Chef Guillaume Brahimi's signature trifle often headlines special occasions. He first made it 10 years ago, on a sunny day at home, and discovered it was an easy-to-serve dessert for events worth celebrating. The trifle combines three of his favourite things – pistachio cake, creme chantilly and raspberries – and changes with the seasons. It currently features on the dessert trolley at the Sydney outpost of his Bistro Guillaume restaurant (see our Facebook live video of the chef putting together the trifle below), but you can make it at home for a summery Christmas feast.

Raspberry and pistachio trifle

Pistachio gateaux

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature

200g castor sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

50g pistachio paste

150g marzipan

4 eggs

250g ground shelled pistachios

75g almond meal

½ tsp salt

50 ml kirsch
​
Raspberry jelly

750g fresh or frozen raspberries

100g sugar

5 sheets gold-strength gelatine
​
Vanilla cream

500g creme patissiere

500g thickened cream

Raspberry puree

500g fresh or frozen raspberries

25g icing sugar

3 × 125g raspberry punnets, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and line two 25-centimetre spring-form cake tins with baking paper.

2. To make the pistachio gateaux, place the butter, sugar and vanilla seeds in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. When the mixture is pale and fluffy, add the pistachio paste and marzipan and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. When incorporated, add the ground pistachios, almond meal and salt. Slowly add in kirsch. Once everything is incorporated, divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Place tins on different racks of the oven and bake for 35 minutes, swapping the position of the tins halfway through. The gateaux will be ready once a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Once cooked, remove from tins but leave on the bases and allow to cool. Place in the fridge and leave to set overnight.

3. Meanwhile, make the raspberry jelly by combining the raspberries and sugar in a heat-proof bowl and covering tightly with plastic wrap. Bring a small saucepan of water to a very gentle simmer and set the bowl of raspberries and sugar on top. Simmer for about two hours to release all the juice from the raspberries, topping up the water in the saucepan if it runs dry. Strain the raspberry juice into a bowl. In a separate bowl, soak the gelatine in iced water, and when soft, drain and squeeze out as much water as possible add to the juice and stir until well dissolved. Place the jelly in the bottom of a trifle bowl about 28 centimetres in diameter at the top and 15 centimetres high. Place in the fridge to set overnight.

4. For the vanilla cream, whip the thickened cream until soft peaks form. Place the creme patissiere into a separate bowl and whip until smooth. Fold the thickened cream into the creme patissiere.

5. For the raspberry puree, place the raspberries and icing sugar in blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the seeds.

6. To assemble the trifle, cut around one of the cakes so it fits the trifle bowl and place it on top of the jelly. Follow with a layer of cream, then raspberry puree. Cut the other gateau to fit the trifle bowl exactly, place on top  and finish with a layer of cream. Allow to set in the fridge for three hours. Decorate with fresh raspberries before serving.

Serves 10-12