refreeze the sponge base as you will only defrost it when you want to make a trifle.

Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Trifle?

No, you can’t freeze an assembled trifle as the jelly, custard, and cream don’t freeze well at all (see also Freezing Cream Cakes). The sponge base will freeze so it will save you a little time if you make it in advance and freeze it. However, if you usually soak your sponge in sherry, we recommend that you do this after you have defrosted it. This is because alcohol doesn’t freeze well (see also Should You Freeze Limoncello?).

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing trifle but in case you are still curious, we have answered a few questions here.