Method

• Sponge
• Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4. To make the sponge, place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, then using a dessertspoon gently fold in the sifted flour and continue folding until all the flour is fully absorbed, then beat in the vanilla essence.
• Spoon the mixture into a parchment lined Swiss roll tin. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden.
• The sponge is cooked when it comes slightly away from the tin. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• Pastry cream
• To make the pastry cream, bring the milk to the boil in a heavy-based pan with the vanilla pod and seeds
• Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until you can make a figure eight in the mixture that stays for 10 seconds.
• Whisk in the cornflour and then whisk in half of the milk until smooth. Pour back into the remaining milk in the pan and cook over a low heat until well thickened, stirring constantly.
• Pour back into a bowl, remove the vanilla pod and leave to cool completely. Smear a little butter on to the surface to prevent a skin forming.
• Jelly
• Blitz the raspberries in a food processor or liquidiser to make a puree and then pass through a fine sieve. Make up to one litre of liquid with the blueberry juice and sweeten with the icing sugar to taste.
• Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. Bring the juice mixture to a gentle simmer, then squeeze out the excess liquid from the gelatine and whisk into the juice mixture until dissolved.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice so that it cools down quickly.
• To finish trifle
• To make up the trifle, cut the sponge into cubes and arrange in a large glass bowl with the amaretti.
• Sprinkle over enough sherry to taste and then scatter the wild and regular raspberries with the wild and regular blueberries on top.
• Pour over the cooled jelly and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour or overnight is best.
• Whip the cream in a bowl until soft peaks have formed. Spread the pastry cream over the set jelly of the trifle and then cover with a layer of whipped cream.
• Decorate with sugared violets, wild raspberries, wild blueberries, almond slivers and a light dusting of icing sugar.
• Serve straight to the table so that everyone can help themselves.